


Children of Loss

by SonofHades



Series: Children of Loss Saga [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Loss of Innocence, M/M, Multi, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-04 03:43:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 60
Words: 580,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1764405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonofHades/pseuds/SonofHades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Lotus Hotel, paradise for the right price. Nico collapses in front of the Lotus Hotel and is taken in by the manager, Percy. But is this really paradise?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Every End Must Have a Beginning

Chapter 1

Three months. That was how long Nico had been out on the streets after his family kicked him out. His father hadn't about to tolerate a “queer” living under his roof. The man had never been loving, anyways. The bruises that had faded were proof of that. His stomach growled for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. Nico hadn't eaten anything in almost a week. His body was shaking from his lack of sleep, just wanting to collapse wherever he might lie. Most nights he sat in dark alleyways, crying and flinching anytime a noise was heard nearby.

He would have rather been miserable lying to his family than being out here alone. Other homeless people were not friendly. He couldn't go to them, asking for food or shelter. He stayed away from them at all costs, to prevent being rolled for the clothes on his back. 

The streets of L.A. were now his home. How was he supposed to survive in such a place? Gangs, rapists, drug dealers, the possibilities of getting killed were endless. Did his parents care so little for him that they had no problem tossing him out into this place? Nico felt the tears building up in his eyes again. Why was he fighting the inevitable? If he just curled up and died this would all be over. He could probably find some broken glass in a dumpster. 

Nico bumped into someone roughly. In his weakened state it caused him to fall to the ground, landing in a pile of trash bags. The man that had bumped into him grumbled at Nico, brushed his shirt off, and kept walking. The tears started to fall from Nico's face as he lay in the pile of trash. Why was this happening to him? What had he ever done to deserve this? He was a good kid. He had made good grades in school. He had stopped going after being kicked out. What would be the point in going? Nico was never one to get in trouble. His sister, Bianca, often teased him about how innocent he was. He hadn't even had sex yet, and he was nearing seventeen. So, why had fate deemed it necessary for him to suffer like this?

Sniffling, Nico pulled himself out of the pile of garbage. He stumbled, nearly falling into a streetlight. He looked around at his surroundings. He appeared to be in the high-class part of the city. Maybe he could get lucky and find some leftovers behind a restaurant. Rich people wasted food, right? Nico could only hope they did. 

Trying to will his tears away, Nico continued down the sidewalk. He wasn't really familiar with this part of the city, so he wasn't sure where he could go looking for food. He doubted he could find a generous restaurant employee or manager willing to give him a free meal. Not in this city. As Nico was making his way across a street, a taxi sharply turned the corner, Nico dove out of the way, but was splashed by some water as the car drove by. He shook his head, trying to shake the murky water out of his hair. It wasn't like it was going to worsen his appearance. He was already covered in dirt. He hadn't bathed in days. The only chance he got was finding some random source of water and simply drenching himself. He missed his warm shower. He sighed and continued on his way down the busy streets.

As he reached the heart of the rich district, he took notice of a tall hotel building. He estimated it to be around seventy or eighty floors. He wandered closer to the bright building, looking in one of the windows. The room he was looking at was a restaurant, a very nice one. It could be no less than five stars. The people were eating lobster and steak as they carried on in their conversations. It made Nico's mouth water. He forced himself to look away, knowing he couldn't have it. He glanced up at the hotel sign. The Lotus Hotel.

His legs screamed in pain as he tried to walk again. His body was so tired. Just curl up and die, he thought again. It would be easier, and his parents wouldn't miss him. Nobody would. He collapsed against the wall of the hotel, slowly sliding down it until he sat on the ground. He pulled his knees up to his chest and began to cry again. He buried his head into his knees so people wouldn't see him cry. He heard a door swing open, but didn't look up. He looked underneath his arms at the person that walked out, only seeing up to the stranger's knees.

“No, everything is going fine.” It was a guy. “Yes, he dropped the package off a few hours ago. I'll ship it over to you if you want.” The guy sighed. “No, it wasn't like that.” Another pause. “No. He tried grabbing her ass while she was on stage. There was no negotiation with me.” He paused again. “Yeah, I...informed him as to the instability of his company's stocks .”

Nico scolded himself for picking this spot to collapse. He didn't want someone to see him like this. People passing by were different, this was someone up close. Something about the boy's voice pulled Nico in, though. He wanted to look up and see who was talking, but didn't want to chance him making eye contact. He would rather the stranger just ignore him and go back inside. 

Nico figured he should get up. Try to get away unnoticed. When he moved to stand his head began to spin and he collapsed on to the pavement. His cheek was now throbbing, but he didn't care. He just wanted to lay there. His eyes became heavy and he let them fall shut.

Nico let out a groan as he blinked and found the figure leaning over him. He felt a warm hand brush his bangs out of his face. “Are you ok?” he heard the voice from a moment ago ask.

The door opened again and Nico could make out a smaller figure come out and approach the previous stranger. “Percy, Luke was asking for you. What are you doing out here?”

“Talking to the boss.” Nico felt arms reach under him. “Can you get the door for me, Leo?”

The smaller figure stood back up and moved over the door. Strong arms wrapped around Nico and pulled him up to the stranger's, who's name must be Percy, chest. “Sure, boss, but what are you doing with him?”

Nico groaned again, blinking up at this Percy. His face was lifted, so Nico couldn't really make out many features, other than dark hair. “Taking care of him. He looks like he needs food and a place to sleep.”

“But-”

“No buts. You act like this is something uncommon around here.”

Nico made out the figure of Leo. He was around the same height as Nico. He was of some Hispanic origin. His eyes were peering up at Percy. Percy made his way into the hotel and Nico had to screw his eyes shut from the bright lights above him. Nico heard an elevator ding open and figured they had stepped inside of it. He unconsciously shifted closer to the warm chest that he was being pressed against. Nico blinked his eyes open for a moment. They were in an elevator. Leo looked over at him, giving him a friendly smile. “He's conscious.” Nico looked up at his rescuer. Percy glanced down at him. Nico's eyes began to shut again. The last things he saw were warm green eyes staring down at him.

\-----------------------------------------------

Nico blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright room. He was in some kind of fancy suite. His nose immediately caught scent of something cooking. He glanced down at the sofa he was laying on. Everything in this place was nicer than anything his family had back home. He heard a plate clatter against a surface. Out of curiosity, Nico pulled himself off the couch and shuffled through the doorway, lurching towards the smell of food. He found himself in the kitchen. A few loafs of bread sat on a small plate. There was a pot of what was probably soup on the stove. Standing in front of an opened fridge was the tall boy that pulled him off the streets.

He had his back turned and was digging inside of the fridge for something. He finally pulled back, a bottle of water in his hand. He turned back around and immediately noticed Nico in the doorway. “You're awake,” the boy said, sitting the bottle on the counter next to the bread. He watched Nico curiously as the small boy stood there, staring at the stack of bread. “It's for you.” Nico's eyes snapped up to the tall boy in front of him.

“Wh-What?” Nico choked out, his voice irritated from the lack of use.

The black haired boy turned around and pulled the pot off the stove, pouring its contents into a bowl. He grabbed the bowl and sat it beside the bread and water. “Eat.” He gestured at the food in front of him. Nico was going to say no, but his stomach protested. The boy gave him a sympathetic smile and gestured at the food again. Nico silently shuffled on to a stool and pulled the food over to him. He picked up a piece of bread first, slipping it into his mouth. He moaned as it slid down his throat. The other boy silently watched him with interest as Nico ate. “So, what's your name?”

Nico glanced up at him as he swallowed a spoonful of soup. “Nico.” He took a swig of water, pulling his eyes away from the other's stare. Percy's gaze was piercing, and and the way his eyes watched him made Nico feel uncomfortable. “Th-Thank you for all of this.”

The boy waved it off. “Don't mention it. It isn't an uncommon occurrence around here.” Nico went back to chewing on some bread. “I'm Percy by the way.”

“T-Thank you, Percy. I guess I'll be on my way after I finish eating.”

Percy looked at him curiously. “Why?”

What did he mean why? “Because, I-I don't want to be a burden.”

Percy smiled at him, chin supported on his palm. “You are welcome to stay. I don't really feel right tossing you back on the street.” His gaze traveled up and down Nico. “How would you like a job? You'll get a free place to live.”

Nico nearly choked on his food. This guy he just met was going to offer him a place to live and a job? “I-But you just met me.”

Percy shrugged. “Like I said, it isn't an uncommon occurrence around here. Most of the people that work here came from where you were. Now, how old are you, Nico?”

“Sixteen.”

Percy nodded. He mumbled something under his breath. “Well, I suppose I can put you in the bar. How do you feel about being a busboy?”

Nico's eyes widened. He nodded his head eagerly. “Yes! That's fine. I'll do whatever you want!”

A sly smile spread over Percy's lips and Nico noticed him bite down on his bottom lip for a brief second. “I'm sure,” Percy said with a wink. “Now, finish eating and we'll get you cleaned up. You can stay here tonight, and I'll find you a place to stay in the morning.”

Nico nodded. He went back to working on his soup as Percy stepped out of the room. He heard Percy move around in another room. When he was done he went in search of the taller male. He found Percy setting some clothes on the sink in a very large bathroom. The centerpiece of the room was a large square Jacuzzi styled bathtub with two shower heads and a variety of dials coming out of the walls that stood over the tub. Percy looked over his shoulder at Nico and motioned for the boy to come in. Nico rubbed his arm as he walked forward, clearly uncomfortable. He hadn't really had any social interaction since he had gotten kicked out, and it felt odd to him now. 

He came into the bathroom and stood in front of Percy. He now noticed how tall the boy was. He had to be around six foot three. Nico barely came up to the boy's shoulders. He smiled down at Nico before lifting the boy's shirt over his head. Nico turned red as his shirt was tossed to the floor. He squeaked as he felt Percy's hands on the button of his pants. He tried to pull the hand off, but Percy swatted Nico's hand away. “Relax. I'm not going to rape you. Your body is still exhausted, though. You probably aren't going to be comfortable with it, but I'm going to stay in here to make sure you get cleaned up. I don't want you passing out while you are in the tub.” Nico gulped as he stared up into Percy's eyes.

Percy finally got his pants off, pulling each of Nico's legs up and tossing the jeans next to Nico's shirt. When he moved for Nico's boxers Nico instinctively clutched them. Percy let out a chuckle. “I-I can do this myself.”

Percy moved his hands back, holding them up defensively. “Fine, but I'm still going to watch and make sure you get yourself cleaned up.”

Nico nodded his consent. Percy stepped around Nico and stood in the doorway. Self-consciously, Nico slid his boxers off, feeling Percy's gaze on him. When he moved to turn on the water Percy stopped him. He adjusted the water to what he felt was appropriate and stepped back once again. Nico slowly lowered one leg into the water, flinching a little at the warmth.

As he slid the rest of his body in, he let out a long sigh. He could already see the dirt coming off of him and dirtying the water. A rag was lowered in front of his face. “Thanks,” Nico mumbled as he took the rag from Percy. There was a long silence as Nico went about cleaning his body. “Why are you doing this? You don't even know me.”

Percy had an unreadable look on his face as he stared into Nico's eyes. “I don't have to know you to know what you have gone through.” The two went back to silence after that. When Nico set his rag down, Percy stepped forward to drain the tub. Nico's eyes widened as the boy slid his shirt off.

“Wh-Wha-What are you doing?”

Percy reached down and pulled Nico up into a standing position. He reached out and turned on the shower head. Nico flinched as the water hit his skin. He hated being this exposed in front of someone he had just met, but Percy was at least being nice enough to keep his eyes averted from his lower body. “You need to wash your hair and finish getting off any dirt off your body.” Percy handed Nico some shampoo.

The entire time Nico washed his hair, Percy kept a calloused hand resting on his back. After he was done, Percy leaned Nico's head forward to wash the shampoo out himself. After that he shut off the water and stepped out, handing Nico a large towel. Nico sighed into it as he pressed it against his face. He heard Percy chuckle. He raised the towel to his hair and quickly dried it the best he could. After that he quickly wrapped the towel around his waist, finally glad to be covered once again. “Thanks again,” Nico said politely.

Percy gave him a lopsided smile. “I laid you some clothes here. You can borrow some more of mine in the morning. I'll have Leo go get you some stuff to hold you over for a few days until you can support yourself here.”

“Thanks,” Nico replied, brushing his black hair out of his face. Percy nodded, turned around, and walked out of the bathroom. Nico sighed in relief. Percy made him uncomfortable. He was a stranger sure, but his eyes were just so seductive. Nico didn't even think Percy was trying, he just radiated sex appeal. He was definitely the most attractive guy that Nico had ever laid eyes on. 

Nico picked up the clothes that Percy had laid out on the sink. A dark blue shirt, a pair of blue boxers, and some black track shorts. Nico removed the towel from around his waist. He grabbed the pair of boxers and had just slipped them on when Percy returned. He smiled at Nico before reaching down and picking up Nico's clothes. “I'll wash these for you. If you want to keep them,” Percy said, looking at Nico.

Nico shrugged. “I guess. So, I don't have to burden you for clothes.”

Percy looked back down at the clothes. “Well, they are pretty torn. I think I'd prefer you wearing mine. I'll just toss them.” Nico nodded and Percy left again, clothes in hand. Nico slipped the rest of the clothes on and went to find Percy again. He felt like a lost puppy. 

He nearly bumped in to Percy as he made his way down the hall and back into the kitchen. Percy smiled down at him, causing him to blush. Damn him and his sex appeal. Percy held the water out to him. Nico took it and mumbled his thanks. Percy grinned wider at Nico's shyness.

Percy moved into the living room as Nico followed closely behind. He sat down on the couch, patting it for Nico to sit. As Nico sat down beside him, Percy flipped his TV on. It was bigger than all the TVs in Nico's parents house combined. It had to be at least fifty inches. Percy silently flipped through the channels trying to find something to watch. “You'll have to work on your shyness,” he said while keeping his eyes on the TV. “You'll be dealing with a lot of people up in the bar.”

“Ok,” Nico mumbled. “What do you do around here?”

Percy hummed to himself. “I...sort of run things around here. I manage everything at this hotel, as well as some of the other branches.”

“How many are there?”

Percy laughed. “Well, they are all over the world, but I am in charge of the ones here in North America.” Nico gaped at him. The person in charge of this place had taken him in? “I found a lot of the workers here like I found you.”

“You just take them in off the street? What if they robbed you?”

Percy eyed him funny, trying to hide a smile. “Are you going to rob me?” Nico shook his head, and Percy burst out laughing. “I was kidding. No, I don't worry about that. My boss, she kind of has a way with people to make sure they know to behave. She's cool, though. You'll love her. She is the one who started the hotel chain. She is the only person I have to answer to, which is cool. She visits, from time to time, but her main facility is in Germany.” Nico nodded, trying to fight a yawn. Percy smiled and patted his leg. “I'll let you get some sleep,” he said, turning off the TV.

He walked out of the room and came back soon after with a blanket and a pillow. He handed them to Nico and went into the kitchen to turn off the light. “Thanks again, Percy. This means a lot.”

Percy gave him a sad smile. “Don't thank me just yet, kid.” With that he turned off the light and went back into his bedroom. Nico just lay there in the darkness for a while. What did that mean, “yet”? Nico didn't have long to dwell on it, as he felt his eyes grow heavy and he quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.

\---------------------------------

Nico was startled awake by the sound of the door closing. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He stretched, allowing his bones to pop. He swung his legs over the side of the couch. He heard a loud clang come from in the kitchen and decided to go check it out. The short boy from the night before stood in the kitchen, currently flipping pancakes. “Morning,” he said cheerfully. 

“Morning,” Nico mumbled back. He shuffled to the stool he had sat on last night and watched the boy work. “Are you Leo?”

The boy flashed a bright smile. “Yep, that's me. Percy told me to get you some breakfast.”

“Was that him leaving?” Nico asked, gesturing towards the front door. Leo nodded. He sat the pan with the pancake on it back on the stove. He pulled off another pan with some bacon on it. He scooped them off and placed them on a plate, sliding it towards Nico.

“Percy told me to tell you to eat that slowly, least you wish to throw that back up. Your stomach is gonna take some time to get used to eating again.” Nico nodded. He picked up a piece and broke off a small piece into his mouth. 

“So, what is it you do around here?”

“I'm Percy's secretary. I run errands and answer some calls for him. Deal with emails for the hotel. Basically, I just make his job as easy as possible. I'll drop you off with your new boss after you eat and get cleaned up. Percy said he left you a change of clothes in the bathroom.”

Leo picked the pancake pan back up, gave it one more flip, and scooped the food out to put on Nico's plate. He slid some syrup over for the boy to use. “My boss?” Nico asked, mouth full of bacon. “Percy isn't my boss?”

“Well, yes and no. He's the boss of everyone around here, but he has people running parts of the hotel. You will be working with Chiron, the bartender. He's really nice. You'll like him.” Nico nodded.

“So, Percy does this a lot? Take in people from the streets.”

Leo gave a nod. “Yeah, most of the young people around here, which are most of the people you'll be working with.”

“Why does he do it?” Nico asked, cutting a small piece of his pancake. 

Leo fumbled with the spatula. “I-I don't know if I should talk about it. Long story.”

“Oh.” Leo cleaned up the kitchen while Nico finished eating. He took Nico's plate when he was finished, and Nico got up to go get a shower. Sure enough there was a change of clothes sitting on the sink when he arrived.

He showered as quickly as possible without exerting himself too much. He looked at himself in the mirror when he stepped out. His body had suffered from those three months on the streets. His ribs had begun to show, and there were dark circles around his eyes. He looked so frail. He got dressed so he wouldn't have to look at his body.

The clothes were obviously too big for him. The shirt was probably one of Percy's old shirts, because it was only slightly big on him. The pants, however, were threatening to fall off his waist. He walked back into the living room and found Leo on the couch watching TV. “I need a belt,” Nico stated. Leo looked over at him and hopped off the couch.

“I think I can find you one. Wait right here.” He disappeared down the hall and into Percy's bedroom. Nico was curious as to what it looked like, given the extravagant look of the rest of the place. Leo emerged moments later with a black belt. “Here you go.” Nico took the belt, sliding it through the loops of the pants. “I actually brought you something from my room.” Leo walked over to the front door and pulled a pair of shoes from the floor. “I didn't think you'd be able to wear Percy's shoes, so I brought you some of mine.”

“Thanks,” Nico said with a smile. “Is everyone nice around here?”

Leo rubbed the back of his head. “Everyone except the Castellan brothers. You'll meet them eventually. For now, try and stick to me and Chiron. Apollo is really nice too, if you can find him.”

“What about Percy?”

“You'll probably have the hardest time seeing him.” Leo gave Nico a look. “You don't...have a crush on him, do you?”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up. “N-No! He just saved me, that's all.”

Leo gave him a cheeky grin. “If you say so. I'll just say be careful if you do have one.” Leo cleared his throat. “Anyways, I should get you down to Chiron. I have to get going so I can do some shopping for you.” Nico nodded and the two made their way out of the suite. They made their way down the hall towards the elevators. Leo pressed the button when they arrived. “If you do need to find Percy, or myself when I'm working, you'll find us here. Percy lives and works on this floor.”

The elevator dinged and opened. They walked in and Leo slipped his keycard into the slot below the long list of buttons before hitting the button to the floor above them, the sixty-ninth floor. They stepped out of the elevator and into the bar. The bar itself ran the entire length of the far wall. Behind it were shelves covered in every type of alcohol in existence. There were expensive looking wooden tables all around the room, with chairs placed on top of them. In the two corners not being taken up by the bar were lounging areas with the same type of couches that were in Percy's living room. A few pictures hung around the walls for decoration. Five TVs sat around on the walls. Three on the outer walls and two behind the bar.

A tall man with a small beard stood behind the bar, scrubbing a glass. He looked up and smiled warmly at Leo and Nico as they approached. “I take it this is my new charge?” the man asked.

“Yep, he's all yours Chiron.” Leo pulled out his phone to check the time. “Well, I need to get going.” He patted Nico on the shoulder and headed back to the elevator. “Take care of him, Chiron.”

Chiron chuckled and looked back at Nico. The man had a warm face. He had deep brown eyes that reminded Nico of a warm fire. His brown hair was well groomed. He was tall, taller than Percy. Probably around six foot five. If he didn't appear to be so warm natured Nico would have been intimidated looking up at him. He also had a small scruffy beard. All in all, Nico would have to say the man came across as a father figure. He already liked the man better than his own father, and this guy hadn't even spoken to him directly yet. 

“Well then, shall we get you to work?” Chiron said, placing the glass back on to the bar. “More will be coming up to get to work soon. I just need to give you the run down before everything starts up around here.” He placed his hands on the bar and smiled at Nico. “Now then, things will be very busy around here at night. You will work into the late hours of the morning, so expect to get off no earlier than three or four.” Nico let out a groan. “Welcome to the night life, child.” Chiron gave a chuckle.

“What kind of people can I expect? This place looks like it would be expensive.” 

“That it is. However, that means you'll find yourself with a nice paycheck. As for customers, we get all kinds of men and women. Businessmen, politicians, actors, musicians, you name it and we probably cater to them. Now, as I said, you won't be working alone. We are pretty busy at night, so there will be a few people running around with you. They, uh, change from night to night, depending on the schedules Percy gives them.” Chiron clapped his hands together. “Now then, let us get you to work. I need you to start setting those chairs down. We will start seeing customers around lunch, so hop to it.” Nico nodded quickly and set off to work.


	2. A New Kind of Family

Chapter 2

It was around ten when the elevator dinged again. Nico looked up as he placed the last chair on the floor. A girl and two guys exited the elevator. The boys looked completely identical, the only difference being one being a mere inch taller. They had curly brown hair that hung down into their blue eyes. They wore identical mischievous smiles. If they had been on the streets, Nico would have guessed that they were pickpockets. The girl had shoulder length brown hair. She was dark skinned, possibly of Native American descent. She was a head shorter than the two boys next to her. Her eyes were a deep hazel like color, Nico wasn't sure if her eyes were brown or green. They were very pretty, though.

The twins said something and made the girl laugh as they set their things down at the bar. The shorter twin nudged his brother, having noticed Nico. The taller one looked down and the shorter one jutted his chin out in Nico's direction. Now all eyes were on Nico, making him fidget under all the attention. Chiron came to his rescue by clearing his throat. “It's about time you all got here. Now, as you can see, we have a new person on staff. I'd like all three of you to welcome Nico.” Nico gave a small wave at them.

The three of them made their way over to Nico. The girl's smile was warm and friendly, while the two boys still sported crooked grins. “Hello, Neeks, I'm Travis,” the taller twin said. He held his hand out and Nico shook it. “So, your Percy's new adoptee, eh? He sure knows how to pick 'em.”

The girl rolled her eyes, elbowing Travis in the ribs. “Don't mind him, Nico, the two of them are nothing but trouble. I'm Piper,” Nico smiled at her and shook her hand.

“We take offense to that, Pipes,” the shorter twin said. Piper tossed him a glare, but he didn't seem bothered by it. “Don't listen to her. We're awesome. The name's Connor, by the way.” Nico shook his hand as well and went back to fidgeting with his shirt.

“So, is he...?” Piper asked curiously, looking back at Chiron.

The man shook his head. “No. Percy told me he will be at the bar only.”

The twins grinned wickedly at Nico. “Lucky dog. You must have really drawn Percy's attention,” Connor stated.

Piper rolled her eyes again. “That doesn't have to be the case. So, how old are you, Nico?”

“Sixteen, but I'll be seventeen in a few months.”

“See. There's your explanation.”

The twins simultaneously placed their hands behind their heads. “Whatever you say, Piper,” they said at the same time. It creeped Nico out.

“You've gotten to know one another, now, it is high time you got to work,” Chiron interrupted, wiping down the bar. “The customers will be getting here soon.” The three newcomers nodded and scurried off around the bar. “Here, Nico.” Chiron held out a black apron for Nico to take. Nico tied it around his waist. There was a pen and pad in one of the pockets. “Now, I need you to go set up the board at the entrance so that it displays tonight's drink specials.” Nico nodded and scurried off. 

As it approached noon the first customer arrived. He was a middle-aged man with thinning black hair and a scruffy beard. He was a little on the pudgy side. He took his place at one of the tables. Nico looked nervously at the man, unsure of who was supposed to go take care of him. Piper saved him and walked up to the man, smiling warmly at him. She wrote down the man's order and walked off to the bar, tossing a wink at Nico on her way.

The elevator dinged again and a few more people scattered themselves about the bar. Nico sighed, grabbed his pad and went over to one of the tables. His table consisted of two women, probably in their early thirties. Both of them were dressed in expensive business suits. “Hello, my name is Nico, and I will be your waiter today,” Nico said with a bright smile, willing himself to sound friendly to these strangers. The two of them looked up from their menus to stare at Nico, making him uncomfortable. He didn't like the way they stared at him. It wasn't rude or anything, there was just something unspoken in their eyes that made him uncomfortable. 

The woman on the right, a blonde, looked back at her menu. “Yes, I'll have a number five, a water, and a margarita.” Nico nodded, scribbling down the woman's order. 

The woman on the left, a brunette, stared at Nico a little longer. “You're new here?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Nico answered politely.

She nodded her head in approval. “I'll have a Cesar salad with dressing on the side and a diet coke.”

“Will there be anything else?” Nico asked. The women shook their heads and Nico walked back to the bar. He typed the order in to the computer like Chiron had showed him. It sent the order down to the kitchen where the staff would deliver the order up to the bar. He jumped slightly at the sound of music. He turned to find Connor adjusting the sound system.

“Jumpy much?” Connor chuckled. Nico shrugged. “Yeah, well, you better get used to the noise. It'll be pretty loud tonight.” He finally seemed to be satisfied with it and backed off the system. “Though, it doesn't compare to the noise level upstairs.”

Nico eyed him out of the corner of his eye as he prepared the women's drinks. “What's on the top floor?”

Connor grinned at Nico, looking like the Cheshire cat. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Time slowly drifted by and it neared Nico's break time. He would get a few hours off until he had to report back for the night shift. Something he had noticed was some of his three co-workers' customers were very generous with their tips. 

Leo showed up to collect Nico at four. He signed out and quickly followed the boy back to the elevator. “So, how was your first shift?” Leo asked once they were inside.

“Not too bad.”

“Night shift is always more hectic. Let me see who you'll be on shift with tonight.” Leo pulled out his phone and scrolled through it. “Hmm. You are on duty with Reyna, Octavian, Thalia, and Apollo tonight.”

“Any tips?”

Leo slid his phone back in his pocket as they exited on to the sixty-seventh floor. “Yeah, Apollo and Thalia will be your go to people. Thalia is a tough girl, and nobody really messes with her. She's friendly, though. Apollo is like the big brother around here. Reyna isn't so bad, but she can come off as a little cold. I'd suggest staying away from Octavian. He's one of the Castellan brothers I mentioned.” Nico nodded his understanding. They came in front of a door and Leo slid a keycard into the slot. He opened the door and handed the card to Nico. “Welcome to your new home.”

Nico looked around the place. It wasn't as nice as Percy's, but it still was better than his parents' house. He had a flatscreen opposite the couch. There was a nice kitchen over to the right. In the back were three doors. “Do I share this with anyone?”

Leo shook his head. “Nope, it is all yours. Well, for now anyways. You're lucky enough to be the odd man out. Until we get another boy, you'll be here by yourself. You can pick whichever bedroom you like, and the middle door over there is the bathroom.” Nico made his way to the first door on the left. He opened it to find a really nice bedroom. The bed was king sized with five pillows on it. There was another TV in this room as well, but it was a few inches smaller than the one in the other room. There was an opened door leading into a walk-in closet, it had a full length mirror on the inside of the door. In a corner a box caught his eye. He picked it up and put it on the bed. He opened it to find an assortment of clothes and toiletries. “That should get you by for a while. You can go shopping on your own when you get your first paycheck.”

Nico smiled as he fell back on his new bed. It was like a cloud. He sighed contently. Maybe suffering on the streets had been worth it after all. This was heaven. Something did bring him down from his high, though. He looked over at Leo. “Leo?”

The boy looked up from his phone at the dark headed boy. “Hmm?”

“What's on the top floor?”

“Oh. It's nothing important. Don't worry about it. You'll never have to go up there.”

Nico frowned. Why were people being evasive about this question? “So, what is there to do around here?”

“You have access to everything the hotel has to offer. Most of the stuff is on the lower levels. The pool, the game room, spa, and much more. You can even go to the kitchen and request whatever you want. As one of Percy's finds, you have pretty much unrestricted access to things around here. There are a few obvious exceptions like the top floor and Percy's office. You can only go to Percy's office with an appointment, which you can make through me.”

Nico nodded. “So, I'm free to do what I want until I go back at six?”

“Yep. So, make yourself at home and just make sure you get back to the bar on time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to Percy.” Leo tossed him a final smile before leaving the room. Nico heard the front door shut and let out a loud sigh. He stood back up and figured he might as well unpack his new things.

\-----------------------------------------------

The sun had started to sink below the horizon. Nico watched it from his place at the window. The view of the city was so amazing from up here. Nico couldn't help smiling to himself. He checked the time, he had ten minutes. He figured he should get up to the bar and get ready. 

He closed the door to his new place behind him and got back in the elevator. He inserted his keycard and when he went for the button his finger lingered over the button to floor seventy, but he shook his head and hit sixty-nine. When the doors opened again Nico found the bar much more crowded. Connor had been right about it being louder at night. With all the new people and the music playing it was almost deafening. Piper and the twins were still running around, serving the customers. He made his way through the crowded area to the bar. He signed in and tied his apron back around him. 

“Back for round two?” Chiron asked next to him, a smile on his face.

Nico nodded. Piper sighed, coming to stand next to Nico. He moved aside so she could sign out. “Wish me luck tonight, Chiron,” she said.

Chiron chuckled, pouring a drink for someone. “You don't need luck, girl. All of you have natural talent.” The twins came over and peered upside down at the computer to sign out.

“Have fun tonight, Nico. Don't miss us too much,” Travis said.

“I'll try my best,” Nico mumbled back sarcastically.

Connor laughed. “I like him already.”

Two girls came through the crowd and came behind the bar. Nico guessed they were two of his co-workers. The taller of the two had long black hair with tan skin. She had piercing dark eyes, which slightly reminded Nico of Percy's eyes, but weren't as warm. There was a small tattoo on her right wrist. It looked to be a crossed sword and torch. She wore a very serious expression on her face as she signed in, not paying Nico any attention as he stared at her.

The shorter of the two, however, had her gazed locked on the new boy. She had shoulder length black hair, which was spiked out at the tips all around her head. She had electric blue eyes that pierced through Nico as she watched him. Her attire set her apart from any of the others Nico had seen. She was dressed in punk clothing, tight fitting black shirt, loose jeans, and combat boots. She had a few freckles scattered across her face and a tiny nose ring in her right nostril.

“Who's the new kid?” the shorter girl asked. The taller one finally looked over at him, looking as if she hadn't even noticed him there before.

“He's Percy's new boy toy,” Travis said with a sly smirk. This earned him an elbow to the ribs from Piper.

“Percy found him last night. He's our new family member,” Piper stated. “Bar only.” The two new girls nodded an understanding, something that Nico wondered at. Why was it important to know he only worked in the bar?

The punk girl held her hand out to Nico. “The name is Thalia.” Nico shook her hand with a small smile. There was something about the girl that he liked.

The taller one extended her hand next, and Nico took it and shook it. She had a firm grip. “Reyna.”

“Well, sorry to run, but the three of us have to get to the night shift,” Piper informed them. The two girls nodded at them and Nico gave them a small wave as they exited to the elevator. 

Nico walked out from behind the bar and headed over to a table that two men had just sat at. “Hello, I'm Nico and I'll be your server this evening.” The two men nodded at him and gave Nico their drink orders. Nico looked up from his pad as the elevator dinged again. A tall blond made his way through the crowd and behind the bar. The boy was skinny, but with the looks of a runner. His blond hair hung down into his crazed looking blue eyes. He had a bored expression plastered on his face. His pale skin stood out in the dark lighting. Something about his appearance made Nico feel uneasy. 

Nico walked over to Chiron and gave the man the new drink orders. “Nico, this is Octavian,” Chiron said, gesturing to the blond tying an apron around his waist. The blond didn't say anything, just nodded his head in Nico's general direction, not even looking at the new boy. He took his pad and went out into the crowd to start taking orders. “Don't mind him. He and his brother aren't the friendliest.”

“So I've heard,” Nico mumbled back. Chiron handed him the two drinks and Nico took them back over to the table. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the man on his right lean over to check out his back side. Nico fought the urge to place his hands over his butt to cover it. The man made a face of approval and pulled a five out of his wallet and slipped it to Nico. He stared at it for a moment before slipping it into his apron and walking off.

When Nico returned to the bar with another order, another tall blond sat at the bar chatting with Chiron. Nico thought he was a customer at first, until he saw the apron around his waist. He was close to Percy's height, probably around six foot two. He had gorgeous cerulean eyes that shined like a sapphire gleaming in the sun. His smile was breathtaking and his teeth were pure white. He had sun kissed skin and a swimmer build. His curly blond hair sat perfectly on the top of his head.

“Well, who's this cutie?” the new guy asked, taking notice of Nico.

“Ah, this is our newest addition. Nico, this is Apollo,” Chiron said, gesturing between the two of them. Apollo tossed Nico a bright smile and held his hand out. Nico shook his hand, but before he could pull it away Apollo pulled it up and kissed his hand with a wink.

“Percy sure knows how to pick them.”

Nico blushed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks,” he mumbled, making Apollo's grin grow. He took the drinks Chiron handed him and went back into the crowd of people.

Around midnight, Percy came into the bar. He sat down at the bar in front of Chiron. Nico headed over to give Chiron another order, but stopped a few paces away when he heard Apollo talking to Percy. “So, Percy, how about we talk about getting me some more time in the big boys' club.”

Percy let out a sigh. “You know I don't like to talk about that outside of my office or upstairs. Your time slots are fine. Why the complaints?”

Apollo shrugged. “One can never have too much time. School is expensive, you know. Then there is that car I was talking to you about.”

Percy chuckled at him. “Fine. I'll put you down for tomorrow night. You can come by my floor after you get off and we'll figure something out.” Apollo winked at him and walked off. Nico let out a breath and walked up to the bar. Percy smiled at him when he noticed him. “Hey, Nico, you enjoying your new life?”

Nico gave Percy a nod. “Yeah. Thank you so much.”

“Don't mention it,” Percy said, taking a drink from whatever Chiron had given him. Chiron handed Nico a new set of drinks and Nico picked them up. Percy gave him a wink as Nico walked off. Nico was blushing as he was walking and not paying attention to what he was doing. He clumsily tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground, drinks flying everywhere. A nearby man got drenched and started yelling at Nico.

“I'm so sorry!” Nico exclaimed, quickly standing up and trying to clean up his mess.

“Why don't you watch what you are do-” the man started, but trailed off as he looked over Nico's shoulder. Nico was shocked at first, but looked over his shoulder to find Percy glaring at the man. The man gulped and sat back down. “It's fine. Don't worry about it.” Nico fumbled to pick up the broken glass. He managed to cut himself trying to pick up one piece. Someone's hand reached down to pick up the remaining pieces.

Nico looked up to see Thalia crouched down in front of him. “Don't sweat it, Nico. We all messed up on our first day here.” She chuckled. “This probably won't be your last slip up. It takes a lot of practice.”

Nico nodded at her. “Thanks,” he said as she sat the last pieces of glass on his now empty tray. “Any advice?” They stood back up and she walked with him back to the bar so he could dump the broken glasses.

“Keep your tables memorized. Keep your nose out of the customers' business. Your job is to make them all happy, so put on a pretty face and give them what they want.” She gave him a once over. “You're cute, so you can try working your looks to get better tips. It's all about playing the game right. Do it right, and you make some big bucks.” Nico nodded again as he dropped the broken glass in the trash.

Chiron already had remade the drinks when Nico was done dumping the shards. “Don't sweat it, Nico. You'll get the hang of it,” Percy said. Nico ducked his head to hide the blush, but Percy seemed to notice it and smiled brightly at him. Percy placed some bills on the counter and stood up. “I gotta get back to work. You'll take care of him for me, won't you Chiron?” Chiron smiled and nodded a single time, busy pouring some more liquor. Percy winked at Nico and walked off. 

“My my, aren't you the boss's new favorite play thing.” Nico looked up to find Octavian scowling at him. “So, you must have a pretty good ass if he's giving you so much attention.” A loud thud came from behind him and Octavian screwed his face up in pain. Apollo was standing behind the other blond, a dark glare in place on his face.

“Leave the kid alone. Now, how about you take your dirty mouth off of Percy's dick and get your ass back to work, or is it too abused for you to manage walking?” Octavian's nostrils flared and he mumbled something under his breath. However, he didn't say anything else to Nico and walked off. “Don't let him bother you, kid. You should meet his brother. Octavian is rainbows and sunshine compared to Luke.”

Nico placed some drinks and food on his tray while watching Apollo talk. “Thanks. So I've heard everyone refer to this as a family. Are all of you close?”

Apollo gave a nod. “Yeah, we all came from similar situations. So, we sort of bonded. We would even stick our necks out for Luke and Octavian, as hard as that may be to believe. Everyone looks out for each other here.” He stared off blankly at nothing in particular with a short pause. “You sort of have to, in order to make it through things.”

Nico picked the tray up, almost tipping it over, but Apollo grabbed it and steadied it. “What do you mean? Everything seems so nice here.”

Apollo gave him a small smile. “Ah, the life of a newbie.” He patted Nico on the shoulder. “Don't lose that innocence, kid.” Without another word he turned and walked over to a table full of women, who laughed flirtatiously at Apollo as he joined them. Nico forced himself to look away and make his way back to the crowd of tables and people. He stopped for a moment, trying to remember which table had given the order. His eyes came across Reyna, who pointed to her right. Nico looked over to find it was the table he was looking for. He mouthed a thank you to her, which she shrugged off.

Nico set the drinks down and placed the plate down in front of a heavy set woman. “Actually, I'm the one that ordered that,” the man across from her said. Nico felt his cheeks burn at his mess up.

“Sorry about that,” Nico replied, correcting his mistake. 

\-------------------------------------------------------

The last customer finally boarded the elevator and the doors shut. Thalia let her head fall on to the wooden bar and groaned loudly, Reyna patted her on the back. Chiron was busy counting out the money as the younger workers stood around on the outside of the bar. “So, how was your first day, Nico?” Apollo asked, turning to look at Nico with his chin propped up by his palm. 

“Rough. Is it always busy like this?” All of them nodded. Nico groaned, letting his head fall back.

“This is nothing,” Octavian scoffed. Thalia shot him a look, which Nico thought looked like a warning. “What? I didn't say anything. I'm just saying that this isn't the hard job.” Apollo raised a half-finished drink to his lips and took a long quaff.

“Amen to that,” the other blond stated. He raised his glass. “To the jobs that pay the bills.” He had a sly smile on his face. The others smiled at him and started laughing. Nico just stood there in confusion.

Chiron eventually dismissed them and they all boarded the elevator. Nico stared at the button for the seventieth floor as Reyna hit the button for the sixty-seventh floor. “So do you guys work during the day?” Nico asked as they rode down.

“On weekends. That or we catch up on sleep,” Thalia said, leaning against the wall of the elevator. “Most of us actually go to college.” Nico made a face and they all laughed.

“What? You thought because we all were on the streets that we were uneducated? No. Percy encourages us to go to school and get an education, letting us study whatever we want,” Reyna said.

“I-I didn't mean it to sound like that,” Nico said quietly. 

“It's cool, dude,” Apollo said, slinging an arm over Nico's shoulder. “Not all of us choose to go, but most of us do. The ones that don't will usually work with you during the weekdays.” He paused, looking Nico over. “How old are you anyways?”

“Sixteen.”

“Then, Percy is going to pretty much force you into school,” Reyna stated. It kind of came to a shock to Nico. He had thought his education was over, but now, on top of all this wonderful stuff, he was going to get to stay in school. The door dinged open and they all stepped out. The girls bid them farewell as they went down the hall opposite from the boys'. 

“So, I'm expected to stay in school?”

The two blonds looked over at him. “How long were you on the streets?” Apollo asked. “Most of us don't say we get to 'stay in school'. Most of us were out on the streets for a very long time before Percy found us.”

“Some never even went to school at all,” Octavian added.

“I was on the streets for around three months,” Nico replied.

“It sucks, for whatever reason you were out there. People just don't understand what living out on the streets is really like. Especially in a city like this,” Apollo said, with a hint of bitterness in his voice. “Well, then yes, Percy will make sure you stay in school. He'll enroll you in one nearby, more than likely. That way you can have the full new life experience.” Octavian stopped at his door and the two bid him goodnight as he entered his room. Nico caught sight of someone inside, but the door shut before he could get a look at the boy.

They made their way down the hall and stopped at Nico's door. “Well, this is my room,” Nico said.

“I'll be sure to keep it memorized,” Apollo said with a smile. “If you need me, I am down the hall on the right.” Nico nodded and opened his door. Apollo waved at him as he shut the door. Nico let out a long sigh as he fell back against the door. It really had been a long day. He groaned as he looked over at the clock. It was nearing five in the morning. 

He shed his clothes as he made his way to his new bedroom. He would clean them up later to give back to Percy. Right now he just wanted to sleep. He plopped down face first on his bed and sighed contently at the perfect feel of it. He rolled over to the box that Leo had given him. He pulled out a toothbrush and toothpaste from inside of it.

He dragged himself off the bed and out into the hall. He stepped into the bathroom for the first time. It was heaven sent. The sink had a porcelain top to it and dark wooden cabinets below it. There was a vanity mirror above it. On the other side of the bathroom was a shower with see through glass walls. There was a large bathtub next to it. It wasn't like Percy's bathroom, but it would certainly do. He ran his toothbrush under the faucet and brushed at his teeth as he looked around the beautifully sculpted room.

He came back into his bedroom and turned off the lights. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers over him. It was even better laying underneath them. They were so perfectly soft. He usually didn't sleep with so many pillows, but each of them were so different and yet so perfect that he couldn't bring himself to take any off. He sighed a final time as he quickly drifted off into a well earned sleep.


	3. Into Neverland

Chapter 3

Nico was woken by some loud knocking coming from the front door. He groaned and dragged himself out of bed, not even bothering to put on more clothes. He yawned as he opened the door to find Apollo standing there in a tight red shirt and some black swim trunks. He gave Nico a quick once over before returning his gaze to Nico's eyes. “Aren't you adorable in the morning?” Nico tossed him a death glare. “And a morning person, too.”

Nico yawned again. “What do you want?”

“Some of us were going to go down to the pool. You're welcome to join us. It would give you a chance to meet some more of us.”

Nico nodded. “Yeah. Just let me change and get cleaned up a little bit.”

Apollo tossed him a smile. “Alright, dude. I'll see you down there.” With that the blond jogged off down the hall. Nico shut the door again and headed for the bathroom to get a quick shower. Nico didn't see a point in spending much time in it, since he was just going to need another one after swimming. 

After he was done, he went back into his bedroom. He faintly recalled seeing a pair of swim trunks in that pile of clothes Leo had given him. After digging in his drawers, he was victorious in finding them. They were completely green, except for a white logo of the Lotus Hotel printed on the bottom of the right leg. He quickly slipped them on, grabbed a towel from the bathroom, and headed out the door.

When he got in the elevator, his eyes immediately landed on the seventieth floor button. It was like the button was taunting him. A quick peek wouldn't hurt, right? He slipped the card Leo had given him into the slot and his finger pressed the button before he could change his mind. The elevator came to a stop a moment later. The doors slid open to a dimly lit hallway. Nico inched out slowly. There were small podiums on the left and right corners where the hall split into two wings. He heard footsteps closing in. 

He thought about returning to the elevator, but before he could even turn around, two people had come around the corner from the right wing. The first one he took notice of was a very tall girl, who made Nico think of an amazon warrior. She wasn't frail looking, like most girls. This girl could probably take a tough football player in a fight. She had her long brown hair tied in a ponytail. Her brown eyes reminded Nico of a wild animal.

Next to her stood a slightly shorter guy. He had jet black glossy hair. He was pretty thin, but there were hints of muscles beneath his loose shirt. One of his eyes was dark brown, while the other was covered by a black eyepatch. He was definitely of Japanese descent. 

They both narrowed their eye at him. “What are you doing up here?” the girl asked, sounding angry. “No admittance until business hours.”

The boy nudged her. “No. I think he's one of Percy's.” The girl looked him over. “The one he was talking about, the one he found the other night.”

The girl seemed to ease up. “Oh, yeah.” She crossed her arms. “You aren't supposed to be up here at all, then. Percy's orders.” Nico stared at her in confusion. Why wasn't he allowed up here? The girl turned back to the boy next to her. “Go fetch Percy.” The boy nodded and ran off. Nico gulped as the girl just stared blankly at him. He was going to be in trouble. Percy had been generous and had taken him in, he had even provided Nico with a job, and Nico just had to go and get into trouble. Would Percy kick him out? No, Percy didn't seem like the type.

He heard quiet mumbling coming back down the hall and soon the boy with the eyepatch came back around the corner with Percy in tow. Percy's gaze immediately landed on Nico, his eyes clearly upset at him. “What are you doing up here?” Percy asked rather harshly.

“I-I'm sorry. I just got curious,” Nico stuttered. Percy's eyes didn't soften. He just huffed and walked forward. He grabbed Nico's arm and dragged him back into the elevator. Without even asking where Nico was going, Percy hit the button to the ground floor. Nico looked up at Percy in shame. Percy wasn't looking at him, his eyes bore into the elevator door. “I'm sorry.”

“How did you get up there anyways?”

Nico pulled out the keycard. “Leo gave me a spare until I got my real one.” Percy let out a low growl. Nico had the feeling that Leo was in trouble. 

“Don't go up there again, Nico.” Percy's voice was still harsh. Nico didn't think it was that big of a deal. Why was he so angry? Percy glanced over at him, his eyes softening when he saw Nico's hurt expression. “Sorry for getting upset. You just don't need to be up there. I'm doing you a favor by keeping you out of there.”

Nico looked up at him, confused. “Why?”

“Just drop it, ok? Go enjoy your day off.” The doors finally opened and Percy pushed against Nico's back to tell him to get out. “Have fun with the others, I'll probably see you tonight.” Nico nodded, trying to offer a smile. Percy gave him a small wave as the door closed.

He made his way through the hotel until he found the entrance to the pool. It was an indoor pool, but the entire room was made of glass so that the sun could still shine into it, allowing people to tan if they chose. Since it was still early there weren't that many people there. It looked to be primarily the people that worked there. He spotted Apollo, who was busy laughing as he gave a playful lap dance to an unamused Thalia. He waved over at Nico when he noticed him, beckoning him over.

“Hey, Nico. What took so long?” the blond asked, getting off the scowling black haired girl. 

“I-I got a little sidetracked,” Nico replied. Which was half true.

Nico looked around at the boys and girls who littered the pool. Apollo was in front, shirt now off. Nico realized he couldn't look too long or he might start drooling. The blond's body was beautifully sculpted. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Thalia picked up a book she must have been reading before Apollo had assaulted her. She wore a small blue two piece that barely covered anything. 

The twins were laying by the edge of the pool. Connor's head lay on the edge of Travis's stomach. They had sunshades on, so Nico couldn't tell if they were awake or asleep. However, that was the extent of people that Nico recognized. Apollo seemed to remember that Nico didn't know anyone there. “Hey, everyone!” Apollo yelled. Heads all looked over in their direction. “Come say hey to the new kid!” People started climbing out of the pool or off of lounging chairs. 

A tall boy of African descent was the first to reach them, immediately reaching his hand out and grabbing Nico's to shake. He was very tall, maybe an inch taller than Percy. He was very muscular too and his grip was strong. His hand completely enveloped Nico's. He had a crew cut and friendly brown eyes. His stomach was a chiseled eight pack. “The name's Charles. This here is my girlfriend, Silena.” He gestured towards a shorter girl next to him.

She had long black hair which hung nearly to her waist. She had stunning crystal blue eyes. She was extremely beautiful, and while Nico didn't really go for girls, he had to admit she was gorgeous. She could have easily been a model if she had wanted to. She smiled and held out her hand to shake. Nico returned her smile, blushing slightly, and shook her hand as well.

“Looks like we have a new Lost Boy,” she said playfully. Apollo and Charles chuckled, but Nico didn't get it.

A girl around Nico's height walked up to them gracefully. She had long, silky black hair. She had a perfect tan complexion with flawless skin. Her eyes were pure black and she had a slightly upturned nose. Something about her made Nico think she looked like a princess. Her voice was a soothing melody as it played in Nico's ears. “He looks a little innocent to be a Lost Boy.” This made Nico shake his head out of his daze. He didn't understand the terminology. She held her hand out and Nico shook it. Her skin was soft like silk. “Zoë.”

The twins had come over and sat down on the chairs on Thalia's left. They gave simultaneous waves to Nico. “Now then, let's get back to swimming,” Apollo said, picking Nico up bridal style and jumping into the pool. Nico scowled and splashed the blond when they broke the surface. Nico quickly turned away from a splash caused by Charles jumping into the pool. Silena and Zoë sat on the edge of the pool with their feet soaking in the water. The both of them would flip their hair over their shoulder from time to time. From what Nico could hear, they were talking about fashion. 

Charles was attempting to wrestle Apollo, but the blond just kicked away and floated to the edge of the pool, out of reach. Nico couldn't help but smile as he watched his new family. He turned when he heard a shriek. The twins had picked Thalia up and were carrying her to the edge of the pool. Her screeching was silenced when she fell beneath the water. She emerged with a scowl, handing her sunglasses to Silena. The twins were rolling with laughter. They grinned at each other and jumped into the pool, splashing everyone.

\---------------------------------------------------------

 

After a few hours of swimming, things started to wind down. Charles and Silena had left half an hour ago, and now the rest of them were relaxing in the chairs by the pool. Something Nico had noticed during their time at the pool was that some of the other guests kept staring at them. Some of the guests even winked at the other kids as they passed them by. None of them seemed to mind, as they just waved and winked back. 

A tall red haired girl made her way into the room and came over to them. She had frizzy hair and piercing green eyes. Her face was littered with freckles, and she kept tucking her hair behind her ear. She was carrying one of those detachable tablet laptops. She picked up the towel at Nico's feet and tossed it at him. “Sorry to cut the fun short, but I need Nico for a while,” the girl said.

“Aww. Come on, Rachel, we were enjoying the day off,” Connor whined.

“Sorry. Percy's orders.” Nico felt the blood drain from his face. Was he in trouble for earlier? He stood up and slid his shirt on. She took off walking towards the exit and he quickly followed her, tossing a final wave at his new friends. They boarded the elevator and Rachel slid her card into the slot and then hit the sixty-eighth floor button. The elevator began its long trek upwards. Rachel dug out a card from her pocket and handed it to Nico. “Here. This is your new keycard.” Nico took the card from her. “I'll need the other one.” She held her hand out and Nico reluctantly handed it over to her. He knew his new card wouldn't give him the same access, so there would be no more attempts at sneaking into the top floor. The red haired girl then offered her hand and gave Nico's a shake. “I'm Rachel, by the way.”

“Nico.”

She smiled. “I know.”

“So, where are we going?”

“Percy wanted to see you about some stuff you need to know.”

Nico's face fell. He was in trouble. The elevator finally came to a stop and the two exited. Instead of going right, to Percy's apartment, they went left. They came to a door, which Rachel opened. Nico walked in first and found an office like area. There were two desks on opposite sides of the room, Leo sat at one. He offered Nico a small smile when the boy came in. Nico mouthed an apology to him. 

Rachel proceeded into the room and knocked on the back door. He heard Percy's voice from the other side telling them to enter. Rachel held the door open for Nico, and the boy hesitantly walked in, the door closing behind him. 

Percy sat behind a large wooden desk, his eyes were busily roaming a computer screen. There were two chairs in front of the desk. There was also a long couch to the right of the room, underneath a window. Percy looked away from his computer and motioned for him to sit down. Nico did slowly, trying not to look at Percy once he was finally seated.

“You aren't in trouble, Nico,” Percy said firmly.

Nico glanced up at him. The older boy had no emotion on his face and it was impossible for Nico to read. “Then why did you call for me?”

Percy leaned back in his chair. “I needed to run over a few things with you. I talked to Apollo, he said he had already told you that you would be going back to school.” Nico nodded. “You will, starting tomorrow.” He slid some paperwork across his desk to Nico. “There is everything you need to know. It's a nice school, I think you'll like it. You are fortunate, unlike many of those here, to not have been out on the streets for too long. A lot of them were out there for years, or some their whole lives.”

“So, I go to school during the day and work at night?”

Percy nodded. “I'll see about you getting off a little earlier on school nights, but you'll still be working late. Probably around two in the morning.” Percy pulled a phone out of the top drawer on his desk. “Here, I had Rachel pick this up for you.”

Nico picked up the new looking smartphone and gaped at Percy. “You got me a phone?” he exclaimed.

Percy let a small smile spread across his lips. “Yeah. I mean, you'll need a way to get in touch with one of us. I already put in everyone's numbers. Enjoy.”

Nico gleamed down at his new phone. “T-Thank you!”

Percy just shrugged. “Don't worry about it. Now, I trust you got your new card?” Nico nodded. “That will get you most places like your room, the kitchen, the pool, to the bar, and this floor.” His expression grew serious. “As I said earlier, I don't want to find you back on the top floor. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Nico squeaked out. It made Percy smile again.

“Don't call me 'sir'. I'm only four years older than you, Nico.”

Nico's eyes widened a bit. “You're only twenty?” Sure he knew Percy was young, but not that young. He was running the North American branch office of an international hotel chain!

Percy cocked his head to the side. “Do I look old?” Nico shook his head furiously. Percy smirked and stood up. He came around his desk and sat on the front of it, leaning down towards Nico. “Here I thought you found me attractive, Nico,” he almost purred into Nico's ear. Nico blushed furiously, trying to scramble as far back in his chair as he could. Percy just laughed at him. “You are free to go.”

Nico didn't have to be told twice, he gathered up the papers and his phone, and headed out the door. He whisked past Leo and Rachel and out of the office. He slammed into someone as soon as he was out the door. “Watch it!” the other person yelled at him. Nico peered up at the other boy. He was around six foot one with tan skin. He had short-cropped sandy blond hair and sharp blue eyes. They reminded Nico of Octavian's eyes. Even though his face was currently scowling, Nico admitted he was attractive. The only disturbing feature on him was a long scar that ran from his right eye down to his chin.

“S-Sorry,” Nico fumbled as he stood up. The blond just grunted and pushed past him, going into the office. Nico gulped and headed for the elevator. That must have been Octavian's brother, Luke. Nico entered the elevator and hit sixty-seven. The door opened a moment later on his floor and the slightly frightened boy headed for his room. He spotted Apollo just as the blond entered his own room. The door to the tall boy's room clicked shut. Nico thought about going down to hang out with him, but decided he should get a shower before work.

\---------------------------------------------------

Nico stepped out into the once again loud bar. Chiron greeted him as he came behind the bar to clock in. Zoë came up to the bar and placed her tray down, nodding in Nico's direction, but not saying anything to him. “I hate politicians,” she said plainly as Chiron looked over the drink order she gave him.

“Don't let them hear you say that,” he mumbled back to her. 

“Can I have a shot? That fat drunk over there keeps trying to feel me up,” she said, pointing inconspicuously over her shoulder. Chiron slid a shot glass across the bar and poured her a drink of some clear liquid, which she tossed back. She made a face upon setting it back down, gave him her thanks, and took the drinks he had laid on her tray.

“Chiron?” Nico piped up.

“Hmm?” Chiron asked, cleaning a glass.

“How old are most of the kids around here? I saw Percy drinking last night, but he's only twenty.”

Chiron smiled softly. “Most of them are between eighteen and twenty. Only a small few are over. Luke is the oldest, at twenty-three. Charles is twenty-two, and Apollo is twenty-one.” He set the glass down next to a few others. “I'm sorry to say, lad, but the innocent world that you may have thought existed is a lie. Especially here.” He had a sad look on his face as he spoke. “Don't let this paradise fool you. The people who pay to come here may see it as one, but those of us who live here don't see feel the same way.”

“Why?”

Chiron didn't answer. He just pursed his lips and gave Nico some drinks and a table number to take them to. Nico huffed as he walked off with the tray of drinks. Everyone was so evasive about stuff. Chiron seemed to feel sorry for the kids here, but all of them seemed happy. He spotted one of the twins in the corner lounge. He seemed to be flirting with some business woman dressed in a suit. He smiled flirtatiously at the woman and winked at her before walking off, a sway in his step. “Hey, Neeks!” Nico could tell it was Connor now that he was closer. “What did the boss man want with you earlier?”

Nico shrugged. “Just giving me my new phone and paperwork for school. I have to start tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah? Bummer.”

“Do you and Travis not go to college?”

“Nah. We just work around here.” The blond from earlier brushed past Nico, bumping his shoulder roughly against Nico's. “I see you met Luke.”

“Is he always this cheerful?”

Connor chuckled. “Don't mind Luke. He takes some warming up to. Well, I'm not really sure when he warms up, because, none of us really have gotten there yet.”

“I thought you were all a family?”

Connor sat his empty tray down at the bar and handed a new order to Chiron. “Oh we are. He's just the brother that none of us asked for,” Connor said with a smile. “You'll get used to him.”

“How many people are in this 'family'?” Nico asked, making air quotes. 

“Well, Chiron would be like our favorite uncle that everyone goes to for words of wisdom.” The man in question chuckled at the brunet's analogy. “This could be Neverland...wait would that make you Captain Hook?” Connor asked looking at Chiron, who rolled his eyes. “Anyways, Percy would be Peter Pan and we can be the Lost Boys.”

“Is that why you call each other that?”

Connor nodded. “Yeah, it's a running joke around here. Anyways, to answer your question, there're about twenty of us. That includes Leo and Rachel, who you already met, and Clarisse and Ethan, who work security. All of us pulled off the streets.”

“And what is Gaea in this analogy?” Chiron asked, eyes twinkling with amusement.

Connor seemed to ponder this for a moment. “Wendy?”

“I'm not sure Wendy pulled Peter off the streets in the actual story,” Chiron stated with a chuckle.

“Wait, Percy lived on the streets too?” Nico asked.

“Hmm. Maybe we should drop this conversation,” Connor said hesitantly. “Percy doesn't like to talk about his past.” He picked up his tray and walked off. 

As the night went on, it remained uneventful. It was almost as miserable for Nico as the previous night. He managed not to drop a tray tonight, though. He did however mix up tables three times, get orders wrong five times, and got a customer annoyed with him. Apparently, Thalia hadn't been kidding when she said to keep his nose out of their business. He had frozen up when he heard the man say something he could have sworn sounded like arms dealing. The man had instantly noticed Nico staring at him and had gotten angry. Unfortunately, Percy wasn't here to save his butt like he had the night before. When he had returned to the bar Luke had been smirking at him for his mistake. 

As he came back from a short break, Chiron directed him to a table where a middle-aged man sat by himself. He pulled out his pen and headed over. “Senator.” He looked over his shoulder to see Zoë standing behind him. “Good luck,” she said with an encouraging smile. Nico tried not to shudder from the way she said it. 

“Hi there, my name is Nico and I will be your server today,” Nico said with a smile. The man looked up at him, immediately giving Nico a once over. His eyes lit up and came back to rest on Nico's face. 

“New here? I don't believe I've seen you before.”

“Yes, sir,” Nico replied, trying to sound cheerful. He didn't like the way this guy looked at him. 

“I may have found a new reason to come back,” was the man's reply. Which definitely made Nico feel uncomfortable. “I'll have a vodka martini with an olive.” Nico nodded and scribbled down the request. When Nico was about to walk off the man spoke again. “Tell Percy that I will wish to set up an appointment in the future.” Nico nodded in confusion and walked off. This place was just weird. 

Nico walked over to the bar and slid the order across to Chiron. “I think I just got hit on,” Nico said. All of the others looked over at him.

“Really?” Chiron asked, a hint of something in his voice.

“The higher up they are, they more disrespectful of the rules they are,” Zoë said dryly. 

“He also said something about setting up an appointment with Percy, but I didn't really understand that part.”

Connor pursed his lips and Zoë frowned. Chiron glared over at the man's table. “What are you all worried about?” Luke asked, unamused. “It's not like Percy is going to allow it.” He glared over at Nico. “Someone seems to be the boss's favorite.”

“What?” Nico asked.

“Nothing,” Chiron replied, tossing a warning look at Luke, who shrugged and walked off. “Percy will deal with him, don't worry about him.” Nico nodded. He picked up the man's drink and walked back towards his table, only to find Percy now sitting with him. While he looked calm, his jaw was clenched as he listened to the man. Percy rubbed his temple. Nico slowly moved towards them so he could hear.

“I told you before, Senator Johnson, that I don't discuss those things here. Now, if you would like to discuss it upstairs, that would be fine. Though, I'm not sure if your request is of a...suitable nature. Now, if that will be all?” Senator Johnson didn't say anything else, so Percy rose from his chair and headed over to the bar. His eyes landed on Nico for a brief second as he passed the younger boy.

Nico sat the drink down in front of the senator and the man thanked him, handing him a five. Nice tip, Nico thought, looking the bill over. When Nico had returned to the bar, Percy was sitting in the same spot he had been last night. He gave Nico a smile as the boy went behind the bar. “You look tired,” Nico stated, looking Percy over.

“Rough night,” Percy mumbled, taking a sip from his glass. Luke came up and sat down next to Percy, who grunted at the blond. “What do you want, Luke?”

“I just wanted to see if I could come by and discuss my hours a little tonight? I could use a few more, I think.”

Percy held up his hand to make sure the boy didn't keep talking. “I'm really not in the mood to talk about it tonight. Besides, last I checked, you get as many hours as Annabeth. I think that's fair.”

Luke leaned in closer to Percy. Nico felt a surge of jealousy run through him. “Can't I at least come talk about it?” Luke asked with a wicked smile. He let his hand rest on Percy's thigh. 

“Tomorrow. Now get back to your job.”

Percy let his head fall on to the wooden surface. He held his glass out and Chiron refilled it. Nico fidgeted with his shirt. “A-Am I supposed to be negotiating hours with you?” Nico asked quietly.

Percy looked up at him with wide eyes. “No!” Percy practically yelled. Chiron raised an eyebrow at him and Percy sat up straight. “I mean, no. Don't worry about it. I have you taken care of.” Things were just so confusing around here. Everyone else seemed to want to talk to Percy about their hours, but Nico wasn't expected to? Maybe it was because he was new. Nico nodded and walked off with another order of drinks. He barely managed to catch the next thing Percy said to Chiron. “He is going to be the death of me.” He heard Chiron let out a chuckle.

 

Not much else happened the rest of the night. Everything went on as normal. Percy had left after about thirty minutes without saying anything else to anyone. Chiron finally dismissed Nico at two and Nico unfastened his apron and headed for the elevator. He was about to hit the button to his floor when he saw a man in his thirties heading for the elevator. Nico held the door open for him, but when the man saw Nico he stopped. “That's ok, you go ahead. I, uh, need to wait on a friend of mine,” the man said. Nico arched an eyebrow and hit the button. He yawned and stretched as he waited for the elevator to come to a halt. He exited on to his floor, which was dead silent. Everybody must be working. He couldn't see any lights on under doors.

He slid his card in and went into his place. He found a note on the counter of the kitchen. 

Hey, Nico, 

Percy told me to go grocery shopping for you. I didn't really know what you liked so I just picked up a few things. So, if you get hungry, and don't want to order from the kitchen, you have food stocked here.

-Leo

P.S. Sorry about giving you that card. I guess I wasn't thinking.

Nico sighed as he wadded up the note and tossed it in the trash. He looked in his fridge, and sure enough, there was an assortment of things inside it. He reached in and grabbed a bottle of water before retreating to his bedroom. He plopped down on his bed and flipped the TV on. He smiled to himself as he flipped through the guide and found one of his favorite shows, The Walking Dead. He opened his water and took a swig. He figured it wouldn't hurt to watch a little TV before bed.

\---------------------------------------------

Nico shot up at the sound of an alarm. Apparently, Leo also took the liberty of setting his alarm clock. He scowled at the contraption, contemplating tossing it against the wall. He hit the button to turn it off and dragged himself out of bed. He supposed it was a good thing, since he had forgotten to set one, and he didn't want to be late on his first day at his new school.

When he stepped out of the shower, he heard his phone going off. He reached over and looked at the caller ID. It read Apollo's name. He slid his finger across the screen to unlock it, and brought it to his ear. “Hello?” he asked, wrapping a towel around his waist.

“Hey, buddy. Do you want a ride to school? I was going to leave soon, and figured you might like a ride.”

“Um. Sure.”

“Great. Now, open your door so I don't have to stand around in the hall.” Nico rolled his eyes as he hung up. He made his way to the front door and opened it for the blond. Today he was dressed in a red polo and a pair of dark jeans. “Well, I think I can get used to our morning encounters, Nico,” Apollo said, looking at Nico's wet form.

“Do you flirt with everyone?” Nico asked, walking towards his bathroom.

Apollo chuckled. “Need to make those big bucks somehow. I only mean it for the cuties.” Nico could practically see Apollo's grin as he stood in the bathroom. “Don't take too long. I need to have you to school by eight.”

“Ok,” Nico called back to him, pulling his pants on.

He emerged a few minutes later with a dark blue t-shirt with a drawing of an owl printed on it. “Ready?” Apollo asked, gesturing to the door. Nico nodded, grabbing the new backpack that Leo had left him. He made sure to get his schedule from the folder Percy had given him yesterday and made his way out the door with Apollo.

Apollo hit the basement button and they made their long descent down to the parking garage. “You work last night?” Nico asked after a moment of silence.

“Yeah,” Apollo replied with a yawn. He did look tired. He probably hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Nico wondered how they all managed to work so late and get up to go to classes. They probably went for later classes.

Nico figured he might as well ask. “So, do all of you get up this early for college? I mean, you guys work really late. I figure it would be brutal to do this every weekday.”

“I only get up this early on Mondays and Wednesdays. So, I'll give you rides on those days. I think Charles has an early class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, maybe you can get a ride with him tomorrow.”

“What has you up so early? What do you study?”

“Well, I am at a school of the arts. I study dance and music.”

“What kind?”

Apollo smiled at Nico. “I study ballet and hip-hop for dancing. Then I have piano and singing for music.”

“That sounds cool.”

“Yeah, I love it. My-My dad didn't really approve of a lot of it. When I sat down and talked to him about it after I graduated high school he kicked me out. Well, it might have also had to do with me telling him I was gay,” Apollo said with a dry chuckle. This made Nico frown. “Don't worry about me, dude. Everything turned out fine.” The elevator came to a stop and they made their way through the parking garage. Apollo came to a stop in front of a red Maserati Spyder. Apollo smiled over at Nico's shocked expression. “What did you think we all drove junkers?”

“I-I just didn't think the job would pay this well,” Nico said, getting into the car.

“Well, the rest of us make more, but don't sweat it. You'll still make a good bit.” Apollo cranked the car and backed out. He didn't even bother to obey the speed limit as they zoomed down the streets. It made Nico a little nervous. He only stopped clenching his seat when the found too much traffic and had to slow down.

“So, do you miss anything about your old life?” Nico asked as they went under a green light. 

“My sister. She meant a lot to me. We picked on each other a lot, but now that I don't get to see her, I really miss her. We were twins and really close,” Apollo said with a sad smile.

“What was her name?”

Apollo popped a piece of gum in his mouth. “Artemis. She was beautiful, just like her name. I had to play the jealous brother many times over the years.” The smile drifted off his face as he finished.

“Can't you find her?”

Apollo looked over at him. “Well, I kind of grew up in Florida. So, no, I haven't really been able to. I mean, I really don't know where to start. I guess I could ask Percy to track her down for me. I-I just don't know if I would want her to see me now.”

“Why not?” Nico asked, cocking his head to the side. Apollo made a point not to look at him.

“Oh, look, we're at your new school.” Nico looked out his window and sure enough they were pulling up to a large high school. Apollo pulled up to a curb and stopped the car. “Well, good luck with your first day.” Apollo gave him a smile. Nico picked up his backpack and got out of the car. He waved at Apollo as the blond drove off. He let out a long sigh as he turned to look at his new school. It was probably twice the size of his old one, and much nicer. This one had to get a lot of funding. He slowly made his way up the sidewalk into the main building. He was already ready to get this day over with.


	4. My Knight in Shining Armor

Chapter 4

Nico slid into the passenger seat when Apollo pulled up to the curb. The blond had changed clothes, and he now wore a sleeveless white shirt and some green track shorts that showed off his long smooth legs. “Have a good day?” Apollo asked as they pulled back on to the street. Nico just shrugged, looking out the window. His day had been rough, to say the least. He was the new kid. He hadn't made any friends. In fact he had done the opposite. Apparently, one of the kids had deemed him bullyable material. He had gotten shoved into the lockers twice. He also didn't like having to come in and have to catch up on so much work. Why couldn't Percy just let him stay out of school?

Apollo seemed to notice his sour mood and patted his leg. “How do we find out who we're on shift with?” Nico mumbled, still looking out the window.

Apollo frowned at him. “Leo should have set you up with a hotel email. You should have gotten an email letting you know. Check your phone.” Nico slipped his phone out of his pocket and went through his phone until he found his email. 

“Travis, Charles, and two others that I don't know.”

“What are their names?”

“Calypso and Annabeth.”

“Ah,” was all that Apollo said. Nico gave him a look. “What? There's not much to say about them. They're cool. Calypso is kind of quiet. She's a real sweet girl. Annabeth is...well, Annabeth is just Annabeth. She's smart girl,” he said as he turned a corner, “and she is one of the few people Luke will get along with. She was also one of Percy's first adoptees. When he got put in charge he didn't really have any of us. Myself, Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia were the first ones he found. Took us all off the streets and put us to work.”

“When are you going to be at the bar again?” Nico asked, finally looking at the blond.

Apollo shrugged. “Don't know. I'm sure I'll be back soon. Possibly tomorrow or the next day.”

“You work tonight?”

“Yeah,” Apollo said, not taking his eyes off the road. 

“Where at?”

“The hotel, duh.” Apollo grinned over at Nico.

“Ha ha, very funny. Seriously, where at?”

Apollo reached over and picked up some sunglasses, slipping them over his eyes. “So, what happened at school today?” Nico pouted at Apollo's obvious topic change.

“Horrible. Why do I have to go?”

“You can elect not to go to college after you graduate high school, but you do need to graduate. So, what happened?”

Nico sank back into his seat, crossing his arms. “I don't want to talk about it.” Apollo chuckled at him.

They pulled into the hotel's garage and Nico hopped out when Apollo parked. He grabbed his backpack and followed after the tall blond as he headed to the elevator. They boarded the elevator and Apollo slipped in his card before hitting the button to their floor. “So, I don't think I've asked, but how do you like it here so far?”

Nico looked up at him. Apollo slipped off his shades and clipped them to the top of his shirt. His deep blue eyes peered down at Nico as he waited for the dark haired boy's answer. “I love it. I like it better than my old life actually. Percy is really awesome to take people in like that.”

Apollo grinned down at him. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“So, what does he do all day? Just sit in his office?”

Apollo mumbled something under his breath, but Nico failed to make it out. Seeing Nico's confused look, Apollo cleared his throat. “For the most part. He'll roam the hotel on occasion. He likes going to the pool if he has free time. And, as you've seen, he'll go to the bar at night.”

“So, I don't really understand this hours discussion thing. I heard you and Luke ask to talk to Percy about your hours, but Percy said I shouldn't worry about it.”

Apollo started choking and then burst out laughing. Nico frowned at the boy's amusement. “He said that? Well then, that is interesting. I don't think you'll ever have to worry about your time slots, Nico,” Apollo said with a wink. Nico was about to question him, but the door opened and the blond stepped out onto their floor. Apollo passed Nico's door. He turned and walked backwards to his own room. “Don't hurt your pretty little head over it, Nico. It isn't a bad thing. If anything, you should be thankful.” Nico opened his mouth to question him once again, but the boy slipped his card in the door and closed it behind him.

Nico frowned at the spot where the boy had stood a second ago. He slid his card in his own door and stepped inside. He headed over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He had slowly begun to regain his normal appetite, but he had still been eating small, soft things. He would give it a few more days before returning to his normal eating habits. 

He plopped down on the couch to watch some TV. He had a few hours before work. He would need to find something to eat before then. Maybe he would call the kitchen and have something delivered, which was what he had done for the past few meals. Like everything else in this hotel, the food was like a slice of paradise. 

There was a knock at the door and Nico groaned as he stood back up. He walked over to the door and opened it. He looked up to find Percy's warm eyes staring down at him. He stepped aside to allow the tall boy entrance. Percy walked into the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools, facing Nico. “I just wanted to come by real quick to see how your first day at school went.”

Nico sighed and sat back down on the couch, his head hitting the seat cushion. “Can't I just work around here all day?” He heard Percy laugh. It had become a sweet music to his ears. He wasn't sure if it was appropriate for him to crush on his boss, but he couldn't help it. He felt the couch shift and saw that Percy had moved from the stool. He sat back up, but regretted it instantly. He found his face extremely close to Percy's. He had to shift away from Percy slightly.

“It couldn't be that bad, could it? What was the problem? I can call and see if I can fix it.”

Nico looked down at his feet. “No, that's alright. You've already done so much for me. I feel bad asking for anything else.” He looked back over at Percy again, who had seemed to have shifted closer to him.

“You can ask me for anything you like,” Percy whispered to him. Nico flushed bright red at the sound of his voice. Percy's eyes sparkled. Nico felt himself unconsciously leaning closer to him. Suddenly, Percy cleared his throat and stood up. Nico let out a silent groan of frustration. “What was the problem, anyway?” Well there certainly was a new problem, Nico thought.

“It's nothing. I promise. Just being the new kid.” Percy nodded in understanding. “You going to be at the bar tonight?”

Percy looked away. “Uh, No, I've got a lot of work to do tonight.” Nico's face dropped at that. “So, you'll get your first paycheck this week. You should ask one of the boys or girls to take you to get some clothes, or something. I gave you a bit of a bonus to help you out in getting started.”

“Thanks,” Nico said, a smile returning to his face. Percy was being too nice. It wasn't helping Nico's crush, though. Percy nodded and headed back towards the door.

“Well, like I said, I just wanted to come and check on you. If you are having an issue at school, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll take care of it for you.” Nico nodded, standing back up. He walked over to the door where Percy was now standing. 

Percy opened the door and looked back at Nico. “Percy?” Percy stopped closing the door. Nico moved closer to him. “Thank you again,” Nico said, wrapping his arms around Percy's neck in a hug. Percy stiffened initially, but slowly wrapped his arms around the small boy's waist. 

“Don't mention it, Nico,” Percy whispered back. He took a step back, tossed Nico a final smile, and closed the door. Nico sighed and walked back over to the couch, which he fell face first onto. There was a downside to this paradise, and its name was Percy. He was the one thing that Nico could probably never have. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Nico walked hurriedly into the bar and over to the counter. He had passed out on the couch and had almost had been late for work. Chiron tossed him a knowing look as the boy hurried behind the bar and tied his apron around his waist. Travis was sat at the bar with a girl beside him. The girl was very beautiful, and naturally so. Nico could tell she had little to no makeup on. She had long caramel colored hair with two fairytale like curls hanging on either side of her face. Even over the smell of food and alcohol, Nico could detect her cinnamon shampoo. Her green eyes shined like two emeralds in the low lighting. In her hair was a silver flower, Nico assumed it was fake. 

Travis saw Nico staring at the girl. “Hey, Neeks. This is Calypso. Calypso, this is our newest member.” Calypso gave him a warm smile, she held her hand out and Nico shook her hand. The two of them were currently eating, and Nico assumed they hadn't had time to eat either. “You want half?” Nico blinked and looked back at Travis. He must have noticed the longing look Nico was giving his food. He had a piece of his sandwich held out for Nico to take.

“I-uh-I don't know. Don't you want it?”

“Nah, that's alright. You look hungry, and I need to get started on my shift.”

Nico nodded and took Travis's spot after the boy stood up. He chewed off a bite of the sandwich, letting it fall into his empty stomach. “So, you're new here?” Calypso asked. Her voice was rich like chocolate. Nico nodded, not wanting to talk with his mouth full. “The others have been talking about you the past few days. I think we all know of your presence. Though, I'm betting you still haven't met all of us.”

Nico swallowed his food. “I think I've met most of you. Some I didn't get introduced to.”

Calypso chuckled. “Yes, we heard about your little run in on the top floor. That was Clarisse and Ethan. They work security around here.”

Nico felt his face heat up. “So, word definitely gets around in this place.” Calypso nodded, a warm smile still in place. Calypso finished eating her food and went to pick up her plate. Nico's eyes flickered down to her arm. She was wearing a long sleeve shirt, but the sleeve had slipped up higher, revealing the skin on her upper arm. A bruise had formed on the girl's arm. She noticed him staring and slid the fabric down. “What happened?”

“N-Nothing. It was nothing. Just some stupid drunk guy. It was taken care of, so don't worry about it.” She gave him another smile before walking off.

He felt someone pat him on the back. He looked up to see Charles smiling down at him. “Hey there, Nico. How you doing tonight?” the muscular man asked.

“Better now. I actually enjoy this more than school.” Charles tossed him a smile, walked behind the counter, and grabbed an apron. “So, do you go to school, Charles?”

“Beckendorf.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “What?”

“That's my last name. Everyone calls me Beckendorf,” Beckendorf said with a grin. “Yeah, I'm going to college. I'm studying mechanics.”

Nico stood up and was about to take his plate to where Calypso had dropped hers, but almost bumped into someone. The first things he noticed were her stormy grey eyes. He felt like she was studying him. She had long, curly blonde hair. She was an inch or two taller than Nico. She had perfectly tanned skin, and Nico decided she was very pretty. “New kid,” was the girl's only statement. She looked him up and down, taking him in fully. Her eyes snapped back up to meet Nico's. “Annabeth.” 

“Nico,” was Nico's response.

She gave him a knowing smile. “I know. I've heard about you.”

“Yeah, Calypso said that the others have been talking about me.”

“Yes, but that's not who told me about you.”

Nico watched her walk behind the bar. “Who told you about me then?” She just smiled at him again and walked off into the mass of tables. Nico huffed and took out his pad. He walked over to a nearby table, getting drinks for a woman who looked like a librarian and her overweight husband.

True to his word, Percy hadn't shown up yet. It made Nico frown a little. He kept glancing over to the elevator anytime it opened. Nico was getting better about things, though. His mistakes were kept to a minimal tonight. Maybe he was getting the hang of it. 

Around ten, Nico got to go on break. He pushed past a set of doors and entered their small break room. He plopped down onto a chair. Travis looked at him upside down on the couch. The twins' Cheshire cat grin seemed to be their normal face setting. Travis's leg even swung in the air like a cat's tail. “Getting the hang of things?” Travis asked.

“Yeah. It just took me a few days of making a fool of myself.”

Travis grinned wider at him. “That's alright. We all messed up when we first got here.”

“Tell me about you and Connor.”

Travis's smile turned into a small frown. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, what was it like for you two before Percy found you?”

“Well, we were orphans growing up. We got moved from home to home a lot. Families didn't keep us too long. I'm not sure if it was our mischievous attitudes or if it was just hard to support two kids. We got put in some bad places sometimes. There was a druggie, an abusive mother, a couple that probably only took us for the tax benefits, and finally there was the single dad that tried selling us for money.”

“Wh-Why would someone do that?” Nico gasped.

Travis raised his eyebrow at him. “Are you really surprised at what people would do? What did you get kicked out for?”

“Being gay,” Nico whispered.

Travis nodded. “Like I said, are you really surprised? The world sucks. Now things aren't so bad. We make tons of money and are well taken care of. We probably make more money than some of those families will ever see in their lifetime. Don't feel bad for myself or Connor.”

Nico nodded slowly. “How did Percy find you?”

Travis chuckled. “Funny story, that. Well, we made the mistake of trying to pick his pocket. We had no idea the guy had lived on the streets when he was younger. It was like he knew all the tricks in the book. My brother and I were really good little thieves, but he caught us. Didn't try to take his wallet back. Even offered for us to keep the money he had in it. However, he offered us a job that could ensure that we stayed off the street and wouldn't have to go hungry again. The wallet or a job? That was our choice. We didn't even have to think twice about it. It didn't matter what the job was, we just wanted off of that street.”

Annabeth came through the doors and hit Travis's shoe. He looked up at her as she sat next to him on the couch. “Break time is over for you,” she said looking at Travis. Travis sighed and flipped his legs over the top of the couch. He flipped himself into a standing position, gave Nico a final grin, and walked out the door. Annabeth's eyes immediately darted to Nico. “So, how come Percy only has you working the bar? I think you would pull in some big bucks upstairs.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. He didn't understand some of the things they said sometimes. It was like they spoke a language all their own, or maybe it was a code. “Well, anytime any of the others bring it up, I get the feeling that it is because I'm sixteen. Though, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. I mean I'm working in a bar. I thought you had to be eighteen to even do that.”

“You do look rather young.” Annabeth shrugged. “A lot of us drink and most of us are underage. You'll find that the rules from the outside world don't apply in here. Actually, let me rephrase that, the world that you thought existed doesn't apply here. I'm sure some of the others said it, but life isn't all sugar and rainbows, Nico. As you learned in your time on the streets, people suck. The world is a broken place where illegal things happen and nothing is done about it.”

“How come the police don't come here and shut things down? I mean, like, the underage drinking, and stuff. I'm pretty sure I heard something about arms dealing from a customer.”

Annabeth gave him another smile. “Didn't anyone tell you to keep your nose out of the customers' business?”

Nico sighed. “Yeah, Thalia did.”

“Yes, the customers are used to being able to talk about whatever they want. They don't like us sticking our noses into their business. We are there to look pretty and make them happy. The reason the police don't get involved is simple. One that may shock you, but simple. It's mainly because they get paid. Our owner, Gaea, isn't someone most people want to get in the way of. The police chief gets a nice fat check, and they stay away, unless Percy wants them here. The other reason is because nobody talks about what goes on here. What happens here and what goes on around here never leave this building. If someone talks, Percy finds out, and Percy will make sure that person doesn't come back.”

Nico was shocked. These people got away with who knows what here. Yet, it was just normal? “Ho-Wh-I-.” Nico didn't know what to say.

“Most of us are surprised by the nature of things when we arrive. You'll get used to it. Remember what I said, though, and don't talk about it to anyone. Don't even talk about it with the other employees. Only the Lost Kids talk about it. You are an adoptee, but Percy hasn't thrown you in as a Lost Boy. I know that sounds rough, but you aren't a member of the 'secret society'.” She let a soft smile play on her face. “I don't mean to sound cruel, or anything. I'm just being realistic. It would be best if you didn't even let on that you knew what was going on here.”

“I don't know what's going on here. It seems like a meeting place for crime lords. There's an entire floor that I'm forbidden to set foot on. This place is just so confusing. Yet, I'm happy to be here. I'd rather be here then back on the streets.”

Annabeth's lips thinned. “Just be thankful that you are only working the bar, then.”

Nico looked up at her. “Apollo said you were one of the first ones here.”

Annabeth nodded. “Yes, I was the first. Actually, what most people don't know is that I was here before Percy took over. He was working just like the rest of us when I arrived.” Her gaze seemed to become distant. “He wasn't...as nice as he is now. He lived on the streets for a long time before Gaea found him. I think it took a lot of work from Gaea to turn him into the charmer that he is today. I've never told anyone else that, and I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone.”

“I promise that I won't,” Nico assured her. She nodded her head, seemingly lost in thought. 

“Well, I think we need to get back to work.” She stood up and extended her hand to help Nico stand up. “I think you'll do fine around here.”

\---------------------------------------------------

Nico was let off at one, which he was most thankful for. He had almost fallen asleep twice at school earlier. He didn't want to have a repeat of that. He wasted no time in shedding his apron and heading for the elevator.

He smiled at Thalia as he saw the girl on the elevator. She, however, seemed nervous about having the boy on board. She was standing next to a man that looked to be in his thirties. He had on a pair of glasses and his hair was gelled back. She gave Nico a nervous smile as he boarded. He hit the button to his floor and the elevator started to descend. 

Nico looked over at Thalia. She was wearing a camo jacket and a pair of loose black pants. As she felt Nico's gaze on her, she tightened her grip on the front of the jacket. Nico frowned at her. He didn't think about it too much, though. He was starting to get used to the oddness around here.

The elevator came to a stop and he stepped out, but Thalia didn't. He looked back at her as the door began to shut again. She just gave him a small wave. He stared at the elevator a moment, not understanding what had just happened. He shrugged and headed down his hallway. 

A door at the end of the hall opened and Percy stepped out. He ran a hand through his hair as the door swung shut. He opened his eyes and noticed Nico staring at him. He threw on one of his famous smiles and headed over towards Nico. Nico smiled at him as he opened his door. “Are you about to go to bed?” Percy asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“I think I can stay up for a while, if you wanted to hang out,” Nico replied with a grin. Percy nodded and the two walked into Nico's suite. Percy sat down on Nico's couch and motioned for Nico to join him. Nico scooped up the remote and flipped the TV on. Nico turned around to face Percy, whose eyes shot up to his face. Was Percy checking out his ass? “What would you like to watch?”

Percy shrugged. “I'm fine with anything. Just enjoying some down time before I had to get to bed.” Nico flipped through the channels until he found something suitable. He decided to turn the volume down so they could talk.

“So, why were you in that room? I thought you said you had to work late?” Nico asked, looking curious.

Percy cleared his throat. “Oh, that was business. Just discussing business with one of the boys.”

“You do some late night business discussions then. It's one in the morning.”

Percy chuckled nervously. “Yeah, well I have to make time for everything. So, Nico, tell me about yourself. What got you on the street anyways?”

Nico started fidgeting with his hands. “W-Well I told my dad that I was gay. It didn't go over very well and he told me to get out. I just didn't understand how he could do that over something so small,” Nico whispered, pulling his legs up to his chest.

Percy was frowning at him. Did Percy not like gay guys either? He didn't seem like the homophobic type. His face seemed to soften when he saw Nico's anxious expression. “I'm sorry, Nico. You didn't deserve that.” He patted Nico's leg. “So, what was life like before you got kicked out?”

“Well, I didn't get along very well with my dad. My mom is a nice woman, but she didn't stand up for us when dad was angry with us. She was just too quiet natured. Bianca was the only one that really took care of me. She tried to shield me from everything she could. The night I left, I heard her yelling at dad for what he was doing. I just hope she didn't get hit for it.”

“Did he ever hit you?” Percy asked, clenching his jaw.

Nico nodded. “A few times. The night it all happened he left a few bruises on my arm and my cheek.” Nico looked over at Percy. The boy had a dark expression on his face, and Nico thought it almost looked murderous. “I guess I'm glad to be here, because, it's also an improvement over my old life as well.”

Percy seemed to snap out of his anger and looked down. “Don't say that, Nico.”

“Why not? Everything seems so great around here. Why does everyone keep saying things like that?”

“You-” Percy sighed. “Never mind. It's not that important. I'll make sure you don't have it hard like that again.” Percy leaned back against the couch. “Now, let's watch this movie.” Nico leaned back into the couch and the two of them settled in to watch the movie Nico had chosen. Nico did take notice of Percy's arm falling over the couch behind his back. He tried to hide the smile that formed on his lips.


	5. The Siren's Call

Chapter 5

Nico woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. He groaned and silenced it. He sat up in bed and stretched. The rest of the week had flown by rather quickly for Nico and, thankfully, it was Friday. Nico dragged himself out of bed and made his way into the bathroom. He looked at his chest in the mirror. His appetite was almost back to normal now, but it would be a few more weeks before he probably noticed a change in his physical appearance. He wiped at his face as a tear fell down his cheek. 

He got out of the shower and started to dry off. He cocked his head at the sound of knocking. He hadn't made plans for anyone to take him to school today, which may have been a mistake. He didn't know how he was going to get there. He slipped his pants on and grabbed his shirt as he made his way to the door. He cracked it open to find Percy on the other side. “Good morning, Nico,” Percy said cheerfully.

Nico smiled at him, slipping his shirt over his head. He caught Percy's eyes flickering up to his face as the material fell over his head. Had he been looking at his torso? He was probably just checking if his condition had improved. “Morning,” Nico replied, heading back to the bathroom. Percy followed after him.

“I thought I'd give you a lift to school.” Nico smiled at him in the mirror. “I have some business I have to take care of around town, so I figured I could give you a ride.” Nico nodded while brushing his teeth. “Oh, a few of the others are probably going to go do something tomorrow, if you want to join them I'll give you the day off.”

Nico spun around to look at Percy. “Wha-But I am supposed to work.”

Percy shrugged. “Don't worry about it. I'll get you covered. Go enjoy yourself. Talk to Thalia or Apollo, they are usually the ones who organize the plans.” Percy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a check and a debit card. “I almost forgot. You can cash this and go shopping today if you want. I wanted to give you your first paycheck personally.” Percy beamed at Nico as the boy took it.

Nico's eyes widened at the numbers on the check. “Holy shit, Percy!”

“Like I said, I gave you a little extra to help you get started. I had Leo set you up a standard account at a bank that's closely connected to Gaea. You can go deposit that there. I'll have whoever picks you up after school take you by the place. Then you can just use the card to buy whatever it is you want to buy.” Nico flung his arms around Percy's neck. The taller boy blinked down at Nico, slowly wrapping his arms around the smaller one.

“Thank you so much, Percy. This really means a lot. You've done a lot for me.”

“Really, don't worry about it. Now, hurry up. We need to get on the road.” Nico followed Percy out of his suite and down the hall to the elevator. It was a rather quiet trip down, but it didn't bother Nico. He had enjoyed Percy's company over the past week, though he hadn't gotten to see the green-eyed boy very much, and yet Percy seemed to make time to visit with him. 

They exited into the garage, and Percy pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. “Wow,” Nico said when they arrived at a shiny blue car. “I don't think I've seen one like this before, I mean I don't know much about cars, but I don't think I've even seen a commercial for this.”

Percy chuckled as the two got into the car. “That's because it's not on the market yet. I know a guy, and he gave me this baby early. Pretty cool, right?” Nico nodded, rubbing his hand on the dashboard. Percy grabbed some papers and opened the glove compartment, sliding the documents inside. Something briefly caught Nico's eyes as Percy had the compartment open. Something metallic shone inside. Percy noticed Nico trying to get a better look inside and shut the compartment. He cranked the car without a word and the two set off out of the garage.

\--------------------------------------------

“Good afternoon, Nico,” Thalia greeted him as Nico slid into the passenger seat. “Ready to go cash your first paycheck?” Nico nodded. “I wanted to do some shopping, if you don't mind tagging along. Percy said you might want to get some new clothes.”

“Yeah, that would be great.” Nico tossed his backpack in the backseat. “Percy said you guys might be going out tomorrow?”

Thalia fooled around with the stereo, trying to find some good music. “Yeah, we try to take some time to do something fun on days we get off. I think Apollo wanted to go to the beach. You want to tag along?”

“Sure. It sounds like fun. Is the whole group going?” There were still a few Lost Kids that Nico hadn't met yet, and he was getting curious about them. 

“No, some of us have to stay back and work. I think Will is going to be going. You haven't met him yet have you?” Nico shook his head. “He's kind of like Apollo. They even kind of look alike.” The car came to a stop. Nico opened the door and looked up at the bank in front of them. It was several stories tall, more than likely a bank that catered to special clients. Nico held the door open for Thalia as they went in, earning a smile from the girl. 

Thalia led them into the building's lobby. Nico let his gaze rise up to look at the chandeliers that hung above them. He could see several floors above them. A few people stood around the edges, apparently carrying on conversations. Thalia tugged on his arm, drawing Nico's attention back to the ground floor. There was a short line of people in front of the teller windows. However, Thalia didn't wait, passing the people in line and going up to the first window that had just opened. Nico apologized as he followed after her, trying not to stare up at the glares he got. Thalia put an arm around his shoulders as he came up to her.

“Hey there, Lacy. I need to make a deposit and Nico here needs to make his first deposit,” Thalia said. She slid her paycheck under the window to the blonde girl behind the counter. Lacy typed in some numbers into her computer and pulled out a slip of paper. She filled it out and slid it back to Thalia.

“There you go, Thals. Now, let's get your friend all set up.” Thalia pushed Nico up to the window. “Leo called earlier and had your account set up, Nico. If you'll just hand me your paycheck, I can finish the process for you.” Nico pulled out the piece of paper and slid it to her. She repeated the same process she had with Thalia. She pulled out a card after she was done and wrote down some numbers on it. She slid the deposit slip and the card back across to Nico. “Alright, you're all finished. I wrote your account number on the card, so be sure you keep up with it, so you don't forget your account number. You can check your account balance online using your account information to log in on our website.” She gave them both a smile. “Alright. You are both ready to go. Have a nice day.” Thalia gave the girl a wave and dragged Nico out of the building.

“Alright, let's go shopping!” Thalia announced, jumping back into the car.

“We don't have to wait a while for it to deposit?” Nico asked.

“Nope. They clear our checks as soon as they get deposited. We don't have to worry about it.”

The two of them rode to the mall, where they spent some time looking around stores. Thalia had Nico pick out anything that caught his eye, and made him try all of it on. While Nico was in the middle of changing when Thalia stuck her head into Nico's dressing room. He yelped and covered his bare torso. Thalia laughed at him. “What's the matter, Nico?”

“I'm not really used to people seeing me undressed.” Thalia arched her eyebrow.

“Don't worry about it. All of the Lost Kids have seen each other naked. It's nothing I haven't seen before. It's not like you have anything to worry about, Nico. You are pretty attractive.”

Nico lowered his shirt, exposing his chest. “Yeah, but I lost a lot of weight while on the streets. It's really depressing to see myself like this.”

“It wasn't your fault, Nico. The rest of us looked similar to you when we were on the streets.” Thalia's eyes looked Nico's torso over. She exhaled after she was done. “I've seen worse. You'll have your old figure back within a few weeks' time. Talk to one of the guys. They can take you to the gym with them, if you want.” Nico nodded and Thalia exited the dressing room.

Nico emerged a few moments later, dressed in one of the outfits that she had picked out for him. “Well?”

Thalia's eyes brightened. “You look hot, Nico!” She fiddled with his black hair. “Remind me to take you down to get some better shampoo. We need to get your hair back to life. We'll make you sexy.”

“Why do my looks matter?”

“Better tips? You'll find you'll get more attention from the customers if you look good. Besides, it might help you get the attention of...a certain green-eyed guy.” Nico's cheeks darkened. “You might want to hide it a little more if you are going to act all embarrassed. Just be careful,” she said, stepping back from Nico. He gave her an odd look. “Percy doesn't usually take an interest with any of his employees, or anyone, for that matter.” Nico bit his lip to keep from frowning. Thalia gave him a sympathetic smile. “Let's get you this and anything else you want to buy.” Nico nodded and went back into the dressing room.

After they were done with clothes, they went down to the other end of the mall to find Nico some shampoo. Thalia shoved a few bottles at him. Nico looked each of them over, trying to decide which he liked best. He decided on one and he purchased it. 

 

Thalia pulled into a parking space and the two emerged from her car. They pulled their bags from the backseat and headed to the elevator. Nico raised an eyebrow when Thalia hit the lobby button. “Apollo is going to be off work soon. I wanna catch him before he gets off,” Thalia said, noticing Nico's questioning look.

“What's he doing?” Nico asked as the elevator came to a stop. Nico followed Thalia out of the elevator and over to the hotel restaurant. 

“Entertaining people.” Thalia gave a wave to a plump brown headed woman behind the podium. Nico's ears picked up on the piano playing. They turned a small corner and Nico spotted Apollo sitting behind a grand piano. He had his eyes on the keys as his fingers ran across them. Thalia pulled out a chair and sat at a table up close. Nico followed her lead and sat down with her. The two of them put their bags on the floor. Nico recognized the melody instantly. He listened to the intro play so beautifully.

Finally Apollo started to singing. His voice was beautiful as he sang the soulful song that Nico loved so much. 

“I heard that you're settled down  
That you found a girl and you're married now.  
I heard that your dreams came true.  
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you.”

The room was quiet as Apollo played, everyone captivated by his voice, which was full of emotion.

“Old friend, why are you so shy?  
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited  
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.  
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded  
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
I wish nothing but the best for you too  
Don't forget me, I beg  
I remember you said,  
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,  
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.”

Apollo had closed his eyes as he let his fingers play from memory. Nico felt so drawn in by the hypnotic sound of Apollo's voice. It was like he was driving his emotions into the song and everyone around him felt the boy's pain. Nico glanced away and saw a few women wiping their eyes.

“You know how the time flies  
Only yesterday was the time of our lives  
We were born and raised  
In a summer haze  
Bound by the surprise of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited  
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.  
I'd hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded  
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
I wish nothing but the best for you too  
Don't forget me, I beg  
I remember you said,  
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.

Nothing compares  
No worries or cares  
Regrets and mistakes  
They are memories made.  
Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
I wish nothing but the best for you  
Don't forget me, I beg  
I remember you said,  
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
I wish nothing but the best for you too  
Don't forget me, I beg  
I remember you said,  
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,  
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.”

Apollo let out a breath as he opened his eyes. Everyone in the room started clapping. Nico even found himself clapping. Apollo locked eyes with Nico and gave him a wink. He stood up and bowed before walking over to Thalia and Nico. “Well hello there. What do I owe the pleasure of two such lovely people?” Apollo said with a smile.

Thalia rolled her eyes. “You done?” she asked. Apollo nodded. “Alright. You mind giving us a hand? We went shopping.”

“I see that,” Apollo chuckled. He picked up two bags and the three of them walked out of the restaurant. “Oh, what's this?” Nico turned to look at him. His eyes widened as he saw some of the underwear Thalia had made him buy. “My, my, Nico. You'll have to model these for me sometime.” Nico blushed. Thalia and Apollo shared a laugh. Apollo dropped the fabric back in the bag and the three boarded the elevator. 

“We still on for the beach tomorrow, boo?” Thalia asked.

“Of course. I need to work on my tan. So do you, you're looking pale.” Apollo poked at Thalia's arm. His eyes glanced over to Nico. “Both of you.”

“I'm always pale,” Nico mumbled. Nico glanced at Apollo for a moment. “You have a really beautiful voice.”

Apollo beamed at him. “Well thank you. I aim to please.”

“Don't feed his ego, Nico. He already gets enough of that,” Thalia interjected.

Apollo feigned hurt. “Your words cut me deep, beautiful maiden.” Thalia rolled her eyes, giving Apollo a shove. Apollo only grinned at her. Nico had really started to notice over the past week that the others really were truly close. They seemed so comfortable with each other that Nico couldn't help but wonder if he would ever really be a part of their tight circle.

“That song sounded like it had meaning to you,” Nico stated, killing the laughter. Thalia cleared her throat as Apollo stared down at Nico.

“I suppose it does. A story for another time? It would only ruin the cheerful atmosphere.” Nico nodded. “Right now, we need to get ready for work.” The trio exited the elevator. “You two go drop your stuff off, and I will see you two in a few at the bar.”

\--------------------------------------------

The night had went by without much excitement. Nico exited the elevator into the garage, where the group had agreed to meet. He spotted everyone standing around Thalia and Apollo's cars. Apollo waved Nico over when he saw the boy. Everyone was already dressed in their beach attire. Thalia sat on the back of her car, currently talking with Piper. Calypso, Beckendorf, and Silena were nearby in their own conversation. Nico's eyes fell on a boy by Apollo's side. Judging by his looks, he was Will. Thalia was right, they did look alike. They had the same color blond hair, except Will's was straight and hung down into his eyes. He had the same color blue eyes as Apollo. He was a few inches shorter than Apollo, probably around six feet. They even had the same color tanned skin. If Nico didn't know they weren't related, he wouldn't be able to tell. He looked like a younger version of Apollo.

“Nico, this is Will,” Apollo said, motioning to the boy next to him. Will pushed off the back of Apollo's car and shook Nico's hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Will said with a smile. Damn, they even had the same bright smile. Nico smiled back at him and moved to stand on Apollo's other side. 

“Alright,” Thalia said, clapping her hands. “We'll take my and Apollo's cars and divide evenly. Piper, Beckendorf, and Silena can ride with me. The rest of you losers can haul up in Apollo's car.” Apollo just rolled his eyes and pulled his keys out. They all piled into the cars and were soon on the road.

Nico sat in the back with Calypso, while the two blonds sat up front. The way the two interacted, you would guess they were brothers. Will kept trying to change the music, and Apollo would keep swatting his hand away. Calypso smiled at their antics. “So, how did you find yourself at the hotel?” Nico asked her, deciding he wanted to get to know the others better.

Calypso pursed her lips, she didn't look happy to answer. “I moved out here after high school, trying to chase my dreams. I had wanted to try modeling, but that didn't work out for me. Long story short, Percy found me and...alleviated a problem I had. He asked me if I had a place to stay, and when I told him no he brought me back to the Lotus.”

“You didn't make it as a model? You're so pretty, though. They must have been blind.”

Calypso smiled at Nico. “Thank you. I've gotten over it. I'm happy with my life now, I guess.” Nico looked out the window as the car stopped. They had arrived at the beach. He opened the door and followed the group across the sand. Thalia stopped and tossed her stuff down, claiming it as their spot. Apollo and Will wasted no time in stripping their shirts. Like Apollo, Will had the surfer body. He noticed something while looking them over, though. None of them had any traces of body hair. All of the guys' legs and underarms were completely barren of hair. Thalia tossed them some sun tan lotion and the blonds went about rubbing it on each other. When they were done, Apollo tossed the bottle to Nico. 

Nico fidgeted a little, uncomfortable at having to be shirtless in front of them once again. “You have nothing to be shy about, Nico,” Silena said in a soothing voice. “All of our bodies were pretty bad when we first arrived, don't be ashamed. You'll be back to normal soon.”

“That reminds me,” Thalia said, tapping Apollo with her foot. “I don't suppose any of you boys would help him out and take him to the gym, would you?”

Beckendorf pat Nico on the back. “Sure. The next time we go we'll hit you up, Nico. I'm sure the Stolls or Will could make a good workout buddy for you.”

“Stolls?” Nico asked.

“Oh, I guess no one told you their last name. Travis and Connor, the Stoll twins,” Piper said, she had sat down on a towel. Nico nodded.

“Are all of you so conscious with your looks? Working out and eating properly?” Nico asked. He had noticed that most of the time the kids ate pretty healthy and now he learned they exercised too. 

“Like I said, Nico, it's all about making those big bucks. Customers are more willing to tip if they think you are sexy,” Thalia said with a wink.

Nico nodded. He lowered his hands to the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Everyone smiled at him. “See, now that wasn't so bad, was it?” Apollo said, taking the sun screen from Nico and rubbing it on his back. “You do need this, though. Your skin is very pale, don't want you burning. That wouldn't draw you much attention.”

Beckendorf pulled out a volleyball from Silena's bag. “How about a rematch, Apollo?”

Apollo grinned at him. “I think I'd be willing to whip your ass again, big man.”

“Then it's a good thing we have even numbers,” Calypso added, going to stand with Apollo and Will. It looked like they were forming teams. “Come on, Nico, you can be on our team.”

Nico had surprisingly enjoyed the game. They had come out victorious, but he knew it was mostly because of Apollo and Will. The two of them just looked like naturals at everything beach related. Nico had accidentally gotten distracted on a few occasions during the game by staring at their bodies. After the game ended, the group headed into the water. Nico was currently seated on Apollo's shoulders as he faced off against Silena on Beckendorf's shoulders. Nico yelped when Beckendorf tripped Apollo and the two tumbled into the water. Apollo laughed as they emerged from the water, splashing at Beckendorf. 

Things quieted down after that. Most of the group left the water and laid out in the sun. Nico stayed out with Apollo in the water, he had wanted to catch the boy alone so he could ask about that song. “Apollo?” Nico asked. 

“Hmm?” Apollo asked, shaking his hair. “What's up, Nico?”

“Can I ask about that song you sang? What's it mean to you?”

Apollo's eyes shifted to the water. Nico saw pain flash through his eyes. “Well, when I came out to my father, it wasn't completely about school. I was stupid and did it mostly because of a guy I was seeing at the time. He was a few years older than me, just finishing college. Well, when my dad kicked me out, I just moved in with him. The problem was he had gotten a job offer here in California.” Apollo wiped a hand across his face. “I was stupid and moved with him.” Nico gave Apollo a sympathetic look. “I lived with him for a while out here, but things got awkward. He kind of was trying to go into politics, so having me around wouldn't have been good for his image.”

“He kicked you out on the streets?” Nico asked, shock written on his face.

“You can't tell me you are shocked to learn things like this? I know you've heard some of the others' backstories. We all had bad things happen to us in our pasts. Like we've told you before, the world isn't as nice a place as you think it is. You do what you have to survive, and don't look back on it with regret.”

“Did you ever see him again?”

Apollo's eyes seemed to be distant, looking off at the sunset. “Once. After I got the job at the Lotus, he showed up. He had gotten married.”

“What did he want?”

“What everyone coming to the Lotus wants. A piece of paradise.” Nico looked at him in confusion. Apollo didn't say anything else, though. Nico knew he was done with the conversation. It was sad, all of their stories were. He wondered what Percy's backstory was. Annabeth had said he had not been as nice back when she had first met him, something bad must have happened to him too. He would have to ask Percy about it sometime.


	6. The Choices We Make

Chapter 6

Nico looked at himself in the mirror. A group of the Lost Kids had gathered behind him. They were all inspecting the state of his body. Three weeks had passed since the other Lost Boys had started helping him work out, and Nico's body had finally started to look normal again. They were all currently up in the gym, getting some exercise before work. “See, all you needed was a good diet and the right exercise,” Apollo said, placing a hand on Nico's shoulder.

“Gonna get those big tips now,” the Stolls said, slapping Nico's stomach.

Apollo had set him up with a diet and exercise plan that he had stuck to for the past three weeks. He had gotten Will and the twins to be Nico's workout partners. The girls had done a good job in making sure Nico ate healthy and stuck to Apollo's diet plan.

Annabeth pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Nico. “Percy wanted an update on his progress,” she said, sending a text message.

“I bet he did,” Travis said with a grin. Annabeth just rolled her eyes. Apollo handed Nico his shirt and the boy slipped it on over his head.

Piper clapped her hands together, bringing everyone's attention to her. “Alright, gang, we should head out. We need to be cleaned up for work tonight,” she informed them. The group gathered their things and boarded the elevator. It was weird for Nico, after four weeks of living with them, there were still a few of the group that he hadn't met yet. He knew it was a large hotel, but how could he go so long without running into the others?

Percy had been spending more time with Nico, much to his enjoyment. He was really enjoying Percy's visits. He still hadn't asked Percy about his past, though. Part of him was nervous asking about it. He didn't want Percy to pull away from him. 

There was a drawback from spending so much time with Percy, though. Luke and Octavian seemed to grow more irritated with him every passing day. They always referred to him as Percy's favorite. Nico did notice a few of the others show small signs of resentment as well. Nothing major, just annoyed stares whenever Percy was in the room with Nico. Apollo and Thalia had assured him it wasn't anything to worry about, but that it was just that Percy treated him differently.

Nico wasn't sure what they meant by that. He had to work every night, and often had day shifts added on during the weekends. He felt worked to the bone, especially with school work to go along with all of it. He didn't see Percy treating him any different. The only thing that seemed different was that Nico didn't seem to have to negotiate hours like the others did. He hadn't thought much about the top floor lately. He had been so busy that his mind was kept occupied. 

The group exited the elevator onto their floor, the girls heading off down their hallway. He bid the others farewell as he entered his suite. He flopped down on his couch to relax for a few minutes before he had to get cleaned up. He flipped on the TV and searched for something to watch.

When it was getting close to an hour until he had to be at work, he shut off the TV and headed for the bathroom. He slipped himself out of his clothes and turned on the shower. He slipped inside the glass shower and started rinsing himself off. This time, he actually let his eyes look down at his body. It was such a relief to him to not look so grotesque anymore. There was even the tiniest bit of muscle starting to show. Nico let his head fall back on the shower wall, letting the water wash over him.

Looking at the terrible shape his body was in had been so hard on him. He couldn't recall a single day where he didn't cry looking at his naked form. While he was thankful for Percy pulling him off the streets, he couldn't help resenting his father for putting him through all of that. If it hadn't been for Percy, he probably would have died out there.

Nico shut the water off and grabbed a towel. He dried himself off and grabbed his toothbrush. Brushing at his teeth, he inspected his face in the mirror. The dark circles under his eyes had finally vanished. Several of the Lost Kids had even started complementing him on his features. Things like his soft black hair, and almost matching dark brown eyes. His skin still was pale, since he had told Apollo he couldn't tan. Percy had complemented him on his improved appearance as well, saying that Nico's eyes were one of his favorite features. Nico noticed his cheeks darken in the mirror at the memory.

He left the bathroom and headed for his bedroom. He set about pulling out some clothes to go to work in. He slipped into his pants and slid the shirt over his head. He shut his bedroom door behind him as he made his way back into the kitchen. He should probably eat something before going to work. He had some leftover pasta from lunch earlier, he figured that would work.

After he finished eating, Nico left his suite and headed for the elevator. Will was standing by the elevator when he arrived. He gave Nico a smile as the dark haired boy approached. “You working the bar tonight?” Nico asked.

“Yep, you headed up there too?” Will replied as they both stepped on the elevator.

“Yeah.”

Will nodded and slid his card into the slot before hitting the button for the bar. A few moments later they stepped out into the bar. Nico had gotten used to the noise by now, it seemed so normal to him now. They headed over to the bar and signed in. Chiron tossed them their aprons after they were finished.

Thalia walked over, handing Chiron some empty glasses. “I'm so glad the two of you could join us,” she joked. Will rolled his eyes at her as he put on his apron. Nico glanced over at the elevator when it opened, letting Reyna off of it. One thing Nico had noticed was that Reyna liked to keep to herself for the most part. There were only a few of the others that she would really be seen hanging around during free time. She wore her normal emotionless expression as she signed in quickly and headed onto the floor. Nico pulled his pad and pen out before following her lead. 

 

The hours seemed to creep by at a snail's pace for Nico. He had had one customer tonight that just seemed like he was purposefully trying to give Nico a hard time. Nico was relieved when he finally got to go on break. He plopped down onto the couch in the break room, letting out a long sigh. Reyna came in a few moments after him and went over to the small fridge they had in there. She pulled out a bottle of water and sat down in the chair next to the couch. She seemed content in the silence, Nico observed. She was one of the few people that seemed to be a little bitter at Nico for how Percy treated him.

Nico bit his lip as he stared at her. He wanted to get to know all of the Lost Children, even the ones that intimidated him. “Reyna, can I ask you something?” he asked quietly.

She glanced over at him, taking another drink of water. “Sure, kid, what's up?”

“Well, I was just wondering what your story was? Everyone else seems to have a tragic story about how they got here, and I was just curious what happened to you.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”

Nico pouted at her. “I just wanted to get to know you better.”

She held out her wrist, exposing her tattoo to Nico. “I got this from my old life. I ran away from home when I was around your age. I was dating this guy, at the time, and he was involved in a gang. Well, he told me if I wanted to be with him, I had to join them. So, the stupid young me decided to do it. They branded me with this and let me be in their 'family'. I use the word very loosely. It wasn't anything like we are here.” She began rubbing her marked wrist softly. “After I ran away, I moved into their crib and stayed there. I did drugs for a short while in my time there, so trust me when I say you shouldn't try any of it.”

“How did you get from there to here?”

Reyna's eyes darkened, her mouth set into a firm line. “That bastard cheated on me, only I didn't know it right away. Percy showed up one day, furious at my boyfriend for not paying something.” She paused for a moment. “I'll leave out all the boring details, but he told me that my asshole of a boyfriend had cheated on me. I wanted to kill him so badly, but...never mind. Anyways, Percy pulled me out of there and brought me back here.”

“Do you know how Percy found out that your boyfriend cheated on you?”

“I do,” Reyna replied, taking another drink of water. Nico waited for an elaboration, but it never came. Reyna just went back to sitting in silence, occasionally taking a sip of water. Nico tilted his head to look back at the ceiling. He figured it was best to just leave her be. He had gotten to know her just a little bit better, and that's what he had wanted. Yet another tragic story was laid out before him.

He was thankful that it was the weekend, school today had been exhausting. He had his first major test since his return to the educational system, and he was hoping he still managed to keep his good grades. Sighing, Nico pulled himself off of the couch to get back to work. 

Percy hadn't shown up tonight, which made Nico frown to himself. Most nights the green eyed boy came to the bar for a few minutes. There were the rare nights that he wouldn't show up at all, though. Nico supposed this was one of those nights.

Finally, they were released from their duties, once the last of the customers had left. They all boarded the elevator and headed down to their floor. “Any plans for tomorrow, Thals?” Will asked, popping his back. 

“I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know,” the black haired girl replied

“How about something relaxing? I could use a good day of relaxation,” Reyna added.

“Amen to that,” said Will. The elevator doors opened and they headed out onto their floor. The girls bid them goodnight before heading down the hall. Will waved at Nico as he passed Nico's door. Nico watched him head down the hall and stop in front of Apollo's room.

“You live with Apollo?” Nico asked.

The blond looked back at Nico and nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“I needed to ask him something about the diet plan he gave me. Do you think he's in yet?”

Will shrugged. “I don't know. You're welcome to come in and see. You can wait for him if he's not.” Nico nodded and walked over to where Will stood. The blond inserted his card and pushed the door open. “Oh god!” Will yelled, trying to shut the door.

It had been too late, though. Nico's eyes had immediately landed on Percy and Apollo on the couch together. They were completely naked and currently in the middle of sex. They both froze when the door opened. “Shit,” he heard Percy mumble, already pulling out of Apollo. Percy grabbed for his pants, throwing them on as fast as he could. Apollo sat there, a shocked expression on his face. His mouth kept opening and closing, unable to find any words to say.

Nico felt tears burning in his eyes. “Shit, I'm sorry guys. I didn't know,” Will said. Nico started to back up. Will tried to make a grab for him, but he jerked his arm away.

“Nico, wait. You don't understand,” Percy said, jogging towards the door. Nico didn't wait, though. He bolted to his door. Percy pushed past Will into the hall. “Nico, please listen to me.” Nico fumbled for his keycard. His hands were shaking so bad that he almost dropped it. Percy had come to stand right next to him. He refused to look at Percy, though. He didn't trust himself to not waver from the boy's eyes. He wiped at his face as he slid his card into the door.

Apollo came out into the hall, having put on some pants. Nico heard some doors open down the hall, other Lost Children looking outside to see what the commotion was. “Nico, please listen. You really don't understand,” Apollo pleaded.

“Leave me alone!” Nico yelled. He opened his door and slammed it behind him, refusing to let any of them into his suite. He bolted the door so that Percy couldn't use his master key to get himself in. He didn't want to see him now. Nico went over to the couch and curled up on it, letting his tears fall.

There came a frantic knock at the door. “Nico, please open the door. Let me talk to you. I can explain,” Percy's voice came from the other side. Nico didn't budge, though. Any other time he would have jumped in a heartbeat to let Percy in his room, but not tonight. His phone started going off, he pulled it out to see Apollo's name on the caller ID. He threw his phone to the floor so he didn't have to look at the name on the screen.

He heard running in the hall and soon another voice was heard outside. “What the hell is going on?” came Thalia's raised voice. There was hushed talking on the other side, Nico could no longer make it out. Then there was knocking again. “Nico? It's Thalia. Can I come in to talk?”

“No! Everyone just leave me alone!” Nico yelled, refusing to move from the couch. There was more hushed talking. Nico heard a few footsteps and a door closing.

“Nico, I'm going to get everyone to leave you alone, but I want to come talk to you in the morning.” Nico didn't care. He didn't want to talk to them. He rubbed at his face as he dragged himself off of the couch. His stomach felt sick and his head was spinning. His phone went off again, this time it was a text message. He wasn't sure if it would be wise to look at it, but against his better judgment he picked it up. It was a message from Percy.

Nico, I'm sorry you had to see that. It's really not what it looks like. I really want to explain it to you. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Nico bit his lip, debating typing a reply. He shook his head, placing his phone on the kitchen counter. He went to the fridge and grabbed bottle of water. He headed back to his room, placing his drink on his nightstand. He collapsed on his bed, letting out a single sob into the comforter. He didn't even bother undressing. He just curled up on his bed and cried himself to sleep.

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Nico stood in his shower, letting the water beat down on him. He was stupid. Stupid for ever getting his hopes up that he might have the slightest chance with Percy. Why did he try to fool himself? How could Apollo betray him like that, though? Surely Apollo knew that Nico had a crush on their boss. The blond acted like he knew of the crush. Yet he still did this to Nico. 

He didn't feel betrayed by Percy. He couldn't. No, he felt something else for the green-eyed manager. He was hurt. Percy had hurt him. Nico didn't own him, though. They weren't dating. Percy had every right to go and have sex with whoever he wanted to. Nico had no claim to him. It didn't change how much it hurt, though. He wanted to be with Percy. In his entire life, he had never wanted something like this. He had never wanted something so badly. Now Percy truly was out of his grasp. How could Nico ever hope to compete with Apollo? Apollo was gorgeous. 

He wiped at his eyes and shut off the water. Stepping out, he grabbed a towel and slowly dried himself off. He didn't want to go anywhere today. He didn't want to run the risk of running into either Percy or Apollo. He couldn't face either of them. He wrapped the towel around his waist and left the bathroom. He needed to check his phone. Hopefully, fate would be on his side and he wouldn't have Apollo on shift with him tonight.

Picking up his phone, he ignored all of his missed calls and texts. He opened his daily email from Leo, inspecting his coworkers. “Fuck,” he mumbled. He had no such luck. There was Apollo's name clear as day in the email. He would have to force himself to ignore Apollo. There was no way he wouldn't crumble to pieces if they actually spoke. He would probably have the urge to punch Apollo in his perfect face.

A new call came in, it was Thalia. Nico sighed and decided to talk to the girl. “Hello?” he asked quietly.

“Nico! Finally! We were beginning to think you died in there,” came the girl's reply.

“No, I'm...fine.”

“You don't have to lie to me, Nico. Look, this place isn't paradise. We call it an illusion for a reason. This place majorly bites, especially when you first get here. Trust me. I remember when I first started here. I hated it. You're going to hate it for a while too.”

“You're not going to tell me to hear them out, are you?”

Thalia chuckled through the phone. “No. I know you probably hate both of them right now. If I were in your position, I wouldn't want to talk to them either. I just wanted to invite you out to take your mind off of things.”

“Apollo won't be there?” Nico asked, biting his lip.

“Nope. I haven't even told him about this. Annabeth and I were going to go down to the spa. I wanted to know if you wanted to go? It might help you take your mind off things.”

Nico ran a hand through his drying hair. “I-I guess. Yeah.”

He could practically see Thalia smile through the phone. “Great! I'll be over in ten. Be ready to go by then.” Nico hung up the phone and went back to the bathroom to get ready. 

After brushing his teeth, he went to his bedroom and found something comfortable to wear. He didn't feel like dressing up too much. He would come back before work and change clothes. There was a knock at the door. Nico went and peered through the hole. Sure enough, it was Thalia. He opened the door and let her in. “Hey,” he mumbled quietly.

“Shit, Nico. You look like hell,” the girl said, raising his face to look at her. “Did you cry all night?” Nico nodded. “I'm sorry. I-I did try to warn you. Percy's not someone you want to develop actual feelings for.”

“I know. I was being stupid.”

“You weren't being stupid. A lot of people fall for Percy when they first get here. You're not the first, and you probably won't be the last.” Nico nodded, wiping at his nose. “You ready to go?” Nico nodded again. Thalia led him out the door and down the hall to the elevator. 

Waiting at the elevator was Annabeth. “You got him out of his room after all I see,” the blonde mused. Nico didn't say anything, just standing there in silence, staring at the floor. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him. “Wow, he really is shaken up. He actually walked in on them?”

Thalia sighed. “Yes, because Will wasn't using his head, and the two of them were idiots and used the couch.”

“They do this a lot?” Nico asked.

Neither of the girls seemed to want to answer. They boarded the elevator and hit the ground floor button. “You got some waking up to do, Nico,” Annabeth stated plainly. “We told you before, this place isn't sugar and rainbows.”

“I just...never mind. I was just being stupid. I let myself believe I had a chance with him. I thought he might actually like me back,” Nico whispered. The girls shared a look, refusing to comment on the subject.

“I told you, Percy doesn't take an interest in us,” Thalia said, putting her arm around Nico.

“You shouldn't be mad at Apollo either,” added Annabeth. “It was just business.”

“Business?” Nico asked, looking up at the blonde girl.

Thalia shot her a look. “Relax, Percy will probably fill him in a little once Nico cools off.” Annabeth faced Nico once again. “That is the answer to your question on how we discuss hours with Percy.” Nico cocked his head to the side. Annabeth sighed. “Apollo was trying to get more hours...upstairs, and to do that you are required to...prove to Percy that you are deserving of the hours.”

“By letting him fuck you?”

“Like I said, not as nice of a place as you might think.” The elevator opened and the three exited it. Nico followed the two girls around the corner towards the pool. They turned another corner, now heading away from the pool. They came to two open glass doors. Circe's Spa was written on a sign above the door. 

Inside a tall woman stood behind a desk. Her piercing green eyes were currently busy looking through a magazine. She had long dark hair, eloquently braided with gold thread. She was a thin woman, currently adorned by a long silky black dress. A small stuffed guinea pig lay on her desk next to her computer. She glanced away from her magazine to look at the three new arrivals. She smiled and walked around the desk to usher them farther into the room. “Ah, Annabeth and Thalia, I was wondering when you were going to return to me,” the woman said. Her eyes fell upon Nico. Her lips turned down into a frown upon inspecting him. “And who is this?”

“Oh, this is Nico. He's sort of new here,” Annabeth replied.

“Nico, this is Circe, the spa manager,” Thalia stated. She turned her attention to Circe. “Do you think you could squeeze the three of us in? We could use a spa day. Especially Nico, he had a rough night last night.”

Circe tapped her cheek. She walked over to her desk and ran through her time schedule. “I suppose I could squeeze the three of you in, but only since the two of you are my favorite customers,” Circe said, pointing to the girls. They smiled and dragged Nico towards the back.

They were ushered into separate rooms to get out of their clothes and into some robes they were provided with. After that, they were led into a large room with some tables set up in the middle. Nico's cheeks started burning when the girl's started to remove their robes. They had their backs to him, so he didn't see anything and, luckily, they had their underwear still on. 

Nico slipped his robe off of his shoulders and climbed onto the table. The door opened again, Circe and two other girls came inside. One of the girls came over to Nico's table to get started on his massage. He felt his cheeks flush when the girl commented on his soft skin. Apparently, it was softer than a lot of the girls she massaged. 

As the massage team was busy with their job, the girls decided to see how Nico was doing. “Are you at least feeling less depressed than you were last night,” Thalia asked, voice full of concern.

“I don't know,” Nico replied. “I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to be feeling. It's not like he cheated on me. I know he has every right to do as he pleases.”

“It happens,” Annabeth added in.

“A lot?”

“Whenever we want better time slots, yes.”

Nico frowned. “You mean you've both had sex with him too?”

Thalia cleared her throat. “I tried to warn you, Nico,” she said softly. “It's not paradise here. It's what we have to do.”

“Have to? Can't you just get by with the hours he gives you? Percy seems like a fair person.”

“Try telling that to some of the others,” Annabeth replied. “It's a harsh world we live in here, Nico. You have to understand that. Not to be cruel, but to survive here, you have to throw out almost everything you thought you knew about the world. It doesn't work the way a lot of people think it does.”

“What Annabeth is trying to say,” Thalia said sternly, “is that Percy isn't someone you need to go after. You are where you are, and you should be happy there. You don't want to be where we are. You don't want to have to do what we have to do. Percy did you a favor by keeping you in the bar.”

Nico's face grew dark. He was tired of everyone telling him that. They treated him like a child. “Fair that he'll have his way with you and not with me?” Nico sat up, startling the girl massaging him. She tried to get him to lie back down, but Nico wouldn't do it. “I'm tired of being treated like a child around here. Am I so repulsive to Percy that he doesn't want to touch me like the rest of you? What the fuck is so important about upstairs anyways?” Nico began yelling, Thalia and Annabeth stared at him in shock. Circe and both of her girls had stopped doing their job. Everyone was staring at him, but he didn't care. He huffed and jumped off the bed, marching back to the changing room.

He slipped his clothes back on and opened the door. Thalia was there waiting for him. “Nico, wait. Please don't get mad at us,” she pleaded. He wasn't going to listen. He pushed past her and sprinted for the exit. Her voice slowly began fading behind him, until he was approaching the elevator.

He slipped his card into its slot and hit the button to his floor, fighting back more tears as they threatened to surface. He exited the elevator, brushing past the Stolls, who were waiting to board. “Nico? Shit, he's still upset,” Travis said. Nico heard them trying to follow him. He quickened his pace and slid his card into its slot. He slammed the door behind him, refusing to hear what either of them had to say. He didn't want to talk to any of them. They were all the same. If it hadn't been Apollo it would have been one of the others. 

\---------------------------------

Nico silently clocked in, one arm wrapped around himself. He was aware of his coworkers' eyes on him. They all wanted to try and say something, but none of them would make the first move. Everyone except Luke, that is. The asshole seemed so happy with what had happened. Apollo kept trying to give him the puppy-dog eyes, but Nico refused to look at him. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He only looked at the person because he knew it was Chiron. Chiron was the only person Nico couldn't bring himself to be mad at right now. He doubted the bartender did the same things that the rest of them did. “Are you alright, Nico?” he asked gently. “I can request you get the night off, if you prefer.”

“No, that's ok. I'll be fine,” Nico whispered back. Chiron squeezed his shoulder and went back to work. Nico sighed and headed over to his first table. He tried to look happy for the customers, but he was sure that he failed miserably. Piper reached out for him when he headed back with the orders, but she pulled her hand back when she saw he wasn't going to stop for her.

“Nico,” he heard Apollo whisper behind him. He turned around and fixed the blond with an emotionless stare. Nico wanted to get across to the traitor that he was dead to him now. Apollo bit his lip, looking down at the floor. “I'm really sorry, Nico. You weren't meant to see that.”

Nico just stared at him for a few seconds longer, and then brushed past him to take the drinks to the table he had just come from. Their group effort was just making Nico angrier. Their unity and sense of family was grating on his nerves. How could they defend this? How could each of them do this? They knew that each of the others had sex with Percy, but none of it seemed to bother them.

A few hours later, Percy came into the bar. Nico was heading back to the bar when Percy grabbed Nico's arm and spun Nico to face him. “Can I help you?” Nico asked, his voice drained of all emotion. It made Percy's eyes flash with hurt for a brief moment.

“Can we talk? You really don't understand,” Percy stated.

“What's not to understand? The others want better hours so you get them to fuck you to earn them.” Percy's jaw tightened. His eyes flashed with anger for a brief second. He took a breath to calm himself.

“Look, I just don't want you to be mad at me. You weren't supposed to see that.”

“I'm sure I would have found out eventually. If it wasn't Apollo I'm sure I would have found out about one of the other one's you fuck around with.” Nico yanked his arm free of Percy's grasp, walking back to the bar. Percy followed after him. “What I don't understand is why I'm exempt from this? Do I repulse you, or something?”

He heard Percy groan behind him. “Why would you even think that? Because I choose to keep your innocence intact?” Percy asked, voice becoming harsher as he spoke. “Excuse me for wanting to keep you out of that lifestyle. I thought I was doing you a favor.”

Nico huffed and walked into the break room. He heard Percy groan in frustration right before the door shut. Thankfully, Percy didn't follow him back there. However, Nico wasn't alone in the room. Silena smiled at him as he came to sit down in the chair next to the couch. Could he not get away from them? Could he not have a single moment to himself?

There was a long, awkward silence between the two. Nico figured she knew he was irritated at all of them. She finally cleared her throat and spoke up. “I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to see that.”

“Why?” Nico asked harshly.

“Because, I'm with Charlie, and I don't like having to do what I have to do. I can understand what you're going through. You like him, Percy that is. It was hard seeing him with Apollo, especially considering what they were doing. You probably hate us right now, I wouldn't blame you if you did, but trust me when I say you really don't know the whole story.”

“How can I when all of you keep me in the dark?”

Silena frowned. “It might be better if you didn't know what the reality of things around here is. I think Percy and Apollo would both rather you hate them for what you saw, than to have you suffer like the rest of us.”

“Suffer? You all seem happy to me, how can you say you're suffering?”

Silena's face became solemn. “What you see is a charade, every one of us wears a mask to hide how damaged and fucked up we really are.” She stood up and headed for the door, turning around to face Nico before leaving. “And that's only for the customers and to get by. What you saw is normal for us here, and we act like it's no big deal because it's not. If you want to live here, you better start realizing you aren't in your little bubble of a world anymore.” With that she pushed through the door and walked back into the busy bar.

Nico frowned at the door, pulling his legs up to his chest. The fake walls of this place were starting to crumble around him. Why couldn't he go back to it being the perfect place he thought it was? He wiped at his eyes as he felt tears starting to surface. 

Nico looked up as the door opened once again. Luke rolled his eyes at the sight of Nico. “Is crying your only setting?” he said with annoyance as he laid down on the couch.

“Leave me alone,” Nico mumbled.

“Aww, is the poor baby realizing that perfect Percy isn't the golden angel you thought he was?” Luke chuckled dryly at him. “You haven't even hit the tip of the iceberg yet, kid. You better start carrying around a box of tissues. The Percy you thought you knew doesn't exist. As your time goes on here, you're just going to fall farther and farther down the rabbit hole, until you finally shed light on how fucked up Percy and the rest of us really are.”

Nico's cheeks stung as he wiped at his eyes once again. He couldn't get himself to stop crying anymore. “Shut up.”

“He must really find you unattractive if he won't fuck you like everyone else.” Nico began sobbing into his arm. “Did you really think you were his favorite? You wouldn't even last one night upstairs. You're too weak. You're just a child in his eyes, and that's why he stuck you down here. Because he knew you couldn't handle life up there.”

“Fuck you!”

“No thanks, Percy already fills that need.” The door swung open again and Chiron stepped inside, with Percy, Silena, Piper, and Apollo following close behind.

“What is going on back here?” Chiron asked. “Why was there yelling?” Chiron glanced at Nico. “And why is he crying?” Chiron glared down at Luke, who just shrugged.

“Can't you go one night without being an ass, Luke?” Piper asked, walking over to Nico. She tried wrapping an arm around him, but he shoved her off. She frowned at him, but stepped back.

“I want you to take me upstairs,” Nico mumbled.

“What?” Percy asked, stepping farther in the room.

“I said, I want to go upstairs. I'm not a kid, and I'm tired of being treated like one! You said I don't understand? Well show me, explain it to me. I'm tired of being clueless about things around here!” Nico yelled. “All of you are in on this big secret, and none of you will let me know what's going on. Take me upstairs, I'm tired of all of this bullshit.”

“Nico, don't-” Chiron started, but Luke interrupted him.

“No, let him go upstairs. Let him see this place for what it really is. He thinks he's all grown up, so let him go prove it.”

“Luke,” Percy said warningly. He stepped closer to where Nico stood. “Nico, you don't know what you're asking. Please reconsider this.”

Nico shook his head furiously. “No! I want you to take me upstairs. I want to know what the big fucking deal is about it. I want to be like the others, I'm not a fucking kid, and I'm going to prove it.”

Percy sighed heavily. “Alright. I'll have Leo give you tomorrow night off. I'll come get you around ten, be ready by then.” He turned around and headed back towards the door. He stopped right before walking out, not looking back. “Don't say I didn't try.”

Nico looked around the room. Everyone was looking at him with sadness, except Luke. Luke had a cocky grin plastered on his face. Seeing it only made Nico more determined to wipe it off his face tomorrow night. “Nico, please listen to Percy,” Piper began. “You don't know what you're asking for.”

“I've made up my mind,” Nico said, walking out of the break room.

\-----------------------------

Nico sat on his couch, silently watching the clock. It was nearly ten. His nerves were at an all new high. He didn't really know what to expect tonight, but he knew he had to show them that he wasn't a kid. He had had a lot of trouble sleeping last night. The anticipation of this moment was killing him. He had wanted to know what was on the top floor since he had gotten here, and he finally was getting what he wanted. Why did Percy seem so sad over this, though? Shouldn't he be happy that Nico was trying to be grownup? 

A knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts. He jumped off of the couch and walked over to the door. He found Percy standing in the doorway, a serious look on his face. His eyes made Nico uncomfortable, that wasn't something uncommon, but now it was for a different reason. Percy looked at him like he betrayed Percy. Percy's dark black hair fell down into his face, casting shadows across Percy's facial features. He had on a dark blue button up shirt and a pair of dark pants.

“Ready?” Percy asked with a sigh. Nico nodded. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” came Nico's quiet reply. Percy gestured down the hall and Nico shut the door behind him. They walked down towards the elevator and waited for it to arrive. Nico glanced up at Percy, but the taller boy refused to look down at him.

They boarded the elevator and Percy slipped his card into the slot. He slammed his fist on the seventieth floor button and they began to ascend. Nico's heart started beating faster and his palms started to sweat. Maybe he should have backed out. No, then Luke would just give him more hell. Nico had something to prove. Nico let out a breath as he stared at the metal doors of the elevator. Percy glanced down at him finally. He didn't say anything, just watched Nico for a few seconds until the elevator doors opened.

The lights in the hall were dimmer than on the other floors, the only source of light came from small lights that lined the floor along the walls. The two people from Nico's last trip here stood at the two podiums. Two lines of people stood in front of both of them, slipping money to the boy and girl and walking down one of the two hallways. Percy walked out and Nico decided to follow. The girl and boy both looked up at Percy as he approached. “He's with me, Clarisse,” Percy said, addressing the tall girl. Percy dragged Nico over to the boy's booth and the boy pulled out a stamp. Nico held out his hand and the Asian kid placed his stamp on Nico's hand. “Thanks, Ethan.” 

Percy grabbed Nico's arm and the two headed off down the hall to the right. Nico could feel his heart speeding up even more. He was afraid it was going to burst from his chest at this point. They came to a small set of stairs. Nico could hear music blaring from up the stairs.

Percy grabbed Nico's hand when he noticed the boy wasn't following him. He led Nico upstairs. The first things Nico noticed as they ascended the steps were the flashing lights. The music became louder, becoming distinguishable as Ellie Goulding's “Lights”. They finally came to the top and stepped onto the floor of the room. Nico's jaw almost dropped.

There were tables set up all over the room, with many men and women sitting around at all of them. Nico's eyes fell upon some of the Lost Boys as they walked around the room. The only clothing they wore were bow ties around their necks and speedos to cover their lower extremities. Nico's eyes finally fell on the stage on the other side of the room.

He unconsciously licked his lips at the sight of the three boys on stage. Apollo and the Stoll twins were all on stage, in nothing but small black speedos. Apollo was currently letting his hand slowly slide down his chest, letting his thumb hook into the top of his speedo. All three of them were slowly moving their bodies along with the music that was blasting from the speakers. 

Connor ended up crawling on the floor with his back arched, he crawled over to his brother. Connor wrapped one of his arms around his brother's waist, while the other slipped into Travis's inner thigh. Connor laid his head against Travis's hip as Travis slid his hand along his torso.

Apollo had spun around and had bent over, earning quite a few whistles from the crowd. He turned his head and winked at his audience as he rose back up, letting his hands trail up his legs. His hands traveled up until they rested on his butt. He grabbed the fabric and slowly slipped the speedo down, revealing the top of his ass to everyone.

“Welcome to Neverland,” Percy said, bringing Nico out of his trance.

“The top floor is a strip club?” Nico said over the loud music.

“Only for only those who can afford it. This is why the others make more than you.” Nico looked back over at the stage. Apollo caught Nico's eye and he noticed the blond frown for a brief second.

“Well, look who made it to the big boys' club,” Luke said, walking up to Percy and Nico. He was dressed like the other waiters up here, only in a bow tie and speedo. Nico looked up at Percy. Percy's green eyes were intently watching Nico. He almost looked like he was pleading, Nico wasn't sure for what response, though.

Nico honestly didn't know what to feel right now. He just found out that all of these people he had come to know were strippers. To be a part of this, Nico would have to become one too. This was what they had all been warning him about, but now he didn't know if he could actually say no anymore. He had come this far, it didn't seem like turning back was an option. Could he do it? He had never seen anything like this. He was just that innocent kid like his sister had said he was. Nico looked over and saw Luke smirking at Nico, like he had already won. In that moment, Nico's decision was made for him.

“I want to do it.”


	7. Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 7

“You what?” Luke asked, eyes bulging. Nico looked back up at Percy, who was refusing to meet Nico's gaze. He had a frown firmly set in place and his eyes had become cold. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder, signaling Luke to get back to work. Luke gave Nico a final look of shock before walking off with his tray of drinks.

“Are you sure?” Percy asked. His tone was unreadable. His eyes fell back upon Nico. Nico thought they almost looked like they were begging him to reconsider. Nico nodded his head and Percy sighed. Percy held up his hands. “Alright, don't say I didn't warn you.” Percy walked over to a table and took a seat. Nico followed after him, sliding into a chair next to Percy. “I suggest you take notes.”

Nico's gaze travelled back up to the stage. Apollo and the twins were finishing up their performance. They had pulled a woman onto the stage with her chair, and Apollo was currently straddling her. Nico looked back at Percy, who was watching him intently. “Why did you keep me out of here then? Do I not have what it takes?” Nico asked.

Percy shook his head. “No, that's not it at all. I just didn't think you could handle it.”

Nico frowned. “Why not?”

Percy gave him a small smile. “You're sort of innocent, Nico.” Nico's frown grew. “I don't mean it in a bad way. It's cute.” Nico perked up. Percy looked back at the stage. “I'm sure you could use your innocence to get some customers, but there's more to this place than getting naked for some cash.”

Will walked up to their table. He glanced over at Nico and raised an eyebrow. “Want anything to drink, Percy?” Will asked, looking back at Percy.

“Yeah, get me a bottle of everclear and a shot glass.” Will had been looking down at his pad, but his head snapped up to look at Percy when he ordered. Will visibly gulped and took a step back. Will looked over at Nico. “He's not having alcohol.” Will nodded and walked off.

“Did you used to do this?” Nico asked. He watched as Apollo and the Stolls bowed before walking backstage.

“Yes, but that was several years ago. I don't do it anymore.”

“Why not?”

Percy arched an eyebrow at Nico. “Disappointed?” Nico blushed and shook his head furiously. “I have an image to maintain now. I can't go around taking off my clothes for all of these people.”

Will came back and sat a bottle and a shot glass on the table. “Let me know if you need anything else,” Will said with a smile before walking back off. Nico looked back to the stage when the clapping got louder again. A buff guy walked on the stage. His head was shaved and he had brown eyes. On each of his biceps were rainbows, circling around his arm. Like all of the other Lost Kids, he didn't have any body hair.

“Who's that? I haven't met him yet,” Nico asked over the music. Percy poured himself a shot and tossed it back.

“That's Butch, I'll introduce you to him later. Don't be intimidated when you meet him, he's not a bad guy at all,” Percy replied, pouring himself another shot.

“So, you and Apollo-”

Percy held up a hand. “Just business.”

“You never take an interest in any of the people you bring in here?”

Percy studied him for a moment. Percy took another shot before replying. “I've never had any interest in any of the one's I brought up here and put to work.” Percy poured himself another shot.

“Shouldn't you slow down?” Nico asked, glancing at the bottle.

Percy shrugged. “The stuff doesn't bother me. Besides, I need something to clear my head right now.”

“Why?”

Percy fiddled with the bottle for a moment. “I just do.”

Nico bit his lip. Had he done something wrong? Shouldn't Percy be happy he was willing to do this? He was trying to show Percy he was mature. “So, you have sex with all of them for business?”

Percy huffed. “If you don't like this life, I can always put you back down at the ba-”

“No! I didn't mean it like that! I was just curious as to why you do it.”

Percy took another shot. “Well, our group around here probably views sex differently than you do. It's just something fun. The Lost Kids have sex with each other if they want to, but it's business with me.”

Nico let that sink in for a moment before replying. It seemed a little odd to him, but at the same time didn't shock him that much. He knew they were very close, and it wasn’t surprising to learn they had all messed around. “Because they want better hours up here?”

Percy nodded. “It's all a game of seduction up here, and they try and show me they deserve to be up here. I start off giving them all the same amount of hours. They work to persuade me they should get more hours, those that don't end up working, end up suffering. So, I guess it's sort of a game to them.”

“That doesn't bother you?” Nico asked with a frown. He didn't really like the idea of all of the friends he had been making having sex with Percy.

Percy shrugged. “I'm indifferent about it. It's not anything special with them, so why should it matter?” He leaned closer to Nico. “Maybe if I felt something it would be different,” he whispered in Nico's ear. Nico felt his pulse quicken. His pupils dilated and he felt himself harden between his legs. Percy just smirked to himself and took another drink, fully aware of what he had done to Nico.

“S-So what happens now?” Nico stuttered.

“You'll start your training tomorrow.”

“Training?”

Percy snorted. “Yes, Nico. I don't think you possess the...art of seduction quite yet.”

“Who's going to teach me?”

Percy took another shot. “I'll have the boys work with you as a group for a lot of it, and I'll give you a more...private lesson after that.” Nico gulped at the emphasis put on the end of his statement. “Don't worry, Nico, I don't bite...much.”

“So, I'm going to be taught to dance on stage while taking off my clothes?”

“Well, that's part of it. This is all about knowing how to work your body to get what you want: money. You have to know how to move just right. You'll have to learn the right things to say.”

“How long before I'm up on that stage?” Nico asked.

Nico noticed Percy frown before taking another shot. “Whenever I feel that you are ready.” After Butch's performance had ended, Percy stood up and nodded over to a door by the stage. “Come on, I'll show you around backstage.”

Percy led him across the floor and they headed towards a door beside the stage. Percy pushed it open and guided Nico into the door. They found the boy's that were performing that night lounging around backstage. The twins had taken up a couch, with Connor leaning back against Travis. Nico covered his eyes as he spotted Apollo. The blond was currently naked, in the process of putting on a jockstrap.

“Nico!” the twins cried in unison. All the other boys stopped what they were doing to look in Percy and Nico's direction. Apollo slid on his jockstrap and headed over to the duo. The rest of the boys followed his lead and walked over.

Nico glanced over at Butch, who was staring down at him with a curious look. “Nico, this is Butch,” Percy said, gesturing between them. Nico flinched a little when he felt Percy's hand rest on his lower back.

Butch held out his hand and Nico shook it. His hand was almost as big as Beckendorf's. It engulfed Nico's hand. Butch definitely had a firm grip, and he could probably crush Nico's hand if he wanted to. “I finally get to meet the new kid,” Butch said, letting a smile spread across his face.

Nico glanced over at Apollo, who looked like a kicked puppy. Nico felt torn. On one hand, he was still mad at Apollo for having sex with Percy. On the other hand, he knew it was something Apollo had to do for his job. “I see you have no shame in hiding your body, Apollo,” Nico said with a smirk.

Apollo grinned at him, visibly brightening. “Well, it's not like everyone here hasn't seen me naked already anyways. So, what's the harm in hiding it?” Apollo said. Nico wasn't sure how serious he was being with that, after talking about it with Percy, it didn't seem improbable that all of the Lost Kids had seen each other naked.

“So, Nico, what do you think?” Travis asked.

“He's your new co-worker,” Percy said.

“Awesome!” Connor said happily. Apollo glanced over at Percy, and Nico noticed a slight frown briefly appear on Apollo's face. Percy just shrugged back at the blond. 

“Training starts with him tomorrow, I expect all of you to be in the gym tomorrow afternoon. Make sure the others know to be there as well.”

“Roger, boss,” Connor said with a mock salute. Percy just rolled his eyes. “So, Nico, have you been enjoying the show?”

“Uh...well it's not what I pictured was up here. Though, it does explain a lot. I think it's interesting, to say the least,” Nico replied. He glanced up at Percy. “So, I'll be making the same as them now?”

The Stolls and Butch started laughing. “He's going to be-” Travis said while laughing, but Percy cut him off.

“No,” Percy said. “He's just going to start working the stage. Nothing else.”

“Is there more to this?” Nico asked curiously.

Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I'll tell you later. Right now, I just want you getting a look at your new job.”

“What else is there to look at?”

“I'm going to take you to see the girls in a little bit.”

“Are they down that other hall?”

Percy nodded. “Yep, we'll go see them soon. Just get situated here.” Percy pointed at the Lost Boys surrounding them. “Keep an eye on him for a moment. I need to go see Leo about some business.”

“We'll take good care of him, Percy,” the Stolls said with a grin. They wrapped their arms around Nico's shoulders as Percy walked off. He looked back to give them a pointed look, but they didn't seem bothered by it. They led Nico over to the couch and made him sit down.

“You two need to go finish getting ready,” Apollo mumbled. The twins groaned but walked off. Apollo plopped down on the couch next to Nico, who shifted uncomfortably. He was fully aware that Apollo was still only in a jockstrap. Apollo grinned at Nico and leaned in closer, placing his arm behind Nico. “Nico, you seem uncomfortable. This isn't distracting for you, is it?” Nico shivered as Apollo spoke. Apollo leaned back, looking proud of himself.

“Is everyone around here such a tease?”

Apollo shrugged. “It's what we're good at. Why not use our strengths to our advantage? You'll find that people are pretty easy to manipulate when you're naked in their bed.”

“Wh-What?” Nico asked in confusion. Apollo's eyes widened and he covered his mouth.

“You didn't hear that.”

“Why are you in their beds?”

Apollo sighed. “I really didn't mean to let that slip.” He ran a hand through his blond locks. “Oh well, Percy was going to tell you later anyways. We do more than strip. For the right price, customers can get some...private time with us.”

“You have sex with those people?” Nico asked in shock.

Apollo nodded. “A very expensive price, but yes, we do that sometimes.”

Nico thought back to his conversation with Apollo at the beach. “That's what your ex came here for, wasn't it?”

Apollo sighed and nodded. “Well, he didn't come here looking for me, but when he saw me, he paid Percy and had me go to his room. I hated him for it, but it was part of the job. I could have told Percy, but I didn't want to make a big deal out of it.” Apollo glanced over at Nico. “I'm sorry about the other night. You weren't supposed to see that.”

Nico shrugged. “It's okay.”

Apollo bit his lip. “You like him, don't you?” Nico sat there for a moment in silence. He nodded his head once to answer Apollo. Apollo sighed. “I'm sorry, Nico, but it'll be something you'll have to deal with around here. Even if you are lucky enough to draw Percy's interest, you'll never have him exclusively.”

“I know,” Nico whispered. The twins returned from their performance and headed over to get something to drink. Apollo stood up and grinned down at Nico.

“Well, I'm on next. Wish me luck.”

Nico tossed him a small smile. “Good luck.” Nico's cheeks darkened as his eyes traveled down to Apollo's exposed rear.

“Having fun?” Nico jumped at the sound of Percy's voice in his ear. He looked up to see Percy grinning down at him. Percy's eyes traveled over to where Apollo was walking out on stage. “Admiring Apollo's backside?”

“N-No,” Nico stuttered.

Percy leaned in closer, just inches from Nico's face. “I'll give you something better to look at tomorrow.” Nico opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to find any words to respond to that. Percy laughed and pulled Nico off the couch. “Come on, I'm going to take you over to see the girls.”

Nico followed after Percy as he headed out the door. He followed Percy across the room and down the stairs. They traveled past Ethan and Clarisse, heading down the opposite hall. They traveled up another set of stairs and came into a similar room to the boys' side. The lights on the stage were off, only revealing the shadowy figures of girls on stage.

Percy pulled Nico over to a booth and they slid into it. Piper headed over to their booth, but Percy waved her off. Nico looked back at the stage as he heard snapping. One girl stood in the center of the others, who were all lying on the floor. The girls lying down all had an arm raised in the air and were snapping their fingers. The lights finally came on the stage, revealing Annabeth standing in the center of the girls. She was dressed in a black corset and white fishnet stockings, her hair had been curled to look even more like a princess.

The song Welcome to Burlesque started to play from the speakers. Annabeth let her hand play with the edges of her corset, as the girls on the floor sat up. Nico could make out Silena, Thalia, Calypso, and another girl that he didn't recognize. Percy leaned over to whisper in Nico's ear. “That's Hazel.” The girl was dark skinned, doubtlessly of African descent. She had long, curly golden-brown hair that fell around her shoulders. Her eyes looked like they were made of gold. She looked to be around Nico's height, maybe an inch shorter. 

Annabeth guided her hand down towards Thalia, and seemed to pull the black haired girl up with an invisible thread. The girls all stood up and started swaying their hips with the slow music. They all stood around Annabeth, placing a hand on the girl. At the words “Give it to the band” they all stomped their foot in unison. 

Nico was mesmerized by their movements. He could definitely see the entertainment in this. The girls all turned around and shook their butts as Annabeth raised a finger to her lips. Hazel walked up to Annabeth and bent over in front of her. A few words were changed in the song to fit better. They took out the triplets line and changed it to these girls, and the name Georgia to Silena. All the girls took a step forward and made a come hither motion. 

Annabeth grabbed her breasts as all the girls struck a pose for a brief moment. The girls all crouched down around Annabeth and thrust their lower bodies forward at just the right moments. Each of them lined up along the stage as Annabeth walked behind them. Nico gaped as he watched Silena stick her leg straight up in the air. Annabeth grabbed it and stood next to the girl. They all struck a final pose as the song came to an end, clapping sounded throughout the room.

Percy pulled Nico's attention back to him by waving a hand in front of his face. “Are you sure you're gay?” he said jokingly.

“Yes, I'm sure!” Nico cried, cheeks darkening. “I've just never seen anything like this before.”

Percy shrugged. “You get used to it. Do you want to head backstage, or watch more?”

Nico shrugged. “It's up to you.”

Percy nodded and stood up. “We'll head backstage. It's getting close to closing time, and I have something else to show you after this.” Nico stood up and followed after Percy as he headed for the backstage door. Nico found himself in a similar room to the one on the boy's side. The girls were all sitting around at mirrors, fixing their make-up. As they walked past, Percy slapped Thalia on her butt. “Get a move on girls.”

The girls all looked their way at the sound of Percy's voice. “Nico!” they all cried in unison. They abandoned their mirrors and scurried over to the two boys. Annabeth strolled over to them and arched an eyebrow at Percy, who huffed. Hazel tugged on Nico's shirt, drawing his attention to her.

“Hi, Nico, I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting yet, I'm Hazel,” the curly haired girl said.

Nico smiled at her and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you,” Nico replied.

Annabeth shifted her eyes away from Percy and looked at Nico. “So, Nico, I take it you will finally be joining the Lost Kids?” the blonde asked.

Nico nodded his head. “Yeah, I guess so. That was pretty awesome out there.”

Thalia smirked and flicked a hand through her hair. “That's ‘cause we are good at what we do.”

“You didn't have a problem with it?” Annabeth asked, raising a brow.

Nico shrugged. “No? Why would I?”

“Because we are strippers?”

“But you didn't take your clothes off.”

“For that number, next one, we show them what we're working with,” Thalia said, lifting her breasts. Nico's face darkened, causing the girls to giggle at him.

“Alright, whoever is up next needs to get a move on,” Percy said. Annabeth and Thalia walked back to their mirrors to finish getting ready.

“So, when is he going to go on stage, Percy?” Calypso asked.

Percy crossed his arms and shrugged. Nico looked up at him curiously. Percy was acting strange. He didn't seem happy. “Don't know. He'll start training when he gets back from school tomorrow. The boys are going to work with him all week. I'll give him a week or two, I suppose, and see how he does.”

Silena pinched Nico's cheek playfully. He scowled and knocked her hand away, making the girls smile at him. “He's so cute, I'm sure he'll bring in some big bucks,” Hazel stated. 

Percy looked down at Nico, catching the way the smaller boy was looking at him. Percy sighed and uncrossed his arms. “Alright, all of you get back to work. I'm going to take him to the security room for the rest of the night,” Percy said. The girls winked at Nico before they cackled and walked off.

Percy walked off. Nico followed him to a black door in the back. Percy pushed through it and the two walked down a dark hallway. “What's back here?” Nico asked in a hushed voice.

“This is where the kids get their real money,” Percy replied. They walked down the dark hallway until they reached another door. Percy pulled out his keycard and slid it through a slot. He reached down and opened the door, gesturing for Nico to go in. Nico complied and walked inside. Percy closed the door behind them and sat down in a chair. Percy clicked on some buttons and the TV screens lit up. Nico sat down in a chair next to Percy and looked at the screens.

They were showing a bunch of rooms. Each of them had a bed in it. Some had weirder things inside them, like whips and gags hanging on the wall. Each of the beds had sets of handcuffs on the headboard and footboard. Each of the rooms also had a chair placed in the corner of the room. Nico really didn't understand what he was looking at. Percy had reclined back in his chair and propped his feet up on the control panel.

Nico's eyes instantly shifted to one of the screens as the door opened. Apollo strutted into the room, in his jockstrap, and plopped down on the bed. A man followed in behind him and shut the door. A red light appeared at the bottom of the screen as soon as they entered. Apollo motioned for the man to come sit on the bed with him. As soon as the man was seated, Apollo straddled him and started attacking the man's neck.

Nico looked away to look at Percy in question. “What is this?” Nico asked.

“The Lost Kids don't just strip. For the right price, you can get some private time with them,” Percy replied. He reached over and picked up a remote. He clicked a button on it to mute the volume on the TVs.

“Why is there a security camera in there?”

“Well, one reason is to make sure my employees aren't mistreated. Another reason is to collect information.”

“Information?”

“Yeah, these are important people. My boss values the price of information.” Percy looked back at the screen. “Watch.”

Nico looked back at the screen. Apollo had removed the man's clothing already. The man lay back on the bed while Apollo still straddled him. The man's hands were firmly in place on Apollo's round ass. Apollo leaned in closer to whisper in the man's ear. The man shrugged back and said something to Apollo. “What are they doing?”

“Apollo and the others have a job to do in there, besides giving them a good time. Their job is to extract important information from the client. It helps us keep leverage on the people that come here to do business.” Percy kept his eyes trained on the screen. “You'll find this is a very rough business. You do what you can to keep everyone else in line.”

“Am I going to be doing this?” Nico asked, gesturing to the monitor.

Percy's lips formed a thin line. “No. You are just going to go on that stage and do what you saw out there.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “Why am I being treated different?”

Percy glanced over at him for a brief second before returning his eyes to the screen. “You are underage for one thing.”

“I didn't think something like that would bother you. Is that the only reason?”

Percy chuckled. “You know, maybe you got what it takes for this stuff after all. You're not going into one of those rooms, though.” Percy looked at Nico as the smaller boy frowned at him. “Why are you complaining? I'm keeping you from selling your body for money. I didn't have a choice like that. I'm giving you one. I expected you would be more appreciative of that gesture.”

“I-I am. It's not that I'm ungrateful. I just...” Nico trailed off.

“You just what?” Percy asked, leaning closer to Nico.

Nico shook his head. “Nothing.” He looked back at the monitor, but quickly looked away. Apollo and that man were already in the middle of sex.

“I really don't get you sometimes, Nico.”

“Why is that?”

“I figured you'd be freaking out the moment you found out this was a strip club, but then you said you wanted to do it too.”

“So? I'm not a little kid.”

Percy chuckled. “You're pretty much as innocent as they come, Nico.” Nico pouted at him. “Don't take offense, I didn't mean it in a bad way.”

“Do you see me as a kid?” Percy didn't respond. “Well?”

Percy sighed and ruffled his own hair.

Nico frowned but decided to let it go. “Can I get to know more about you?”

Percy glanced at him from the corner of his eye, clearly hesitant. “I suppose.”

“How did you end up on the streets?”

Percy frowned at him. “Who told you I was on the streets?”

Nico's eyes widened at the fear of having gotten someone in trouble. “I-No one. I-I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble. I-I was just curious.”

Percy studied him for a moment before opening his mouth to talk. “My mother died when I was really little. I didn't even know who my dad was back then. I didn't learn what had happened until after Gaea took me in. He had walked out on my mom when she was pregnant with me. She tried to take care of us the best she could, but she just couldn't make it one day. The little money she managed to pull in all went to feeding me. She starved herself to take care of me. The foster system came to take me in after that, but I ran away after the first home they sent me to.”

“How old were you?”

“I was about seven. It seems like so long ago. If Gaea hadn't pulled my birth certificate I wouldn't even have remembered how old I was. I just lost track of time while on the streets. All I knew was when it was day and when it was night. I knew when it changed seasons, but everything just kind of ran together in my mind. Keeping track of how old I was didn't seem important. All I cared about was survival.”

Nico unconsciously scooted his chair closer to Percy. “How did Gaea find you?”

“I think I was around fourteen when she found me. She just stumbled across me on the streets; a starving, savage kid that probably would have killed her for the clothes on her back, which would have sold for a lot. I didn't, because I was sick. It was the middle of winter and I had come down with a bad case of the flu. She didn't even tell one of her bodyguards to pick me up, she did it herself. Didn't even hesitate, just picked me right up and sat me in her limo. Carried me to the hospital and had me taken care of. She faked some paperwork and made it appear like I was her son.”

“She did that for you?”

Percy nodded. “After I was released, she brought me back here, which was the first hotel she had set up in America. She told me she wanted me to stick with her, that if I did, I could go places. She said I wouldn't have to live on the streets anymore, and that I would end up looking down on all of the people who refused to feed me or give me shelter. That I would be able to- uh, you know what? Let's not go into that.” Percy gave him a smile.

“What else do you have to hide? You've already shown me all of this, why keep being mysterious?”

Percy grinned at him. “Well, I think there's something sexy about the air of mystery, wouldn't you agree, Nico?” Percy said, leaning very close to Nico.

“I–I–Uh–I–”

Percy grinned and sat back in his chair. Nico's gaze traveled back to the monitors. Two of the other rooms had become occupied. Thalia had entered one room and Calypso had entered another. Thalia's room was one of the rooms with whips in them. She had changed into some tight leather outfit and was currently holding the whip from the wall in her hand. She cracked the whip and pointed at the bed. The man in her room cringed, but made his way over to the bed.

Nico looked back at Percy to take his mind off of what was happening. “You used to do all of this?”

Percy nodded, watching the monitors. “Yeah, up until Gaea left me in charge here. Now I don't have to.”

“But you still have to have sex with the Lost Kids.”

Percy shrugged, glancing at Nico. “Why does that bother you?”

Nico's face darkened. “N-No reason.” Percy smiled and rubbed his chin.

“Like I said, I'm indifferent about it. I don't go hunting them down to fuck. If they didn't come to me, I wouldn't do it at all.” Nico yawned, causing Percy to look away from the screens. “Tired?” Nico nodded. “Alright, let's get you to bed.” Percy clicked the monitors off, but Nico noticed the red lights stayed on. Percy noticed Nico still looking at the monitors. “The red lights mean the room is being recorded.”

“To make sure you get the information that is shared in the room?” Nico asked.

Percy nodded. Nico walked past Percy, out the door. Percy shut the door behind them and they walked back down the hall. They made their way back to the elevator in silence. Nico shifted uncomfortably in the elevator. Percy walked Nico to his door. Nico pulled his keycard out and slid it into his door, opening it slowly. He stood in his doorway to look at Percy, who leaned against the doorframe.   
“Make sure you remember to get to the gym as soon as you're back from school,” Percy said, looking at Nico. “You'll train from the time you get back until it's time for work every day.”

Nico nodded. He gave Percy a small wave. “Goodnight.” Percy smiled back at him and pushed off the doorframe. Nico watched as he walked down the hallway, sliding his hands into his back pockets. Nico shut the door and headed straight for his bathroom to get ready for bed.


	8. The Training Begins

Chapter 8

Nico fidgeted at his desk as he watched the time tick by. He was finally getting to join the ranks of the Lost Kids. His training would start today, and Nico found himself oddly nervous. He figured this basically meant that the boys would be standing in front of him the entire time in very little clothing. Then there was the “private lesson” from Percy. Nico really didn't know what to think about that. Why did he need a private lesson? Why was Percy going to be the one giving it? Nico's mind had so many questions running through it.

He was ready for school to be let out so that he could get on with everything. Nico scowled at the clock as he felt a piece of paper hit the back of his head. He turned around in his seat to glare at his bully, who he had learned was named Cal.

“What?” Cal asked with an annoying grin on his face. Nico just rolled his eyes and turned back around. He didn't feel like putting up it. Nico placed his chin on his palm, supporting his head. Maybe he should take Percy up on that offer to fix his problem. Nico growled under his breath when he felt another piece of paper hit the back of his head.

Three o'clock finally rolled around, releasing Nico from his day of school. He walked to his locker and put away the books he didn't need. Closing his locker, he made his way outside. Nico walked out the front door and immediately hit the pavement. Cal and his brother, Zethes, laughed at him. Nico glared at them as he pulled himself up. He spotted Apollo's red car in the parking lot. Deciding just to walk away, Nico headed towards the car.

Not going to leave Nico be, Zethes and Cal followed after him. “Where you going, homo?” Cal jeered at him.

“Wait, don't get too close, Cal. You might catch the gay,” Zethes added with a smirk.

Nico kept walking, though. He didn't feel like putting up with them anymore today. He was just ready to get back to the Lotus. He heard Cal growl behind him. Cal grabbed Nico's shoulder and spun him around. “Where the fuck do you think you're going, faggot? You pay attention when I talk to you.”

Nico heard a car door slam very loudly behind him. A firm arm yanked him out of Cal's grasp. Apollo stepped in front of Nico, letting his height tower over the two bullies. “Do we have a problem here?” Apollo asked hatefully. Nico peered around Apollo's form to stare at Zethes and Cal. The two were glaring up at the blond, but weren't making a move. “If you are done with my friend here, I believe I'll get him home.”

Zethes tapped Cal's shoulder and the two spun around and walked off. Apollo stood his ground in front of Nico until the two were far enough out of sight. Apollo spun around and tugged on Nico's arm, dragging him towards the car. Nico climbed in as Apollo started the car and floored it out of the parking lot.

“Why haven't you said anything about being bullied?” Apollo asked harshly, placing his sunglasses over his eyes.

“It's nothing I can't handle,” Nico shot back. “I'm big enough to take care of myself.”

“Clearly. Is that why you were letting them push you around? You better be glad I was the one picking you up. If it had been Percy, he would have broken their arms.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because he doesn't like people harming us.” An awkward silence fell over the two after that. Nico leaned his head against the window. Part of him couldn't help but still feel jealous of the fact that Apollo had had sex with Percy. The rational part of his brain tried reminding him that it was part of the blond's job. In the end, it really didn't matter, though. Percy would never be his. As the others had said, Percy never let himself get attached to anyone.

Nico was feeling anxious about all of this. He had never done anything like this before. Percy had been the first person to see him naked since he was a little baby. He felt nervous about having to expose himself on stage. No. He didn't have to do this, he had chose it. Why, though? 

Was it Luke's cocky attitude? Did he want to be part of the “family” that the Lost Kids had? He wasn't being peer pressured, though. He could never blame any of the others for pushing him. All of them had warned him. They had all tried to ward him away the best they could, but he hadn't listened. Nico knew he probably could have said no and everything would have gone back to normal. There was just some part of him wanted to do it. Percy.

He wanted to prove himself to Percy. He wanted to show the young man that he was not a little kid. He wanted Percy to at least treat him like the others. Nico felt his cheeks heat up at the thought. Even though it wouldn't be a special first time, Nico kind of wanted Percy to have sex with him like he did with the others.

Nico retracted his head from the window at the sound of thunder. He looked up at the stormy clouds forming in the sky. “Excited to start your lessons?” Apollo asked as they pulled into the parking garage.

Nico looked over at him and shrugged. “I guess. I've never done anything like this before. I'm kind of nervous about exposing my body.”

Apollo parked the car, turned it off, and turned to face Nico. “You'll get used to it. Don't worry. You're probably not going to get touched very much if you're just getting on stage. Count yourself lucky in that regard.”

“Percy showed me the security room last night.” Nico wasn't sure why he blurted that out. His cheeks darkened when Apollo raised an eyebrow at him.

A smirk formed across Apollo's lips. “Did you enjoy the show?” Putting some distance between him and Apollo, Nico got out of the car, heading for the elevator. Apollo got out and chased after him. “I'm only teasing,” Apollo said once they were in the elevator. “Let that be your first lesson today. You'll need to learn how to talk like the rest of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everything out of your mouth, pretty much, needs to be flirtatious.” Apollo hit the button to their floor and they began to ascend. “It's not as easy as it looks, but once you get the hang of it, you'll do it without thinking about it. But you can always act like yourself when you're just around the rest of us, like on our off days.”

“I'm not going to be getting a lap dance, am I?”

Apollo chuckled and leaned into Nico. “Only if you want one,” he said with a wink. Apollo tugged on a lock of his hair. “I think you'll have fun today.”

“No orgies,” Nico mumbled as they exited the elevator. Apollo chuckled and followed Nico to his suite. Once inside, Nico dropped his stuff off. “Do I need to wear anything in particular?”

“Loose clothing I guess. You can dress like you do when we go workout. Speaking of which, I need to run and change.”

Nico waved as the blond walked back out the door. Nico headed for his bedroom, searching for some clean workout clothes. Finding a pair of black track shorts and a red shirt, Nico began changing clothes.

After he was done, Nico grabbed his phone and card before exiting his room. He walked out into the hallway just as Apollo and Will exited their room. Will's hair was wet, as he had probably just exited the shower. Nico learned to stop questioning the Lost Kids' sleeping habits weeks ago. Given their late hours, they got as much sleep as they could. Will gave Nico a small wave as the three headed back towards the elevator. “Hey there, Nico,” Will said with a yawn.

The three of them boarded the elevator and Will hit the button to their desired destination. Will stretched and popped his back as they waited. Nico couldn't help but let his eyes wander over to Will's exposed stomach as his shirt rode up. It was sort of unfair how perfect all of their bodies were. That wasn't to say that Nico's body was anything to be ashamed of. It was nice to finally be able to look at himself in the mirror.

“So, Nico, how are you feeling about getting on stage?” Will asked, trying to break the silence.

“A little nervous. I'm not really used to all of this stuff,” Nico answered, blushing lightly.

Apollo and Will looked at each for a moment. “Nico, are you a virgin?” Apollo asked bluntly.

Nico's face lit up like a tomato. “Yes,” he mumbled under his breath, but the two blonds still heard him.

“That's so cute!” Will said. “Too bad you aren't working the back rooms. The price for virginity is pretty high.” If it was possible, Nico turned a darker shade of red.

“I'm going to guess you know jack shit about seduction,” Apollo said.

Nico buried his face in his hands. “I just never found the right person,” Nico mumbled into his hands. “My mom and sister kind of drilled it into my head that I should wait.”

“Why?” the two blonds said in unison.

“Sex is fun,” Will added. “It's a nice stress reliever.”

The elevator door opened before Nico could reply and the three headed down to the private part of the gym the Lost Kids used. When they arrived they found the rest of the Lost Boys lined up against the nearest wall. They all were fidgeting nervously as they watched something in fear. Nico turned his head to find Percy pacing on the other side of the room. He was on the phone with someone and was clearly not pleased. His jaw was firmly set and his eyes blazed with anger. He was speaking what Nico thought sounded like German, which made him sound even angrier.

Apollo pressed a hand to Nico's back, pushing the boy into the room. Apollo shut the door behind them and the three new arrivals went over to stand quietly with the others. “What's up?” Apollo whispered to Beckendorf.

“Gaea called. She's not happy about something,” Beckendorf answered, keeping his eyes on Percy's fuming form.

With a huff, Percy bid the woman goodbye and hung up the phone. He rubbed a hand across his mouth. Leo stood a few feet away from Percy, stepping up to the angry black haired boy once he placed the phone in his pocket. “What was that about?” Leo asked.

“It seems we have a problem. Gaea just informed me that Zeus has set up a similar business a few blocks away. It doesn't quite have the sophistication of the Lotus, but it still is a thorn in our side,” Percy replied, cracking his neck. “I'm going to have to deal with that fucking bastard if he doesn't get the hint. I swear, he's like a damn cockroach.”

“I'll get upstairs and see what I can find.”

Percy nodded. Leo spun on his heel and jogged out of the room. Percy paced for a few more moments as the room stayed silent. Percy finally sighed and looked up at the group of boys. “I need to go take care of this. I want you guys to get Nico started while I'm gone. I'll be back later to check in on things.” All of the Lost Boys nodded their head as Percy walked towards the door. Nico blinked as he looked around at them. It was amazing that one boy could strike fear into each one of them, especially given the fact that Butch and Beckendorf were bigger than Percy, both in musculature stature and height.

Apollo cleared his throat and stepped forward. He clapped his hands so everyone's attention was on him. “So, let's get started,” Apollo said. Will walked over and got a chair, placing it in the center of the room. Apollo gestured for Nico to sit down. Nico hesitantly made his way over and sat down in the offered chair. “Don't be scared, Nico. We're not going to hurt you. Plus, clothes will be staying on for this...well possibly anyways.”

Travis walked over to a speaker. He picked up an iPod off of the top of it. He hit play and the room was filled with music. The Lost Boys all scattered around the room, forming a jumbled circle.

“Alright, where shall we begin?” Apollo pondered, stepping behind Nico's chair. Nico could still see Apollo in the mirror that lined the wall in front of him, though. He leaned down to place his head a few inches above Nico's shoulder. “All of those people that you will see out there are here for one purpose. They want to see you. You're fulfilling their wildest fantasies.”

“You're the husband they never had,” Octavian added, coming up to Nico's other side.

“You are the dream boat guy that never came along,” Travis said from Apollo's other side.

Luke came to stand in front of Nico. He leaned down and pressed his palms to Nico's legs. “You're the one night stand that they get to have with you any night, on stage, whenever they want,” Luke added. Nico gulped as he looked around at the four guys surrounding him. He had to become like them. He had to do this so he could prove he wasn't a child.

“You'll need an angle,” Will said, leaning on Luke's shoulder. “Well, I guess the innocent type fits the best. You'll be a natural.” All the Lost Boys chuckled. Nico frowned at their amusement.

“Well, what's each of your angles?” Nico asked. All of the boys lined up in front of Nico.

“We are a little bit of everything. It's good to have diversity when it comes to the variety of customers. That way you can have whatever they want. All they need to do is pick one of us from the group,” Apollo said, leaning on Octavian's shoulder. “Of course, you could go with the hot blonds.” Apollo gestured to himself, Will, Octavian, and Luke. 

“There's also the brothers,” Luke said, pointing at himself and Octavian.

“Or the twins,” the Stolls said.

“I like to think of myself as that dream boat guy,” Apollo said with a grin. “But I give off the beach vibe. I'm also the musician of the group and I incorporate that into some of my performances.”

Octavian ran a hand through his hair, giving Nico a seductive look. “You could always have me and have your brain stimulated before I fuck your brains out,” Octavian said with a wink, “or you could fuck my brains out. I also work in the kink room.”

“What's that?” Nico asked, cocking his head to the side.

All of the boys grinned. “Well, some of the customers just like a...more interesting touch.”

“If you were in the security room, you saw the rooms with whips and stuff, yes?” Apollo asked. Nico nodded. “That's what he does.”

“Some of us specialize in that. It's quite fun,” Octavian said with a wide grin. “I do very well with a lot of politicians.”

“Like my brother, I work in the kink department too,” Luke said. “Everyone loves the bad boy, especially one with a scar.” Luke strolled up to Nico. He leaned down, coming mere inches from Nico's face. He grabbed some of Nico's hair and pulled Nico's head back. “I'm also quite good at domination.”

Butch and Beckendorf walked forward. Luke spun around and walked back to the line. “If you like the muscular type, look no farther,” Beckendorf said with a grin.

“We get a lot of clients that like to be dominated,” Butch added. “We get a lot of requests to fuck people up against walls. I work down in the kink room as well.”

The twins grinned as Beckendorf and Butch walked back to the line. They held hands as they walked out towards Nico. Travis wrapped an arm around Connor's waist as Connor wrapped his arms around Travis's neck. “You'd be surprised at what people like. We're pretty good at threesomes,” Travis said, winking at Nico. “We both work down in the kink room too.”

Connor nuzzled his brother's neck. “People also think it's hot when we have sex together,” Connor said, grinning at Nico. “So we bump up our brotherly love while we are working around the hotel.” The two detached themselves from each other and made their way back to the line of Lost Boys.

Will stepped forward. He placed a finger below Nico's chin, tilting Nico's head up to look him in the eyes. “Other than you, I'm the youngest of the group. People like the twinks,” Will said, leaning in very close to Nico. “You'll find out really fast that most of the customers like the young look.” Will dropped his finger and stepped back from Nico. “Like Apollo, I give off the beach boy vibe, with a slight hint of the 'All American boy' look.”

The boys scattered around the room once again. “He also needs to learn how to talk,” Apollo said, running a hand through his hair.

“That's not so hard,” Connor stated. He looked down at Nico. “You just remember that everything you say needs to be seductive. You can say whatever the fuck you want when it's just around us or at school, but you have to watch what you say around here.”

“Every word out of your mouth needs to be enticing,” Travis added.

“You need to mesmerize them not only with your words, but with your eyes,” said Luke. “You need to make sure they are paying attention to you.”

“Learn to move your body just right,” Will said, sitting down on the floor. “Every move that your body makes needs to draw the eye.”

“You have to walk with an air of confidence,” Beckendorf stated, patting Nico on the back.

“Always keep eye contact,” suggested Butch.

“They need to be the one squirming in their seat, not you,” Travis stated, pulling Connor into his lap.

“You need to be arousing,” Apollo said with a wink. “You need to be able to stimulate them with your eyes and your mind. Even the sound of your voice needs to be alluring.”

“Don't think that they own you, though. If they ever lay a finger on you, they will find themselves in deep shit,” Connor said with a crooked grin.

“You are the one that initiates contact, not them,” Luke said, pointing a finger at Nico. “The only time they are allowed to touch one of us first is in the private rooms.”

“The only time they are allowed to touch you on the floor is when they slip you money,” Octavian added, leaning against the wall.

“That reminds me,” Apollo said, snapping his fingers. “We'll need to take him to get some accessories and shit.”

“What?” Nico asked. He didn't like the sound of that.

“Things like speedos, special outfits, et cetera.”

“Don't look so scared, Neeks,” Connor said. “It'll be fun. We can have bonding time while we get to look at you in various articles of skimpy clothing.” Nico's cheeks lit up.

The door to the room opened and Percy stepped inside. He looked to have calmed down from earlier. All of boys seemed to relax upon realizing that. “How's it going?” Percy asked, leaning against the wall next to the door.

“He'll be a natural in no time!” Travis exclaimed with a grin.

Percy rolled his eyes. “What did you cover?” he asked, addressing Apollo.

Apollo blew his lips. “The basics,” the blond answered. “We covered our specialties, how he should speak, the way he should walk, and we're going to make plans to go get him outfitted.”

Percy nodded. “Alright. I suppose that'll be good for today. All of you can go get ready for work.” All of the boys picked themselves up and headed towards the door. Percy pressed a hand to Nico's chest as the boy made his way to the door. Percy leaned in to whisper in Nico's ear. “Where do you think you're going? I told you I was going to give you a private lesson.” Nico felt his face heat up. Percy pushed Nico back down in his chair.

“Wh-What kind of private lesson?” Nico stuttered.

Percy grinned down at him. “I'm going to teach you how to apply what they told you.” Percy's fingers reached to the hem of his shirt, pulling the fabric up and over his head. Nico's eyes became saucers as he stared at Percy's flawless body. Percy's torso was perfect. It was lean and toned in just the right way. His tanned skin didn't have a blemish on it. “Now then, I believe you should already be able to pick up on the proper way to talk. All you had to do was pay attention to the way we usually speak. I don't strip anymore, but I still talk like them when in public. You'd be surprised at how cooperative people can be when you can work seduction properly.”

“Can you give me an example anyways?”

Percy flipped his hair out of his eyes. He leaned down, close to Nico's ear. “What kind of example would you like, Nico?” Percy whispered seductively. Nico shivered at the feel of Percy's breath on his neck. Percy snapped his fingers. “That reminds me. You need to learn how to interact properly. You will only touch the customers very rarely. You need to learn how to seduce them without touching them.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “I'm lost.”

Percy took one of his hands and trailed it up Nico's arm, not letting it touch the skin. Nico convulsed as he felt Percy's fingers brush over the hairs on his arm. He could feel Percy's warmth on him. Nico's eyes flickered up to Percy's exposed chest. His skin looked so amazing. Nico wanted to reach up and touch it. Unconsciously, Nico's hand rose and started reaching out for Percy. Percy slapped his hand away. He grasped the hair on the back of Nico's head and pulled Nico's head back, exposing Nico's neck. Percy straddled Nico's waist, without sitting in the boy's lap. He leaned in close, letting his lips graze the soft skin of Nico's neck. Nico felt his body heating up. Percy blew against his skin, making Nico shiver.

Nico looked up into Percy's eyes as the taller boy pulled away. Nico let out a quiet moan at the look in Percy's eyes. He felt himself leaning forward while Percy leaned forward. Percy pressed him back against the chair as he finally sat down on Nico's lap. He held Nico's arms against the the sides of the chair. Percy continued to lean in, bringing his lips mere inches from Nico's lips. Nico's eyes had closed of their own accord. Nico could feel his heart pounding against his chest, which was rising and falling heavily. Right before making contact, Percy leaned back, face returning to normal. “Were you taking notes?” he said with a grin.

Nico groaned, letting his head fall back. Percy stood back up and circled Nico. “That was totally unfair,” Nico mumbled. Percy just smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

“You need to learn to do that.” Percy finally came to a stop in front of Nico again. “It'll get easier over time. You just need to get the hang of it.” Percy reached a hand out and helped Nico stand up. “You should also start trying to walk properly. I want to see you start to strut and shake your ass.” Percy winked at him. “If eyes don't stare at your ass as you walk away, you're doing it wrong. Oh, and never crouch down to pick something up again, bend over.” Percy looked up at the clock. “Alright, I think that'll be all for today. I'll let you go get changed.”

Nico gave Percy a smile. “Thanks again,” Nico said walking towards the door. He stopped when Percy spoke again.

“One more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Don't lose that innocence of yours in all of this,” Percy said, offering him a smile.

\----------------------------------------------

Nico sat at the table with Hazel, Zoë, Octavian, and Thalia. Hazel was finally going to be working in the bar with Nico, which made him happy. He wanted to get to know her and Butch better since he just recently met them. The group was currently eating a dinner, making small talk from time to time. “So, how was he today, Octavian?” Thalia said around a bite of food.

Octavian glanced up at Nico momentarily. “He's alright. All he had to do was sit and listen today,” the blond responded.

“I'm sure he's a fast learner,” Hazel said with a smile.

“I am impressed he has taken it all so well,” Zoë said. “I figured being so innocent, he would have freaked out.”

“I'm not a kid,” Nico said with a pout.

“Yeah, that doesn't help your case, Nico,” Thalia joked. “You should start practicing on customers tonight. At least work on how you walk and talk.”

“Try practicing walking in your suite,” Zoë suggested.

“Work on your facial expressions in front of a mirror,” Octavian said, taking a bite of his food.

“Facial expressions?” Nico asked.

“Yes,” Thalia said. “You need to look at them just right, as I'm sure the boys told you.” Nico nodded. “Everything about your face has to be just right.”

“You need to learn to seduce someone with just a glance,” Hazel added.

“So, how does it feel to be a Lost Boy?”

“Is he one yet?” Octavian commented. “Let's wait until we see him on stage first.” He glanced over at Nico. “No offense.”

“None taken, I guess,” Nico mumbled.

“Don't worry, Nico. You're assured a spot. You just got to get on that stage and shake your ass,” Thalia said with a wink.

“Well, we need to be getting to work,” Zoë stated. Her, Octavian, and Thalia stood up and bid Hazel and Nico goodbye. Nico looked over at Hazel, who smiled back at him. Nico liked her already, she kind of reminded him of Bianca.

“So what's your story, Hazel?” Nico asked, taking a drink.

Hazel set her napkin on the table, finished eating her food. “Well, I grew up in New Orleans with my mom,” Hazel answered.

“You're a long way from home.”

Hazel nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. “My mom, she wasn't that nice of a person. Selling her own body for money was one thing, but then she started selling mine. I was just a kid when she started doing that, only twelve. I felt sick with myself most nights. I threw up after every time it happened. I felt so disgusted with myself. I grew to hate my mother. I didn't understand how a mother could do that to their own child.”

“I'm so sorry,” Nico whispered.

Hazel shrugged. “She ended up moving us to a pretty bad neighborhood. Those sex offender websites don't always come in handy. I'll just say that we had a very extensive client list built from our neighbors.”

“That's so horrible.”

“It's in the past. I managed to get some money while my mom was gone one day. After that, I high tailed it out of there. Hitchhiked my way all the way out here. Spent a year on the streets before Percy found me. I was more than eager enough to take the job. Considering my past, it wasn't anything new for me to do.”

Nico finished eating his food, needing to hurry and get to work. The two stood up and walked out of the hotel's restaurant. They boarded the elevator and Nico hit the button for the bar. “Hopefully I can get used to all of this like the rest of you.”

“I'm sure you will. You have all of us to help you learn. We're a family here, Nico. We look out for each other.” Nico let a smile spread across his face at Hazel's comforting words. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad here. He had a new family to help take care of him.


	9. The Way You'd Play with Me like a Child

Chapter 9

Nico slid his books into his locker, thankful that school was over. He zipped up his backpack and slung it back over his shoulder. He pushed the door open to go outside. He slid his headphones in his ears and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through the new music that Apollo had given him, finding a song he had yet to listen to.

Nico yelped when someone yanked on his backpack. He fell to the ground, only to find Cal and Zethes laughing above him. “Looks like your boyfriend isn't around to protect you today,” Cal remarked, cracking his knuckles.

“He's not my boyfriend,” Nico muttered, picking himself off of the pavement.

“Makes little difference to us,” remarked Zethes. Everyone turned their head at the sound of a throat being cleared.

Annabeth stood a few feet away, sliding her sunglasses on top of her head. Her eyes were wide and near to tears. She ran over to Nico and pulled him into a hug. “Nico, what's happening?” she asked innocently. She looked over at Nico's assailants. “You aren't hurting my sweet Nico, are you?”

Cal and Zethes were both ogling Annabeth. Cal licked his lips. “Uh. What's he to you?” Cal asked, scratching his head.

“He's my boyfriend,” Annabeth stated. Nico's eyes widened when she leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. She pulled back with a smile. “You won't hurt him, will you? I'm sure if you were nice to Nico I could see if any of my friends would want to spend some time with you.” Annabeth winked at them. Cal and Zethes gulped.

Zethes rubbed the back of his head and kicked the pavement. “Oh, we were just messing around,” said Zethes.

Annabeth smiled even brighter at them. “Well, I need to take Nico along now. I need some alone time with him before his parents get home.” Annabeth wrapped one of Nico's arms around her waist and started walking.

“Lucky dog,” Nico heard Cal mutter as they walked off.

Once they were in the car, Nico looked at Annabeth. “What was that for?” he asked.

“Apollo informed us that you were having bully problems,” she stated.

“That doesn't explain all that.” Nico flailed his arms as Annabeth pulled out of the parking lot.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “I helped your reputation. You can thank me later.”

“Do you guys have any shame in using seduction on people?”

“None,” Annabeth replied.

Nico let out a long sigh. “Thanks, I guess.”

Annabeth shrugged. “I'm sure it won't permanently fix things, but it'll give you a break from those brutes.”

“I'm just glad I'll be getting to relax tonight. No work for me tonight,” Nico stated happily as he leaned back in his seat.

“Yeah, a lot of the kids have tonight off. You won't be getting a weekend break this time.” Nico frowned. “We have a busy weekend scheduled ahead of us. Percy usually gives the people a night off during the week if they are working on the busy weekend.”

“So, we are going to go do something?”

“I think Percy was planning something for tonight, actually.” Nico nodded. “I, however, will not be joining you.”

“Work?” Annabeth nodded. “Can I ask you something, Annabeth?”

Annabeth looked over at Nico briefly. “Sure, what's up?”

“You worked at the Lotus before Percy became manager, right?” asked Nico.

“Yeah, Gaea brought me in about five months before Percy got promoted. Why?”

“How old was Percy when he got promoted?”

Annabeth was silent for a moment. Nico figured she didn't like this line of questioning. “He had just turned eighteen when he became manager. It was a birthday present from Gaea.”

“How old were you when you started?”

Annabeth looked at Nico from the corner of her eye. “Why do you ask?”

Nico shrugged. “I figure you are around Percy's age. I was just curious at how old you were when you started.”

Annabeth let out a puff of air. “I'm twenty, just like Percy. So before you ask, yes I was underage when I started. Most of the others were seventeen when they started. A few of them were a little older and legal.”

“How did you end up in this life?”

“No.”

“No? No what?”

“We're not talking about this,” Annabeth replied, pulling into the garage. “I don't really like talking about it.” She parked the car and they both got out. Nico frowned at her as they got into the elevator, but she chose to ignore him. They rode up to their floor in silence. Once the elevator stopped, Annabeth looked at Nico. “Good luck in training. Oh, and try not to freak out too much.” Nico was about to question her, but she walked off, tossing a wave over her shoulder.

Nico sighed and made his way down to his suite. Sliding his card into the slot, he opened his door and stepped inside. He sat his backpack down on the couch and went to his bedroom to change. He opted for a loose black shirt and grey track shorts. Grabbing his phone and card, Nico headed back to the elevator.

Upon arrival at the gym, Nico found all the Lost Boys already waiting for him. “Good afternoon, Nico,” they all said cheerfully. Nico stared at each of them with curiosity. They were up to something. They each had wide grins plastered on their face.

“What?” Nico asked, closing the door behind him.

“Guess what you get to learn today?” Connor asked, laying his arm across Nico's shoulders. Nico shrugged.

“You're going to learn how to strip!” Travis exclaimed.

“Already? Can't we do a little bit more lecturing on it?” Nico asked, looking nervous.

Apollo shook his head, pulling Nico away from Connor. “Nope. There's no better way to learn than by doing. Don't worry, we won't drool over your half naked body too much. No promises on groping, though,” Apollo said with a wink.

“That's so thoughtful of you,” Nico mumbled. Apollo just grinned back at him and slapped Nico on the ass to send him on his way. Nico frowned, rubbing his butt, and went to stand in front of the large mirror.

Will was leaning against the mirror, grinning at Nico. Apparently they all found this very amusing. “Don't worry, Nico, we'll be stripping with you,” Will informed him.

“Why?”

“You can use it as a distraction,” Octavian said. He sat in a corner, currently engrossed in a book. “Besides, it'll help you learn.”

“How will that help?”

“Just watch the way we move,” Luke whispered in Nico's ear, causing him to shudder.

Apollo rolled his eyes and came to stand next to Nico. “Now then, this isn't very hard. You just need to move your body just right. Make sure you are slow about taking your clothes off,” Apollo informed him. “Alright, let's get started.” All of the guys stood around Nico. Some music started and Nico watched as their hands slid across their bodies.

“You need to be seductive in your movements. Lure them in,” said Travis. Nico bit his lip and let his hand travel down to the hem of his shirt. He jumped when he felt two pairs of hands on his hips.

“You need to move your hips while you strip,” Luke told him. He and Apollo guided Nico's hips to the rhythm of the music until Nico had it under control. “Good. Now lose the shirt.” Nico let out a silent breath before returning his hands to the hem of his shirt. He made sure to keep his hips moving while he slid it slowly up his torso. His eyes drifted over to some of the others as they were doing the same. They each had a wide array of body types. They ranged from Beckendorf's muscular stature, to Apollo's lean body, and finally to Connor's thin physique.

Each of their bodies was mesmerizing. He got so distracted that he stopped lifting his shirt. Will nudged him, bringing him back to reality, a blush now adorning his cheeks. Nico finally lifted the shirt over his head, letting it fall to the ground. The music picked up and the Lost Boys quickened their movements. Nico tried mimicking their movements, letting his hand move across his chest like some of the others.

He blushed when he felt his own ass. He figured it was the appropriate move considering others were doing it. “To the ground,” Apollo ordered. Everyone got down on the ground. Their hands rested below them, supporting them up, while their legs were extended out. Nico blushed as he was made to do several pelvic thrusts. He did stop moving when the boys stepped it up a notch. They slid a few inches forward and slapped the ground with their hands. They spun around and stood back up. It was interesting watching them. It seemed more than just taking off your clothes, it was a well-planned performance.

Nico picked up following the others when they started moving their hips again. His hand traveled to his pants when the others started playing with their hemline. Watching the different ways to take off pants was interesting to Nico. Some got back on the ground, while others stayed standing. Apollo lay on his back as he slid his shorts slowly lower down his legs. When they were below his knees, Apollo yanked them off while managing to jump back to his feet. Butch took a different approach. He simply ripped the fabric off, revealing the underwear underneath.

They all stopped moving when they noticed Nico watching them. They stood still with grins plastered on their faces. Octavian pointed down at Nico's shorts. Nico groaned. They were going to watch him take his off. Licking his lips, Nico returned his hands to the loose fabric that was his shorts. While continuing to move his hips, Nico lowered the fabric off of his hips. He thought back to some of the things they told him yesterday and bent over to lower them the rest of the way. This earned him some whistles and claps from the boys behind him. He stepped out of his shorts and turned around to face the Lost Boys, now regretting wearing boxer-briefs.

“Aw, Nico, don't be so shy. We've all seen each other naked,” Will said with a wink. He looked down Nico's body. “Besides, you've got nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Down, Will,” Apollo laughed. “Remember what we were told.” Nico cocked his head to the side.

“You can calm down, dude. We're not gonna make you take those off,” Beckendorf stated, pointing at Nico's underwear. Nico nodded and let out a breath.

“You just need to learn to be comfortable with your body.”

“So, we're all gonna stay like this,” Travis said, slinging an arm around his brother's waist. They weren't going to make this easy on him.

“You're going to have to learn to be comfortable with not only your body, but other people's bodies as well,” Luke said, crossing his arms over his lean torso. Nico had to look elsewhere to keep from lowering his gaze on each of them. The fact that they all wore tight underwear really was not helping things.

“Don't be shy. You can look, Nico,” Apollo whispered in Nico's ear. Nico jumped, not having noticed the blond approach him. Nico slowly let his eyes wander down to look at each of their covered lower extremities. Some of them definitely looked to be pretty well endowed. Nico blushed when some of them turned around to show off their backsides to Nico, Connor even bent over for him. “Come now, Nico, there's nothing to be afraid of. We'll even let you touch.” Nico's eyes dilated from the seductive tone in Apollo's voice.

He licked his lips and stared down at Apollo's crotch. Apollo grinned when Nico let his hand wander out towards his crotch. Nico's hand hovered over the clothed area for a few seconds, debating if this was a good idea. He jumped at the sound of someone clearing his throat.

Percy stood in the doorway, an eyebrow raised at Nico. “I see the lesson is going well,” Percy mused. Apollo just grinned and put his hands behind his head. Percy sighed and motioned for the door. “That will be all for today.” Nico watched as the Lost Boys got dressed and headed out the door. He reached down and was about to pick up his shorts when Percy grabbed his wrist. “Time for your private lesson.” Percy grinned. “You can leave those off.”

Nico blushed when Percy yanked his shirt over his head. “An-Annabeth said you were planning something for tonight?” Nico asked, eyeing Percy's navel. 

Percy tossed his shirt aside and looked back at Nico, who immediately covered his crotch. Percy rolled his eyes and moved Nico's hands away. “Yeah, I was going to have a movie night in my room. You want to come?” Nico nodded. “Good. I'll save you a seat.” Percy winked at him, causing Nico to blush again. “Now then, your body seems to be developing nicely. I think I'll do an assessment, to know how to play you off to the customers.”

Nico's blush spread down to his neck as Percy looked him over. Percy moved Nico's black hair out of his eyes, a small smile spread across his face. “I thought I wasn't working the back rooms?”

Percy chuckled, letting Nico's bangs fall back into place. “You aren't, but usually everyone has a theme. Will was right, the innocent look works for you.” Percy slid his hands across Nico's shoulders and down his torso. “You have very soft skin.”

“T-Thanks,” Nico stuttered as Percy's hands reached his stomach.

“You have nice features. Dark looks, pale skin, innocent, and nice lips.” Percy brushed his thumb across Nico's lips. “Body type, good.” Percy ran his hands down Nico's sides. “Ass.” Percy's hands traveled behind Nico and groped his butt. Nico gasped and fell into Percy, letting his hands rest on Percy's bare torso. “Very nice.” Nico blushed as he felt Percy's firm chest, letting his hand slide down it a few inches.

Nico shuddered when Percy gave his ass a squeeze. He bit his lip to keep himself from moaning. “Percy,” Nico whispered into Percy's chest.

Percy let his hands travel beneath the fabric of Nico's underwear. “You see, this is how you need to be when you perform. You don't need to be shy about your body. I want you to be comfortable with things like this.” Nico went to wrap his arms around Percy, but Percy knocked them away. He stepped back from Nico, causing the smaller boy to groan. “Problem?”

“Obviously,” Nico mumbled. Percy chuckled.

“Do I need to give you a moment so you can take care of that?” Percy raised an eyebrow while looking down at Nico's current problem.

“Maybe if you weren't such a tease.”

Percy grinned back at him. “But it's what we are good at here. You're going to have to do the same thing, Nico. You need to turn people on and leave them hanging.”

Nico strolled up to Percy and placed his hands on Percy's chest. He decided to try playing at Percy's own game. “Or you could help me out with my problem,” Nico whispered.

Percy chuckled and removed Nico's hands from his chest. “Nice try. Not bad, I'll give you that.”

Nico groaned, letting his head fall back. “So not fair. You have sex with the others, why not with me?”

Percy's eyes darkened. He pushed Nico up against the wall, lifting Nico off the ground and wrapping Nico's legs around his waist. Percy used one of his hands to tug the back of Nico's underwear down and grab his ass. “Is this what you want?” Percy growled into Nico's throat, biting down softly on his shoulder. Nico arched his back, letting out a loud moan. Nico nodded his head. Percy pulled his head back to stare into Nico's eyes for a moment. He tightened his jaw and dropped Nico back to the ground. “Why are you so eager?” Percy asked.

“What?” Nico blinked at Percy as the black haired young man went to retrieve his shirt.

“You wanted to be a stripper when I offered to let you remain in the bar. Now, you want me to fuck you. And when I came in a moment ago, you were about to grab Apollo's dick.” Percy slid his shirt back on. He ran a hand through his hair and looked back at Nico. “I told you to hang on to your innocence, yet look at what you're doing.”

Nico chewed on his lip as Percy stared at him, waiting for an answer. “I-I thought-never mind.” Percy sighed and placed a hand on the wall beside Nico's head.

“Nico, I know the others told you I don't get involved with anyone. How would that be fair to them with the life I live? Everything else is just business. You're innocent, Nico. That's why I kept you out of the strip club. You're the only one to come in here that wasn't already damaged by the world. Can you blame me for wanting to protect that innocence? I had hoped that I could get you by for two years and you'd head out on your own, without getting involved in all of this.” Percy sighed. “Never happens, though. Once you're a Lost Kid, you never leave.” Percy gave Nico a long stare before pushing off the wall and walking out the door, leaving Nico standing there in confusion and shock.

\--------------------------------------------

Nico knocked on Percy's door. He could hear some laughter coming from inside. He was hoping this wasn't going to be an orgy. He really wasn't sure if that would be up their alley or not anymore. Percy answered the door, giving Nico a small smile. Nico moved past Percy, looking around at the room. Luke sat on the right side of the couch, looking bored. On the far left side of the couch was Will. Butch, Piper, and Thalia stood around the island in the kitchen, pouring some drinks. Percy's balcony door was open, Zoë and Travis stood outside having their own conversation.

Percy pressed on Nico's lower back, ushering him into the kitchen. Butch, Piper, and Thalia all greeted Nico. “Want something to drink?” Thalia asked, holding a red cup out to Nico.

Percy took the cup before Nico could grab it. “He's not drinking,” Percy replied. Nico frowned at Percy, who chose to ignore him and take a sip of alcohol.

“Here, Nico, you can have one of these,” Piper said with a smile. She held out a finger sandwich for Nico to take. He smiled at her and took the sandwich, raising it to his mouth to take a bite.

“So, what are we watching?” Nico asked after he finished the sandwich.

“The Woman in Black,” Percy replied, watching Nico with interest. Nico made a small groaning noise, which earned him a grin from everyone in the room.

“Horror really isn't my thing.”

Percy leaned in so that only Nico could hear him. “Don't worry, you'll be sitting next to me.” Nico licked his lips as Percy pulled away. He glanced over at the other three, who attempted to look distracted, but had large grins on their faces.

“How about some help with these?” asked Thalia, gesturing to the drinks they had poured. They all picked up two cups and headed back into the living room. “Movie time!” Zoë and Travis came inside and plopped down on a chair, Zoë sprawled out across Travis's lap. Luke grinned at Percy as the green eyed boy sat down beside him. His happiness was short lived however when Nico sat down on Percy's other side, changing his grin into a frown. 

“Oh, Nico, Apollo wanted me to tell you that we are going to go shopping instead of having lessons tomorrow,” Will informed Nico.

“Shopping?” Nico asked.

“You need to get outfitted, remember?” Nico nodded.

“You're also working upstairs all weekend,” said Percy while he was setting up the movie.

“Already?”

Percy rolled his eyes, still looking at the TV. “Serving drinks, and stuff. I'll wait another week before I put you on stage.” Percy skipped the commercials and went to the main menu of the DVD. “It'll do you some good getting started on a busy weekend.” Percy leaned forward. “Everyone ready?” When nobody said anything, Percy hit the play button. He leaned back on the couch again. Butch turned off the lights, casting them into darkness. Thalia came back into the room, having gone to make some popcorn. She plopped down in front of the couch between Luke's legs. Luke leaned forward and scooped a handful of popcorn, earning a scowl from Thalia.

Nico was already nervous by the time the first scene was finished, having watched the girls jump out the window. He let himself ease closer to Percy, who was too distracted with the alcohol and movie to notice. Nico jumped during the part of the movie where Daniel Radcliffe’s character inspected the house. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt an arm slide across his shoulders. He looked over at Percy, whose eyes were still on the TV. Percy pulled Nico against him, letting the boy rest his head on Percy's shoulder.

Percy kept his arm wrapped around Nico, every now and then looking to see how Nico was doing. Nico didn't seem to be as scared now. He didn't feel scared with that arm around him. He smiled to himself when he felt Percy's hand move up to play with his hair. Percy kept shifting between playing with Nico's hair and playing with his ear. It made Nico happy. Maybe there was hope yet.

Nico's happiness was short lived, however, when Luke rested his hand on Percy's leg. Percy blinked and looked over at Luke. Luke leaned in and Percy leaned towards him. Luke whispered something in Percy's ear. Percy whispered something back to Luke with a small smile. Nico frowned as Percy's arm removed itself from around him. Percy's attention had shifted to Luke, now wrapping an arm around the blond. Nico pouted to himself.

He heard chuckling beside him. He looked over to see Will smiling at him. Will leaned in to whisper in Nico's ear. “Don't be jealous. Percy cuddles with everyone.” Nico sighed and frowned. “If it makes you feel any better, you kept his attention through half the movie. That's a new record.” 

Nico leaned in closer so he could talk to Will. “So, Percy will do this with the rest of you?” he asked. Will nodded. “Is there anything he won't do with all of you?”

Will frowned. “You make it sound so hurtful, Nico. You're gonna have to get over that crush. Percy just doesn't have relationships with us. This is going to sound like I'm rubbing it in your face, but I'm not. Percy's really good in bed. I mean, yes, we do it to get better hours, but sex with Percy is a little addictive.”

“You're right, that does sound like you're rubbing it in my face.” Will chuckled. “So why are you telling me this?”

“I feel like it might help you understand some of us. Sex is business, but it is also something fun to do. I was straight before I came here, but now I'm bi. Though, you kind of have to be for this business.” Will nodded at Luke. “Luke feels threatened by you.”

“Why?”

Will shrugged. “I don't know. Something's...never mind. I shouldn't say. Luke just likes sex with Percy. Think of it like the animal kingdom, you're threatening his territory.”

“But I thought Percy didn't date his employees?”

“He doesn't,” replied Will. “You're different, Nico. You're not like the rest of us.”

“What do you mean? I'm going to be a Lost Boy. I'm going to strip.”

Will smiled at Nico. “But you're not like us.” Will's smile dropped. He stared off to the side while speaking. “We're complicated. You'll learn soon enough how tainted we are. We hate the people that come here, they make us sick. Yet, we have to put on a pretty smile and make them happy. Each and every one of us has something unique about us when it comes to the people of this world.”

“Like what?”

Will just smiled and patted him on the leg. “You'll learn soon enough. Now then, you're welcome to cuddle with me,” Will said with a wink. Nico rolled his eyes and leaned back towards Will. Nico thought he saw Percy turn his head just a little to look at them for a brief second before turning his attention back to the movie. Will wrapped his arms around Nico as the smaller boy leaned against his torso.

Nico figured he should get used to life like this, being cozy with the other Lost Kids. He looked around at the rest of them, and everyone was cuddled up with one of the others. He guessed it really didn't matter to them who it was with, they just enjoyed each other's company. They were all alike, and they bonded through that.

Luke, Silena, and Will's words kept playing in his head. Luke had told him that he would keep falling down this hole until he saw them for what they really were. Will had just told him that they hated the people that came here, stating that they were tainted. Silena had told him that they all wore masks to hide how they really felt. This was all a masquerade to them. They wore masks so people couldn't hurt them. Was that it? Were they protecting themselves from people?

Percy's words to him earlier came to mind. “Once a Lost Kid, you never leave.” What was that about? Did they not leave? Why would they want to stay here forever? Nico admitted that the sense of family was comforting, and all of the Lost Kids were a lot of fun, but why stay?

Before Nico knew it, the movie had ended. Everyone complained as Butch turned the lights back on. Nico pulled himself out of Will's embrace, stretching his arms above his head. “Everyone enjoy the movie?” Percy asked, stretching as well. Nico's eyes drifted to the tiny bit of stomach that had become exposed.

“Yeah, it was awesome!” Thalia exclaimed. The others nodded their agreement.

“I guess we can call it an early night?” Butch asked, cleaning up the empty cups. 

Percy nodded. “Yeah, go get some rest,” he said with a lazy smile.

Everyone started heading out the door. Percy stood by the door and said goodnight to each of them. Nico sat on the couch, seeing if he could get some time with Percy. Luke didn't seem to want to give Nico what he wanted, though. “I could stay, if you wanted,” Luke said seductively, running his fingers down Percy's chest.

Percy smiled and rolled his eyes. “Not tonight. I'm pretty tired. You should get some rest.” Luke pouted, but headed out the door after shooting Nico a dirty look. Percy shut the door behind Luke, chuckling softly. “Crazy night.” Nico nodded. “You should be getting to bed too.”

Nico bit his lip. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Percy plopped back onto the couch, resting an arm on Nico's leg. “What's up?”

“What did you mean earlier when you said the Lost Kids never leave?”

Percy frowned. He stared blankly at his hand on Nico's leg, which was rubbing circles across Nico's leg with his thumb. “Don't worry about it, ok?” He offered Nico a smile.

“You can't tell me? I thought you wanted me to be different?”

“I did, and I do. I have faith that you'll manage this on your own.”

“You said I should keep my innocence. How am I supposed to do that while doing all of this?”

Percy smiled at Nico. “I'm not the one who made you get involved in all of this, that was your choice. You just made it harder on yourself.” Percy leaned his head on the couch, bringing his face closer to Nico. He let out a sigh. “It won't be easy. If you can manage coming out of this with even a shred of innocence, I'll be happy. The difference between you and the others is that you don't hate the world. You aren't jaded like the rest of us. You're happy. Don't lose that while you're here.”

Nico nodded and gave Percy a small smile. “I promise I'll work on that.”

“Good,” Percy said with a smile. Nico stared at Percy in silence for a moment. He let his hand travel across the back of the couch to play with Percy's hair. Percy eyed him funny for a moment, but soon relaxed, letting his eyes close. Nico thought he'd be daring. He leaned in closer to Percy until he felt Percy's breath on his face. When Nico was only a few inches from Percy's lips, Percy opened his eyes. He pulled back until he was sat flush against the arm of the couch. “You should go get some sleep.”

Nico sighed. “Can you just tell me why you do this with me?”

“I'm not doing anything with you.”

“That's what I mean. Why them, but not me?” Nico tried scooting closer to Percy, but Percy held out an arm to block him from getting closer.

“Maybe I don't want you,” whispered Percy.

Nico bit his lip. “Then why do you act like you do sometimes? I feel like you lead me on, and then you just pull away.”

Percy refused to look at him, keeping his eyes on the floor. “I'm done talking about this, Nico.” He stood up, walked over to the door and opened it. “Go.” Nico gave Percy a hurt look, which he refused to meet. Nico slowly made his way out the door. He looked back at Percy one last time before heading down the hall. He heard Percy let out a long sigh, and barely managed to catch the last thing Percy said before he shut his door. “It's for his own good.”

Nico wiped at his eyes as he slid his card into the elevator slot and hit the button to his floor. Why was Percy being like this? When the elevator door opened again, he was surprised to find the Lost Kids from the movie running around in the hall. A pillow flew out of Thalia's hand, hitting Nico in the face. “Nico, there you are!” Piper exclaimed. “Come join the war!”

“What's going on?” Nico asked, holding the pillow in his hands.

“We thought we'd have some more fun,” Travis said with a smile. “The others won't be down until really late, and they'll just want to go to bed, so we thought we would run amuck while they are away.”

Nico just blinked at them and maneuvered past them, letting the pillow fall to the floor. He heard loud noises coming from the first room on the left on the boys' hall. The door was wide open. He poked his head inside to find Luke and Will sitting on the couch playing a video game. “Hey, Nico,” Will called, glancing over at the new arrival.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled back.

“You don't last very long in bed, do you?” remarked Luke. Will elbowed Luke while keeping his eyes on the TV.

“We didn't have sex.”

Luke shrugged. “Not surprising.”

“What is everyone doing?”

“Just having a little fun before bed.” Luke picked up another controller from the floor. “You want in?”

Nico walked farther into the room. He glanced over at the TV. The characters on the screen shooting aliens while dressed in heavy armor. “This looks like Halo.”

“Halo 4 to be exact,” Will stated.

Nico's eyes widened at the screen. “But that doesn't come out until next month!”

Luke and Will shrugged. “Percy has connections,” Luke said simply. “So do you want to play, or not?” He waved the controller in the air. Nico jumped over and grabbed it, sitting between the two on the couch. Luke exited them out of the campaign so that Nico could start it from the beginning. Nico customized his Spartan really fast, and the trio set forth into the game.

“So, you excited about going shopping tomorrow, Nico?” Will asked after a while.

“That depends on if you will all be in the dressing room with me or not,” Nico shot back.

“Aww. Don't take the fun out of it. A massive orgy in the dressing room, now that would be interesting.”

“None of you have any shame.”

“Makes things more interesting.”

Nico played with Luke and Will for a few more hours. He finally looked at his phone and realized it was nearing midnight. “Shit, I need to get some sleep,” said Nico, setting his controller down.

Will grinned at him. “Wow. That might be the first time I've heard you cuss.”

“No, he does, when he's whining like a girl,” replied Luke, propping his feet on the table.

“I do not whine like a girl,” Nico said with a glare.

“Sure. Anyways, hurry up and go. I think Will and I need to have some privacy, unless you want to stay and watch.”

“Or join,” Will said with a wink. Nico blushed and shook his head. “Alright. Night, Nico.”

Nico waved as he made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind them. They really did have sex with each other. The others had moved their roughhousing down to the girls' hall. Nico watched them while he slid his key into the door and opened it. He sighed and closed the door behind him. Well, at least he was getting a few extra hours of sleep.


	10. Every Time I Close My Eyes, It's like a Dark Paradise

Nico stood in the parking lot at school, waiting to see who would be coming to get him today. It would be so nice when he could get his own car, so he would not have to rely on people to get him to and from school anymore. Part of him was dreading the end of school, because it meant he would be going shopping with the boys, and they would probably be making him as uncomfortable as possible.

A silver Jaguar pulled up the curb in front of him. Nico raised an eyebrow, opening the door, and sliding inside. “Hey there, Nico,” Rachel greeted him, fixing her hair in the mirror. “Ready to go?”

“If you use the word loosely,” Nico mumbled back.

“That's the spirit.” Nico smiled and looked back out the window. Out of everyone, Nico had not seen much of Rachel or Leo since he had started working the bar.

“Rachel?”

Rachel kept her eyes on the road. “Hmm?”

“How come I don't ever really see you and Leo spending time with the other Lost Kids?”

Rachel clicked her tongue. “Complicated. Leo and I don't have to take our clothes off to make good money, and I think the others are a little resentful of that.”

Nico frowned to himself. “That doesn't seem very fair.” Rachel just shrugged. “Would they have treated me the same if I didn't get Percy to put me on the top floor?”

Rachel sighed. “Annabeth's right, you do ask a lot of questions. Look, Nico, the others are just complicated. We're all a family, but as you have taken notice of, the others are a lot closer. Try not to think too much on it.”

Nico huffed and pulled out his phone, glancing over his list of co-workers for tonight. He pocketed his phone and looked over at Rachel. “I'm supposed to go shopping with the guys today, how is that going to happen?” Nico asked.

“I'm taking you back to the hotel. I think that they have a hotel van to take you shopping. Percy wanted me to come get you, opposed to having a bunch of wild guys coming to pick you up.”

“Thanks for that.”

Rachel chuckled. “You're not like them,” she mused.

Nico cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“You're...normal. You don't try to be something you're not.”

“Will said something similar last night.”

“Then they have already noticed the difference between you and them.”

“And?”

“Nothing.” Rachel pulled into the parking garage and parked the car. She unbuckled her seatbelt and sat and looked at Nico for a minute. “It's nothing you need to worry about, Nico, just don't let them bother you. It's nothing you did, just know that.”

Nico looked at her funny, but before he could ask what she meant, Rachel got out of the car and headed for the elevator. She pulled a phone out of her pocket and started writing a text. She gave Nico a silent smile once they boarded the elevator.

They stopped at the main floor. Nico instantly spotted the Lost Boys grouped up in the middle of the lobby. Rachel tossed Nico a wave as he started walking out of the elevator. Before he got off, Rachel grabbed his backpack and took it from Nico's shoulders. “I'll drop this off in your room for you,” Rachel said with a smile. Nico nodded and waved at her.

Nico made his way over the Lost Boys, who were listening to the twins say something funny. “There he is!” Beckendorf exclaimed, pulling Nico into their circle.

“Ready to go?” Apollo asked.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Nico muttered. The guys all smiled at him. “No molesting me.”

“Take all the fun out of it, why don't cha,” Connor said with a pout.

“Relax, Nico, there will be no molestation, unless you count light groping,” Will joked. “We will be inspecting everything you try on.” Nico groaned.

“We're wasting time,” Luke stated, checking his phone. “Percy wants him back a few hours before his shift starts.”

“To the van!” the twins exclaimed, grabbing Nico and dragging him out the door.

“Help me,” Nico whispered to lady behind the desk as they made their way past her. Apollo and Will just smiled and waved at her, assuring her that Nico was fine. Butch held the sliding door open as the twins dragged Nico into the van.

The ride was relatively normal. They chose to talk about normal everyday stuff for the most part. Only a few times would any of the guys say something to Nico about stripping. Beckendorf finally pulled the van up to a small shop and the guys all piled out. Not giving Nico any chance of escaping, the twins once again grabbed Nico's arms and dragged him inside.

A thin blonde woman stood behind the counter. She had long golden hair, a large chest, and flawless skin. Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled at the boys. “Hey there, boys,” the woman said in a silky smooth voice. “What can I do for you today?”

Apollo walked up to the counter and placed his elbow on the surface, propping himself up on his palm. “We got a new guy with us today, Aphrodite. Think you could help us hook him up?” Apollo asked her.

Her eyes flickered to Nico, lighting up as she took notice of him. “Oh my, he's a cutie. Where did Percy find this one?”

“On the streets, the same as the rest of us,” Luke grumbled. Aphrodite rolled her eyes at him and sauntered out from behind the counter. She walked over to the door and changed the sign to closed.

“Feel free to take as much time as you need. I'll take a look around in the back and see what I can pull from back there.” She snapped her well-manicured fingers at Butch and Beckendorf. “How about you two big strong men come and help me move some boxes around?” Butch and Beckendorf nodded and followed off after the blonde woman as she disappeared into the back room.

“So what is this place?” Nico asked, picking up a pink feathered boa and eyeing it funny.

“This is Aphrodite's Boutique,” Octavian said, sifting through one of the racks.

“Percy has her on the pay roll to help us with our wardrobe,” Travis explained.

“So when we come here, we get the place to ourselves,” Connor added. “So, feel free to look around for anything you like.”

“Yes, 'cause this place screams my style,” Nico deadpanned.

Nico poked around the place for a while, not really finding anything he wanted to try on. The guys, however, had found plenty of stuff for Nico to try, choosing to dump everything they liked into one of the dressing rooms. When it had enough stuff placed into it, Will shoved Nico inside, closing the door behind him. Nico sighed to himself. He stood there for a moment, eyeing the pile of various clothing and objects the Lost Boys had picked out for him. He heard the others still moving around outside, obviously still looking for things for Nico to try on.

Nico hesitantly picked up the speedo on top of the pile. There was a knock at the door, which made Nico jump. “If you don't start trying the stuff on, I'll come in there and supervise,” Apollo warned.

“I've got it,” Nico complained, pulling his shirt over his head. He slipped his jeans off after that, not wanting to take his boxers off just yet. He sifted through the pile again, trying to find something appealing. He found several speedos, figuring he would need several of those, judging from the attire he saw on the top floor the other night. He picked out a few before he decided to show a pair off to the guys. If he didn't, they would probably come in after him. Quickly discarding his underwear, he slipped the speedo on. He slowly opened the door, finding the Lost Boys staring at him with wide smiles. The twins wolf whistled at him, earning them a glare from Nico.

“Don't be shy, Nico. Your body is sexy,” Connor assured him.

“Turn around,” Luke commanded, doing a circle motion with his index finger. Awkwardly, Nico spun around in place, until Travis grabbed his hips to make him stop. Nico groaned as the boys took their time critiquing the way his ass looked in the speedo.

“Get those,” Apollo told him, “and any other pairs of speedos that you like. Keep in mind you'll need a few, so take that into account.” Nico nodded and quickly vanished back into the dressing room. A schoolboy uniform and a man thong were tossed over the door.

“Oh hell no!” Nico shouted, dropping the thong on the ground.

“You have no choice on that one,” Octavian called back. Nico glared at the door, sliding the speedo off of him. He slipped his underwear back on, not wanting to be naked for too long. He created a pile on a chair in the corner. He dropped the black speedo and man thong on it before returning to the pile. He sifted through the speedos he had come across earlier, tossing a few different colored ones at the chair. He picked the uniform off of the floor and decided to try it on.

Nico once again emerged from the dressing room with an annoyed look on his face. “Damn,” Apollo mumbled, eyeing Nico over. “I approve.”

“I'll second that,” Luke said, staring at Nico's ass while he had his back to him, a wicked grin on his face. “He can be in one of my numbers.”

“I don't like where this is going,” said a disturbed Nico.

“These really fit your ass nicely, Nico,” Travis said, grabbing Nico's butt, which caused Nico to jump.

“I'm going to go change now.”

“You're getting that!” Apollo called after him.

“Yeah, yeah.” Nico pulled the uniform off, tossing it at the chair and looking for something else to try on.

“I found a few things,” Nico heard Aphrodite say, having come back from the back room. Nico groaned as a box was slid under the door. He peeled back the lid to see what was inside.

“I am not dressing as a bunny!”

“It'll be adorable.”

“No.” Nico kicked the box to the side, opting not to try it on.

“Fine, be a spoil sport. I found you the perfect attire for Halloween, though.”

Nico poked his head out of the door. “Halloween?”

“We do a special show on Halloween,” Octavian explained.

“So you'll need a costume,” Butch continued.

Nico sighed. “Alright, I'll look at it in a minute,” Nico agreed. He sighed in relief when he spotted a simple pair of black pants in the pile. He picked them up and slid them on, quickly noticing the velcro on the side of the legs. No question what that is for, Nico thought. He picked up a bow tie and quickly tied it around his neck. He stepped back outside, doing a quick model for the guys. They all smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Nico grumbled and stepped back inside.

“Do you want me to fetch him some Christmas attire while you're here?” Aphrodite asked. Nico sighed and let his head hit the wall. He heard Apollo chuckle.

“No that's alright, we'll bring him back when it gets closer,” Apollo told her.

Nico stripped the pants off and untied the bow tie. He dropped them on the growing pile on the chair. He went back over to the other pile and tried to find anything else he liked. A caveman outfit, a Robin costume, cowboy chaps, a cowboy hat, a loincloth, and a sailor outfit soon joined the pile on the chair. Nico decided to toss a few more speedos into the pile for good measure. He threw his clothes back on and exited the dressing room. “I think I'm done,” Nico said. “Everything I want is in the chair.”

Apollo nodded and went to retrieve said objects. He returned a few seconds later and dumped all the objects into a box. Luke tossed in a pair of handcuffs and a leash with a studded collar. The twins threw in some oil, a fedora hat, and a trench coat. Will threw in several lollipops, a few which were oversized.

Aphrodite smiled and handed Nico another box. “This will be perfect for your Halloween costume. It just fits you so well,” she said with a wink. Nico chuckled nervously and peered inside the box. He stared up at her in confusion. “You have no choice but to try it on.”

“But-” Nico started, looking at Apollo.

“No buts, Nico,” Apollo said, shaking his head.

“Except yours in that costume,” Will said with a wink.

Nico groaned and made his way back into the dressing room. He opened the box and pulled the pieces out of the box. He removed his clothing once again so that he could get this costume on. He slid the fabric over his head, letting it fall gracefully over his body. He grabbed a piece of rope and tied it around his waist, admiring himself in the mirror. He picked up and placed the final pieces where they needed to go before taking a final look at the finished costume. He smiled to himself as he stared at his reflection. It really wasn't that bad, he thought to himself. He slowly opened the door, the guys' jaws dropping upon seeing him. Aphrodite squealed behind the counter. “Adorable!” she exclaimed.

 

Percy called about an hour later. Apollo smiled, turning away from Nico and the others, and picked up the phone, putting it on speaker phone. “Hey, boss, how's it going?” Apollo asked cheerfully.

“I was calling to see how things were going,” Percy's voice came from the phone.

“Everything's fine, nothing to-”

Nico broke away from the twins and made a mad dash for the phone. “Percy, help me!” Nico yelled. The twins tackled him, and clamped hands over his mouth.

“Is that Nico?” Percy asked.

“Nico? No,” Apollo lied, shooting Nico a look. Nico kicked around helplessly as Will and Octavian tried to fit him into another outfit.

“What's going on?” Percy asked exasperatedly.

“Just getting him decked out.”

Nico broke away again, crawling across the floor with the pants to his policeman uniform around his ankles. He grabbed the phone from Apollo, falling back to the floor. “Percy!” Nico yelled.

“Hi, Nico,” Percy said cheerfully.

Luke and Apollo grabbed Nico's legs and dragged him back towards the dressing room. “Help me, Percy. They won't stop molesting me.”

“Okay, have fun.” Nico gaped at the phone as Percy hung up. Apollo grinned and plucked the phone from Nico's hands.

“Now then, get that uniform on. We need to be getting back,” Apollo commanded. Nico sighed and let his shoulders slump. “It's the last one, I promise.” Nico nodded and stood up, pulling the pants up to his waist. Butch tossed him the shirt, which he quickly slid on, buttoning it up. Travis placed the hat on his head. They all took a step back to admire Nico, all of them nodding in approval.

“Alright, I think we're done,” Beckendorf told Aphrodite. “Time to ring him up.”

Aphrodite smiled and scanned all of pieces of clothing, costumes, and objects for them. Nico fished his debit card out of his wallet and handed it to the blonde woman. After she was done, she handed Nico the bags and they were on their way out the door.

Nico sighed in relief as he sat down in the van. “That wasn't so bad, now was it, Nico?” Connor asked, a wicked grin in place.

Nico groaned and slumped down in his seat. “I feel violated,” replied Nico. The guys all laughed at him.

“You'll do just fine, kid,” Butch said from the passenger seat.

They rode back in silence. Apollo broke out in song once, which made Nico smile. The blond really did have a nice singing voice. Nico's eyes traveled from Apollo, in the seat in front of him, to Luke and Octavian, sitting beside the other blond. Luke had his head slightly turned towards Octavian, listening to his brother talk about the book he was reading. Nico smiled. It was nice to see the Lost Kids like this, when they were being themselves and had their guard down.

Perhaps Luke's ass-like personality, was just his own mask. He seemed to let it slip when they were alone, especially when his brother was around. Octavian was the one person that Nico had never seen Luke be a jackass to. Maybe Luke was a big softie underneath all of that bitterness. Luke caught Nico staring at him and flipped Nico off. Or maybe he was just a jackass.

Beckendorf parked the van and the boys all piled out. Percy was waiting for them in the lobby, looking at his phone when the Lost Boys entered. “You're late,” he informed them.

Apollo frowned. “Only by fifteen minutes,” the blond replied.

“Go get ready for work,” Percy ordered. Without question, the boys left Percy and Nico alone in the middle of the lobby. Percy turned his gaze on Nico, eyeing the bags in his hands. “Have fun?”

Nico glared at Percy. “You heard me over the phone, and you let them have their way with me,” Nico huffed.

Percy chuckled and took the bags from Nico's hands. “Relax, I'd have said something if I knew they were really doing something to you.” Percy poked through the bag. Nico watched as Percy's eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face. “Nice choices. Now then, are you ready for your lesson?”

“Always.”

“Good.” Nico followed Percy into the elevator and the two rode up to the floor above them. They walked down to the gym, where Percy closed the door behind him. He sat Nico's bags down beside the door and pulled a chair into the middle of the room. “Sit.” Nico did as he was told, watching Percy pace around for a moment. “This will be out last private lesson.”

Nico frowned. “Oh.”

Percy grinned at Nico. “Don't look so happy about it. You'll just be busy tomorrow, we won't have time.”

“Busy with what?” Nico asked.

“Well, the boys are going to run over some last minute things with you, and then the girls are going to take you down to the spa.” Percy's grin grew. “I hope you don't mind a wax.”

“What are they going to do to me?” Nico asked in horror.

Percy chuckled and walked behind Nico, placing his hands around Nico's shoulder and resting his head on top of his arm. “Circe just needs to get rid of your body hair, and some other stuff to prepare you for Friday night.” Percy's hands trailed down Nico's chest until he got to Nico's lap, then he slid them back up, trailing his fingers along Nico's cheeks. “Now then, I think it's time we begin.”

“Anything specific on the agenda for today?”

“Just touching up on a few things, and we'll go from there.” Percy grabbed the back of the chair and spun Nico around, facing him away from the mirror.

“What did you do that for?”

“So you can't see my reflection.” Nico was about to open his mouth to respond, but he shuddered when he felt Percy's hand ghost over his shirt. “Touch can be very important, but you need to learn to do it just right. Too direct a touch can be boring, a light touch has a much more...intimate effect. Nico let his eyes close as he felt Percy's fingers trail across his neck. The hand then stopped touching him. Nico tried turning around to look at Percy, but Percy held Nico's face forward. “No peeking.”

Nico shivered at the feel of Percy's breath of the back of his neck. He let his body relax as he felt Percy's caress return to his chest. One moment Percy's hand would ghost over Nico's hand, the next it would be on his thigh, and then it would running up under Nico's shirt. 

“However,” Percy started, placing Nico's legs on top of his shoulders, “sometimes a more physical approach is desired.” Nico moaned as Percy pressed himself against Nico's bottom. Percy smiled above Nico. “Sometimes, you'll have to be dominant.” Nico nodded slowly, mesmerized by Percy's close proximity. Percy's hand slid up Nico's shirt, pinching his nipples. Nico couldn't help himself, he rolled his hips against Percy. Percy's hands immediately latched on to Nico's hips. “Don't do that,” Percy growled.

“Why? I know you want to. I want to. What's the problem?” Nico panted.

Percy stepped back, letting Nico's legs drop from his shoulders. “Because I said no.” Percy straightened himself out before speaking again. “I'll try and give you a few more lessons next week. I want you to be able to do everything the guys and I have shown you before next Friday, understood?”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled, finally closing his legs and sitting up in his chair. Percy blew out a heavy breath. “Anything else?”

Percy smirked, finally looking at Nico. “That depends; can you control your hormones?”

Nico huffed and crossed his arms. “It's not like you're making this easy.”

“I'm just showing you how to do a good job on the top floor.”

“By giving me private lessons where you make things heated and then pull back.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “Would you prefer I not give you private lessons?”

“N-No, that's not what I meant. It's just frustrating.”

Percy crouched down in front of Nico, resting his arms on Nico's legs. “I'm just trying to help you out, Nico.”

Nico stared down at his lap. “I-I'm sorry.”

Percy cocked his head to the side. “For what?”

“For making this complicated? For reading the signals wrong.”

Percy smiled and patted Nico's leg. “Don't worry about it, Nico. Besides, who said I don't enjoy the attention?” Percy winked at Nico, who flushed red. “You're cute when you're embarrassed.” Percy stood back up and took a few steps away from Nico. “I think we'll call it here for today, though. How about you go drop your stuff off and you can go to dinner with me?”

Nico smiled. “I'd like that.”

 

\--------------------------------------------------

Nico smiled at Percy as he spotted the black haired young man waiting for him outside the hotel's restaurant. Percy grinned back and led Nico inside. Nico had to bite back a frown when they sat down with Butch, Piper, and the twins. Percy did a fist bump with Butch and looked over his menu. Nico glanced over at the twins, who wore smiles and were giving Nico a thumbs up. Nico looked at them questioningly before looking at his own menu.

After they had all ordered, they all started falling into various conversations. “So, how is Nico doing?” Piper asked after a while.

“I think he'll do great next weekend,” Connor remarked.

“He'll do pretty well this weekend while he's serving drinks,” Travis added. “We got him all decked out today.”

“And those private lessons?” Piper asked with a smirk.

“Good,” Percy replied, taking a sip of his drink, but not looking at her. Piper frowned at the lack of detail. “Don't forget to remind the girls I listed earlier to take Nico to his appointment with Circe.”

“I remember,” Piper grumbled.

Their food eventually arrived and the table began eating. Nico didn't get much of Percy's attention during the meal, Percy focusing on Butch. If Nico didn't know any better, he would say they were old friends. Percy seemed eager to talk to Butch, mostly about sports, which Nico had a hard time following. Nico caught Piper giving him a sad smile as she watched him watch Percy. Was it really that obvious? Was it really that hopeless? Nico didn't know anymore. Percy was so confusing.

When they finished eating, the group stayed at the table to talk for a bit longer. Everyone seemed eager to have Percy's attention, as he drifted from one conversation to the next. While Nico did not seem to get any time to talk to Percy, Percy did lay his hand across Nico's knee under the table. It made Nico smile to himself, yet hurt his head at the same time. An hour ago, Percy was telling him he shouldn't be trying anything with Percy, but now here Percy was being touchy with him.

Percy eventually had to bid them farewell, as he had to go get ready for the busy night ahead. “And so the long weekend approaches,” Travis muttered, eyeing some of the guests. Nico had noticed that the hotel seemed to be getting packed over the past two days. He guessed that meant that most of these people would be up on the top two floors.

“At least we get a bigger paycheck when they happen,” Piper reminded him.

“True.” Travis leaned back in his chair. “You going to be ready, Neeks?”

“I hope so,” Nico replied.

“You'll do fine, dude,” Butch assured him. “I mean, you've got Percy as your private tutor.”

“Yeah, none of us got lessons from him,” Connor added.

“Yes, but none of us were as innocent as Nico,” Piper chimed in. She stared at Nico for a moment and made a face like she had something bad in her mouth. Nico frowned at her. She noticed his reaction and took a drink of water. “Bad aftertaste I guess.” Nico continued to frown, unconvinced. What was that about?

“What's so great about getting private lessons?” Nico asked, turning his attention away from Piper.

“Dude, Percy was like the best back when he worked our jobs,” answered Connor. “At least that's what Annabeth says.”

“Speaking of jobs, we should get going,” Travis reminded them, standing up.

\---------------------------------------

Nico walked nervously around the bar. The other night had been so awkward for him, and tonight was no different. Now, knowing what went on upstairs and what the place really was, Nico could not help looking at everything differently. He felt like all of the customers looked at him like a piece of meat, waiting to pounce on it. He even looked at his co-workers differently, knowing it was all just an act.

Nico carried a tray full of empty glasses back to the bar. He sat the tray down, letting Chiron unload the glasses. “Does this ever get easier? I just can't help looking at this place differently,” Nico confessed.

“You get used to it,” Calypso assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Try not to let it get to you.”

“Nico, you have nothing to worry about down here. All of the customers have been explicitly instructed by Percy that they are not allowed to touch any of you anywhere outside of the top floor,” Chiron assured him.

“Or the kink room,” Luke added, dropping off a drink ordered. “Whining again?”

Nico huffed. “No. This is just different for me,” Nico shot back.

“I told you that you wouldn't be able to handle it. Maybe you should have listened to Percy.”

“I didn't say I couldn't handle it.”

Annabeth came up and smacked Luke on the back of his head. “Play nice,” she warned the blond.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Luke said with a grin, earning him a glare from Annabeth.

“Can't you say anything nice to him?” Calypso asked with a frown.

“Like that thing you said about him last night?” Calypso went pale. Luke just rolled his eyes and glanced over at Nico. “I've been plenty nice to him in sessions.”

“That's enough out of all of you,” Chiron warned them. “Now, get back to work, and start acting like the family you're supposed to be.”

“Yes, sir,” they all mumbled, walking off, leaving Nico alone at the bar with Chiron.

Chiron picked up one of the glasses and started cleaning it. He glanced up at Nico to notice his frown. “Everything alright, child?” Nico nodded his head. “Don't let them get to you. It's not your fault.”

“That's what Rachel said, but I don't understand what it means,” Nico replied.

Chiron sighed, setting the cleaned glass down. “The Lost Kids are complicated, Nico, in ways that will take you some time to understand. You have an effect on them, just ride it out, and they will all come around.”

“They are confusing. They've been so friendly, with the exception of Luke, and sometimes Octavian, but today it's like they dislike me.”

“They don't dislike you, Nico,” Chiron assured him. “Not even Luke dislikes you. They are just dealing with some things.”

“Like what?”

Chiron shook his head. “It's not my place to talk about.” Nico frowned, but nodded his head. He picked up a new set of drinks and headed back to the crowd of tables. 

Nico sighed in relief when his break finally rolled around. He walked into the break room to find Annabeth and Luke already occupying it. Annabeth had her legs across Luke's lap. Luke was listening to Annabeth talk as he twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. Annabeth stopped talking when she noticed Nico in the doorway. “I think I better be getting back to work,” she said, rising from the couch. She gave Nico an unreadable look as she brushed past him, stopping in the doorway. “Behave yourself,” she warned Luke.

Luke rolled his eyes and waved for her to leave. Nico walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He walked over and sat down in the chair. Nico fidgeted with his water bottle, fully aware of Luke's eyes on him. He didn't want to start another argument at the moment, so he tried to ignore the blond.

“What's your problem with me?” Nico finally blurted out, regretting it the moment the words left his mouth.

Luke just smirked at him at first, leaning back against the couch and resting his arms across the back of it. “Just that. You. You're my problem,” he replied with a cocky smirk.

“But I didn't do anything to you. Have I done something wrong?”

“No, and that's the problem.” Nico huffed. Luke's smirk finally dropped, his face becoming serious. “You're nothing like us.”

“What's that even mean?”

“If you have to ask, you'll never know. Who says that I'm the only one that has a problem with you? You should thank me for at least being blunt with you about my feelings, opposed to the others trying to make you feel like family while they try to make you feel like an outcast at the same time.”

“They don't make me feel like an outcast,” Nico argued.

“Not yet, but they will.”

“Just tell me what your problem is with me.”

“No,” Luke said defiantly.

“Then how am I supposed to do anything about it?”

Luke shrugged. “Not my problem,” he sneered at Nico. “Figure it out for yourself. I'll just be here, enjoying the show as you get your feelings hurt. And not just by the other Lost Kids, Percy too, and that will be the best part.”


	11. Making Over the New Kid

Thalia ushered Nico into the gym, smiling at the Lost Boys. “He's all yours, boys. Just make sure he's down for his appointment on time,” Thalia called before she shut the door. Nico's shoulders slumped as he made his way to the center of the room. Apollo came up behind him and ushered him to the center of the boys, who were all standing in front of the mirror.

Apollo gave Nico's shoulders a squeeze before taking his place next to Nico. “Alright, Nico, this will be your final lesson before you work upstairs tomorrow. We'll all be too busy preparing and everything tomorrow to have a lesson, so we need to cover more on your behavior today,” the blond informed him.

“After that, we'll cover more on stripping, since you have to be perfect before next weekend,” Luke added. Nico nodded his head. Luke rubbed at his face with a sigh. “Alright, we've covered the basics with you, today we need for you to show us what you've learned.”

“Show us talking, walking, and any of the techniques we talked about,” Travis listed off on his fingers.

“Ok. How do you want me to show you?” Nico asked.

They all grinned at him. “You get to practice on us, of course,” Will said, slinging his arm around Nico's shoulder.

Nico groaned, causing the others to chuckle at him. “Do I have to? It feels embarrassing.”

“Now, Nico, if you can't do it on us, how do we know you can accomplish this with the customers?” Octavian said.

Nico sighed and nodded his head. All of the guys pulled up a chair and they each sat down in front of Nico. Nico glared at them, but they just grinned back at him. They weren't going to make this easy on him, they never did. “What do you want me to start with?” Nico mumbled.

“We'll start with something easy, and less torturous for you,” Butch stated. “Show us how to walk.”

Nico nodded and took a deep breath. This was so humiliating. He tried to think back on everything they had said about walking in his head. He nodded to himself and started his walk. 

“Move your hips a little more,” Apollo said, holding his chin. Nico nodded at him.

“Too much,” Will stated. Nico groaned and took another deep breath.

He straightened his shoulders and added a small sway to his step. He kept his hands to his sides, only swinging them lightly as he moved. He glanced over at Apollo to see if he was doing ok. Apollo tapped a finger to his lips, but didn't say anything. Nico exhaled slowly and kept moving.

Luke tossed a pen onto the floor in front of Nico. “Pick it up,” he ordered.

Nico nodded and slowly bent over, facing his butt towards the guys. He reached down and plucked the pen off of the floor. He stopped and looked to back to them. “Very good,” Apollo stated with a smile.

Octavian sat forward in his chair. “Now comes the fun part. You need to show us how to talk, on each of us,” the blond ordered.

“Feel free to use contact,” Connor added.

“But not too much,” Travis finished.

Nico nodded and decided to just go down the line. He stepped up to Will first, who had a huge grin on his face. Nico scowled at him before he began. He lightly placed his hand on Will's arm before he addressed him. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” Nico asked, trying to sound sexy, but it came out more awkward.

Will cracked up, and buried his face in his hands. “Oh god, Nico. You have to try harder than that,” Will said during his fit of laughter.

“I'm not used to this,” Nico whined.

“It's ok, Nico. You'll get it. That's why we're practicing,” Apollo said soothingly. “Try again.”

Nico took a long breath and straightened himself back out. Will calmed down and sat back in his chair again. Nico once again touched his arm. “I don't suppose there's anything else I can get you, is there?” Nico asked, bringing a finger up to his lips.

Will nodded his head and clapped. “Much better,” he said, smacking Nico on the ass as Nico went to the next Lost Boy.

Nico stepped up to Butch, who sat solemn in front of him. At least he was trying to ease the pain for Nico. Nico sat down in Butch's lap, but the taller boy pushed him off. “Don't ever do that,” Butch told him. “Too much touching. You need just the right amount.”

Nico nodded and started again. He walked behind Butch and trailed a finger along his shoulders before coming to stand in front of him again. “Well, hello there, big boy-” Nico started, but Butch cut him off with a fit of laughter.

“No, no big boy. Cutie, or something like that if you are going to use nicknames.”

“So what would be something more appropriate?” Nico asked, rubbing his arm.

Beckendorf hummed. “Try stud. That one is more appropriate,” Beckendorf suggested.

Nico nodded and began again. He stepped behind Butch and trailed his fingers along his back again. He came back to the front of Butch and smiled suggestively at him. “Hey there, stud, I'm Nico, and I'll be your server tonight.”

Butch nodded. “Good job,” he said with a smile.

Nico moved on to Beckendorf. He pondered it over for a moment, trying to figure something original to say. “Don't take too much time,” Octavian interjected. “You need to come up with your lines on the spot.”

Nico sighed and went for it, letting his instincts work for him. He moved his bangs out of his eyes and smiled down at Beckendorf. Beckendorf nodded and smiled, letting him know that he was doing fine. “I'm Nico, and I'll be taking care of you tonight,” Nico whispered seductively, bending over to be at face level with Beckendorf, “and if there is anything I can do for you, let me know.” Nico finished with a wink, standing back up.

“Approved,” Beckendorf said with a thumbs up.

Nico moved on to Octavian, who smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. Nico chewed on his lip as he tried to figure out the best approach for this one. “Your taking too long again, don't think, just do,” Octavian reminded him.

Nico nodded and decided to dive right in again. He ran a hand along Octavian's cheek and went back to play with his hair a little bit. “Now what brings you here to a place like this?” Nico asked seductively, letting his hip fall to the side.

“Good,” Octavian stated, pulling Nico's hand off of his face and dropping it. Nico frowned at him, but Octavian had stopped looking at him. Nico moved on to the next target, the twins. He wasn't sure if he should try them both together, or separate. They had their usual Cheshire cat grins plastered onto their faces as they watched him.

Nico sauntered around them, placing his arms along their backs. He ran his hand up into the back of their hair. He bent over so that he could whisper in their ears. “Having fun tonight boys? I'm sure you could always use some more fun.”

They leaned their heads back to look up at him with grins. “Good job!” they exclaimed.

“But you don't have to try selling the 'merchandise',” Connor added with air quotes.

“They know what they can purchase there,” Travis continued. “Try saying something like, I'm sure you'd enjoy some of our other services.”

Nico nodded and moved on to Luke. Luke arched an eyebrow at him, waiting to see what Nico would do. Nico took in a deep breath before he dove in. “Well aren't you yummy?” Nico said, biting his lip. He ran his arm up Luke's arm as he spoke.

Luke grinned and pulled Nico into his lap. Nico yelped. “Now, what do you do if one of the customers tries to get handsy?” Luke asked, groping Nico's backside.

Nico squirmed in Luke's arms, but the blond refused to let him go. “I don't know, you guys never covered it,” Nico whined.

Luke clicked his tongue and released Nico, but kept him on his lap. “Don't get violent, that's the big rule.”

“Get attention to yourself,” Apollo added. “They aren't allowed to grab you like Luke just did.”

“Get Percy or Luke's attention, or one of us,” Beckendorf stated.

“If you're not able to get yourself free that is,” Butch added. “If you can, just get yourself free and go find someone.”

“Leo and Percy are usually wandering around on the floor, and you'll have co-workers wandering around as well,” Octavian continued. “If you can't get free, don't get violent, but draw attention to yourself.”

“Flail around if you have to,” Travis added. “Try whistling, or call the closest person you can see over.”

“They know the rules, and they know to back down,” Will finished. “They should even know not to try something like that, but sometimes, the new customers will attempt stupid shit.”

“What happens when I get help?” Nico asked.

“Security is called. We have bouncers. That's what they are there for,” Butch informed him. He pointed a finger and Nico warningly. “You keep your hands clean.”

Nico nodded and pulled himself from Luke's lap. He stepped up to the final Lost Boy, Apollo, who winked at Nico as he approached. “Last one, and then you're done,” the blond informed him.

Nico bent over and ran his finger down Apollo's near perfect lips. He leaned in closer so that their lips were a few inches apart. “Is there anything else you would like this evening?” Nico whispered. Apollo grabbed Nico's head and smashed their lips together. Nico's eyes widened and he started flailing his arms around. Apollo finally released him and fell back into his chair, laughing. “What was that for?”

Apollo shook his head, still chuckling. “Sorry, Nico. Couldn't help myself. You did well,” Apollo said with a smirk. “Not bad on the kiss either.” Apollo winked at him.

Nico scowled and straightened himself back up, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He had to admit, Apollo was a good kisser. He cleared his throat and looked back at the blond. “Are we done?”

“Not quite yet,” Apollo replied, his big grin still in place. “We just need to run over a few more points, nothing you'll need to act out with us, so you can take a seat if you want.” He patted his lap, but Nico just glared at him. Nico marched over to the wall and grabbed a chair, placing it in front of the guys. Apollo pouted at him. “Fine, ruin all the fun.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Can we just move on?” he asked, rubbing his temple. He locked eyes with Nico. “Don't forget to keep eye contact, and make sure you keep your looks flirtatious.” Nico nodded at him.

“Try and say something flirtatious every time you have to go to a table, no matter if it's greeting them, taking an order, or checking on them,” Will added.

“Don't be shy, you need to draw attention to yourself,” spoke Travis.

“If they aren't looking at you, you're not doing your job,” Connor added.

“Is that all?” Nico asked after they got quiet.

Apollo let out a long puff of air. “I think that about covers it, just remember everything we taught you and you'll be fine. I want you to practice talking and walking before you go to bed tonight, and yes, someone will be dropping by for you to practice on,” he said seriously.

“There is no room for mistakes up there, Nico,” Octavian continued, just as serious. “You'll have to keep your body looking the way it does, and you'll have to make sure to do everything just right. Percy does not tolerate mistakes up there. No matter how much he favors you, he will force you to drop what you are doing, and put you off the floor.”

Nico bit his lip as his heartbeat picked up. He couldn't mess up? It was his first time! Why was there no room for error? He started hyperventilating. Apollo and Will got out of their chairs and crouched down in front of Nico.

“Nico, calm down. You're going to do fine,” Apollo assured him, rubbing his back gently.

“That's what we have been here to make sure of this past week,” Will added with a warm smile.

“We're a family,” the twins said.

“We look out for each other,” Butch added.

“You'll be fine, and we'll make sure that you don't slip up. We have your back,” Apollo said soothingly. Apollo pulled Nico to him and gave him a small hug. “Trust us, you'll do fine.” Nico nodded, letting out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding.

\---------------------------------------------

Nico exited the elevator onto the bottom floor. He headed in the direction of the spa, immediately spotting a few of the girls waiting for him. Thalia, Piper, Silena, and Annabeth stood just outside the door, grinning maniacally at Nico when they spotted him. “There he is,” Thalia said, grabbing Nico. “Ready to have all that pesky body hair removed?”

“All of it?” Nico asked, fidgeting nervously.

“All of it,” Piper replied.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Don't worry, we won't be in the room while Circe waxes you,” she informed him.

“So you don't have to worry about us looking at your man parts,” Silena teased.

“Alright, ladies, we need to get him started. He's already a few minutes behind schedule,” Piper interjected, pushing Nico into the spa.

Circe was in the middle of reading a book when the kids entered. “Good afternoon, Circe!” Thalia exclaimed happily, slamming her hands down on the counter.

Circe's eyes widened and threw her book behind the counter. “Oh good, you're finally here,” she said, voice cracking.

Thalia arched an eyebrow. “Were you reading what I think you were reading?”

Circe cleared her throat. “Of course not, don't be silly, child.” She stepped out from behind the counter and placed a hand on Nico's back, pushing him towards the back room. “Now then, we need to be getting started.”

The girls followed after them. “Percy will be down to inspect him around six, just giving you a heads up,” Annabeth informed the woman. Circe nodded and ushered Nico into one of the changing rooms.

Nico quickly disrobed, opting to leave his underwear on for now. He grabbed a robe and slid it on, tying to rope around his waist. He opened the door and stepped back out. The girls had all sat down in the room on the opposite side of the hall. Nico frowned and walked inside. Circe pressed a hand against his chest.

“They are going to wait here while I see to your waxing,” Circe informed him. “If you'll please follow me.” Nico gave the girls a frightened look, which they all responded to with a thumbs up before going back to their magazines. Nico sighed, hanging his head, and following after Circe. Once Nico was inside the room, Circe shut the door behind him. “If you'll please disrobe and lie down on the table.” She gestured at the table.

She handed him a towel as he slid his robe off. He wrapped the small piece of cloth around his waist and lay down on his back. Circe walked over to a microwave and placed a container inside of it. She pressed a few buttons and started the microwave. She went over to a drawer and pulled out a small wooden spatula and some cloth strips. Nico was taking deep breaths while watching her, not at all thrilled to be having his body hair ripped out.

She opened up a cabinet, humming to herself, and pulled out a pair of tweezers. She sat the pair of tweezers next to the cloth and spatula. She opened another cabinet and pulled out some powder. The microwave beeped and Circe walked over to retrieve the melted wax. She sat all of her objects on a cart and wheeled it over to the table Nico was on. She dipped the wooden spatula into the wax and started to stir it.

“Have you ever had a wax before?” Circe asked. Nico shook his head. Circe looked him over carefully. “You don't seem like you need much of one, you don't have very much body hair.” She sat the wax down and grabbed Nico's chin, tilting his head up. “Do you shave?”

Nico shook his head. “No, ma'am,” he mumbled.

Circe nodded. “That's good. That'll be one less place to wax for you.” She let out a single laugh and Nico smiled a little. She ran a hand across Nico's chest. “No obvious chest hair, but we'll cover it just to make sure.” She ran a finger back and forth on Nico's arms. “Very sparse hairs on your arms. You might turn out to be one of my favorite Lost Boys to work with.”

She hummed to herself as she picked up the powder and dusted some of it across Nico's arms, chest, and legs. She placed the powder back on the cart and picked up the wax and the spatula. She got some wax on the spatula and started to apply it to Nico's right arm. She smoothed it out, making sure it covered all of the skin there.

She picked up one of the cloth strips and placed it over Nico's arm. She smoothed it out and looked at her watch. “We'll let that cool for a few seconds,” she informed him. After she was satisfied with the time, she placed her hand at the bottom of the strip. “This may sting a little bit.”

Nico scrunched up his eyes and bit his lip as Circe ripped the strip away. “Ah!” Nico yelled, but covered his mouth with his free hand. Circe went back to her humming, pressing her hands against Nico's newly waxed skin. She inspected the arm for any stray hairs, but found none. She repeated the process to Nico's left arm, and thankfully he didn't scream this time. She lifted Nico's arms and did the same to Nico's underarms.

She wheeled the cart farther down the table and applied the wax to Nico's legs. “The legs will take a few strips each, so this will be slightly more painful.” Nico nodded as she applied the first strip to his left leg. He bit his lip harshly when it was ripped away, doing his best not to scream. She grabbed the tweezers and plucked a few strays hair from his leg. She repeated the process several more times to his left leg before moving to the right leg.

When she was finally finished with his legs, she came back to Nico's upper half. She applied some of the wax to Nico's pale chest, covering it with a few strips. Nico yelped as the strips were ripped away. He sat up a little to look down at himself. He still had his small treasure trail descending from his navel, but that was the only piece of hair that he could see.

“Remove the towel,” she instructed. Nico nervously reached down and slipped the towel off, exposing himself to Circe, but she was professional about it. She walked over and pulled some shaving cream and a razor from a cabinet.

“I-I can do that myself,” Nico stuttered.

Circe smiled at him and sprayed some cream onto her hands. “Relax, boy, I just am going to show you how to do this, and you'll be responsible for it from here on out.”

“But-” Nico started, but Circe fixed him with a glare. Nico sighed and fidgeted around on the table. Circe spread the cream over Nico's pelvic area. Nico's face darkened severely as he lay there uncomfortably. Circe took the razor and swiped it across Nico's skin, removing his pubic hair.

“Do keep this maintained, the Lost Kids don't have an inch of body hair,” she told him. Nico nodded his head, not able to speak at the moment. He shut his eyes, skin darkening more, as she placed the cream on his balls. He covered his face with his hands as she shaved his genitals clean of all traces of hair. Once she was done, she wiped all the remnants of the cream off with a towel. She grabbed the wax again and applied it to Nico's pelvic area.

She placed strips along Nico's treasure trail and pelvic area. Nico whined, still burying his face in his hands, as Circe ripped the strips away. Nico bit his lip and his pelvis shot off the table from the pain. Circe chuckled and tossed the last strip.

“All done with this side, now you need to roll over,” she commanded. Nico did as she said and rolled onto his stomach. “Damn, you really are nearly hairless. Naturally smooth.” Nico's cheeks lit up again, knowing she was referring to his ass. He laid there and let her rip away the few places she still needed to get. Finally, she chucked the last strip and pushed the cart away. “All done, your eyebrows don't seem to need any waxing.”

Nico let out a sigh of relief and climbed off the table, grabbing his robe from the floor. He slipped it on, opening up the front to stare at his reddened chest. “Will this go away?” he asked.

“Your pale skin might make it last a little longer, but it should be gone before you go into work tomorrow.” Circe opened the door and Nico headed back to the girls. They all looked up at him as he entered the room.

All of the girls gave him a once over, nodding their heads in approval. “Much better,” Annabeth commented.

“You're on your way to becoming one of us, Nico!” Thalia exclaimed, jumping up and hugging Nico. Nico looked over her shoulder to see Silena giving him an odd look. He sighed to himself, deciding to try and ignore it. Ever since he had talked to Luke last night, he couldn't help but notice the negative reactions they would give him from time to time.

“You're going to have to be responsible for scheduling waxings on your on,” said Piper. Nico nodded and sat down in one of the chairs.

Circe came in with another cart. She grabbed a stool and sat down next to Nico. “Now we need to see to your nails,” Circe said, grabbing Nico's right hand. Nico watched as the woman went to work on each of his nails. When she was done, she moved to Nico's other side, taking his left hand. Nico looked at his right hand. His nails were cleaned and trimmed to near perfection.

Circe finished up with his hand and moved down to his feet. She hummed to herself again as she gave him a pedicure. She placed Nico's feet into some water, and let them soak for a few minutes. She stood up and went over to one of her cabinets. She pulled out a small box and handed it to Nico. “Teeth whitening?” Nico asked.

“You have to look perfect,” answered Annabeth.

Circe took Nico's left foot and pulled it out of the water. She sat it in her lap and started to massage it. She trimmed and cleaned each of the nails before dropping the foot back into the water. She picked up Nico's right foot, repeating the process with it.

Just as Circe had finished up and Nico had stood up, Percy walked into the room. He walked up to Circe and Nico. “Well?” he asked Circe.

“He didn't require that much work,” Circe responded. “Not very much body hair. Annabeth told him he had to make his own appointments. We just finished up seeing to his nails.”

Percy nodded and stepped in front of Nico. He placed his hands on Nico's shoulders and pushed the robe off Nico's shoulders, where it fell around his waist. Percy held Nico's face, tilting it upwards. “Good, you didn't do anything to the face.”

“No, sir. He didn't have any facial hair.”

“I noticed that. I just meant that you didn't trim his hair, I like it like it is.” She nodded. Percy ran his hands down Nico's arms, feeling the new hairless soft skin. He held Nico back, looking at his chest. He blew out a long puff of air. “Well, he doesn't have to worry about the reddened skin tonight, since he'll be at the bar, and it should be gone by tomorrow, so I guess there's nothing to worry about with that.” Nico peered up at Percy's face, wanting Percy to just look at him, but Percy was being all business. He grabbed Nico's hands and inspected them. “I have to say, you did an excellent job, Circe, as always.”

“Oh, well, thank you, sir,” Circe said, covering a blush on her cheeks.

Percy's eyes finally drifted up to Nico's. He gave Nico a smile before lowering his gaze again. He stepped back and placed a hand to his chin. “Alright, everything seems good.” He spun around and faced the girls. “Would all of you mind getting him back to his room? I need to go take care of something.”

“Of course, Percy,” Thalia said, slapping hands with Percy as he passed her on the way out. She smiled at Nico. “Well, that went well. Alright, you heard him, Nico, up to your room. You need to get changed and get something to eat before work.”

\-------------------------------------------------

“About time you showed up,” Travis grumbled as Nico clocked in.

Nico blinked at him in confusion. “I'm sorry, we lost track of time at dinner,” explained Nico. Travis's expression bothered Nico. He had never really seen either of the twins look serious, but Travis was clearly not happy with Nico at the moment.

“Whatever,” Travis mumbled and walked off. Nico stared after him, very confused by what just happened. It didn't seem like that big a deal. Luke's words from the previous night kept playing in his mind. Were they really going to turn on him? He didn't even know what he had done! He dropped his head onto his arms, which were lying on the bar.

Chiron came up and patted him on the back. “Cheer up, my boy, they will ease up eventually,” Chiron said soothingly.

“I just do not understand them. They said they were going to treat me like family, but then they act like that,” Nico grumbled.

“I was under the impression that families bickered.” Nico peered up at Chiron from the corner of his eye to see the man smiling. “They're closer to each other, yes, but you'll get there. They just have some personal stuff to work out.”

“Is it something I did?”

“No, my dear boy. You did nothing wrong, do not ever think that.”

“I wish one of them would just tell me what their problem was with me.”

“I am afraid that is something you will have to talk to them about,” Chiron told him, grabbing a glass and filling it with some alcohol.

Nico nodded and walked out from behind the counter to go take some orders. This would be his last night here for the next few nights. It felt a little weird. He noticed a few heads turn his way as he walked through the crowded room. He smiled a little to himself. He guessed the techniques were working, but this was only the bar, tomorrow would be the real test.

Nico's break finally came, and he exhaustively dragged himself through the door to the break room. Zoë sat gracefully in the chair, sipping at a bottle of water. She watched Nico like a hawk as he made his way to the fridge to pull out his own bottle of water. He fell onto the couch and cracked open his bottle to take a drink. He looked up to see Zoë still staring at him. He really wished he could figure out what their problem with him was.

“Adapting?” Zoë asked suddenly.

Nico blinked at her, taking him a few seconds to register that she had said something. “Uh, yeah, I think so. Maybe getting by is a better way of putting it,” he told her. She nodded in understanding. “Zoë, can I ask a little about yourself? I feel like I don't really know you that well.”

She stared at him, emotionlessly, for a few seconds before responding. “What would you like to know?”

“How did you end up here? I guess that's a good place to start.”

Zoë nodded. “My family kicked me out when I was about your age. It's a long complicated story, but I'll give you a short version. My father was not a very nice man. He was a very crooked businessman. I was dating this guy at the time, whose father worked with my father, and my father did not approve of the relationship. Well, one day, he swapped some files around and planted some incriminating evidence in my boyfriend's father's office.”

“That's horrible,” Nico told her.

Zoë nodded her head absentmindedly. “My boyfriend's father was arrested, leaving his family devastated. Well, I couldn't sit by and let all this happen, so I showed my boyfriend some evidence to prove his father innocence, but would incriminate my father. I didn't care, though. I gave it to him, letting him run off and turn the tables on my father. My father was hauled off to prison, and my sisters ended up hating me. They kicked me out and told me that I was no longer part of the family.”

“Oh my god, how could they do that? How could-never mind, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this point. So, you just ran into Percy?” Nico asked.

“Not exactly. I sort of stole a lot of my dad's money before I left, so I hopped on plane to Europe.”

“Why Europe?”

“Who doesn't want to see Europe?” she replied with a smile.

“True.”

“Anyways, I was fine there for about six months, but I ended up getting robbed one day, losing all the money I had. I lost everything, and ended up on the streets. I lived there for almost a year, until Gaea found me one day.”

“Gaea's the one that found you?” Nico asked in astonishment.

Zoë nodded. “She did, and I got put to work in her hotel, trust me when I say that that hotel is even better than this one, and this is a very nice hotel, only second to hers.”

“Does she work as that manager, like Percy does here?”

Zoë shook her head. “No, she just runs everything. She is over all the branch managers, but she doesn't do what Percy does. She has a manager to handle her hotel for her. Anyways, she took me in and I worked as I do now while I was there. I worked there until a year ago, when Percy requested that I work here. Gaea didn't have a problem with it, so she shipped me back here, and I started working for Percy.”

“That's a wild story,” Nico said with a small smile.

“Well, we all have one,” she replied, letting her face return to an emotionless mask. She stood up and stared at Nico for a few seconds before walking out of the break room.

Nico sighed and lay down on the couch. He had sort of been hoping that there would be a clue in their pasts that might could help him figure out their problem with him, but nothing really stuck out to him. The only similar factor in their stories was that Percy brought them all here at some point. There had to be something he was missing, he just had to place his finger on it.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Nico and Travis bid Zoë and Hazel goodnight, as two walked down the hall. “You ready for your last minute practice?” Travis asked, gesturing towards their hall.

Nico sighed, letting his head drop. He had been hoping that they would all forget, but he wasn't lucky enough for that. Nico heard a door open and close and then Hazel and Zoë talking to someone. He turned to find Percy standing outside of Piper and Rachel's room. Percy nodded at whatever the two girls were saying to him. He smiled and shook his head, gesturing for the girls to get to their rooms. He ran a hand through his hair and headed towards Nico and Travis.

“Hey, boss,” Travis said cheerfully.

Percy nodded back at him in return. “What are you two doing?” he asked.

“Apollo wanted me to run over Nico's lessons with him before he went to bed, you know, since we won't have time tomorrow.”

“That's ok, I'll take care of it,” Percy told him, placing his hand on Nico's back.

“But-”

“That'll be all, Travis.”

Travis pursed his lips and nodded his head. He glanced at Nico before heading down their hall. Percy and Nico followed closely behind. Nico watched as Travis reached the end of the hall and slid his card into his door. He turned to Nico with a wink before heading into his suite.

Nico let out a breath and slid his own card into its slot. He stepped inside, holding the door open for Percy. Percy walked in, pulling his phone out of his pocket and sending a quick text message. When he finished he set his phone down on the stand beside the door.

“So, what were you doing back there?” Nico asked. “I thought you were usually up on the top floor.”

Percy smirked and walked over to the couch. “Had to take care of some business,” he explained.

Nico pursed his lips and nodded. He figured it wasn't a good idea to press further into the matter. “So, why the interest in my late night lesson?”

Percy's smirk grew. He leaned back on the couch and spread his arms across the back. “Just trying to be helpful. I mean, if you would prefer someone else...”

Nico shook his head. “No, you're fine.”

“Just fine?” Percy inquired, arching a brow.

Nico's cheeks darkened. “You're doing it again,” Nico mumbled.

Percy chuckled. “Sorry, you're just fun to tease.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “So, what are we doing?”

“Well, what did Apollo want you to do?”

“Just talking and walking,” Nico told him.

Percy crossed his leg over his lap, gesturing at the floor in front of him. “Then by all means, get started.”

Nico pouted at Percy. “You're enjoying this too much,” he mumbled.

“Well, I have yet to see what you can actually do. I've had to take the Lost Boys' word for it. I want to know that you'll be ready.”

Nico nodded his head in understanding. “Well, I guess I'll start with walking.”

Percy nodded and tapped his foot in his lap. Nico fidgeted nervously for a moment, uncomfortable about doing this in front of Percy. It was slightly embarrassing. It was like in school when someone didn't want to embarrass themselves in front of the person they had a crush on. What if Percy laughed at him? Well, if things ended up like their usual lessons, Percy would turn it sexual. Percy raised an eyebrow at him.

Nico let out a breath and nodded his head. He walked from the kitchen over to his window, letting his arms swing lightly as he walked. He made sure to sway his hips slightly as he moved. When he went to walk back, he glanced over at Percy, who had his eyes on his hips. Percy's eyes flickered up to meet Nico's, causing Nico's cheeks to heat up.

Percy smiled and stood up. “Not bad. I think you got the hang of it,” he said. He stepped up to Nico and let his fingers play with the belt loops on Nico's pants. “I'm impressed, you picked it up rather quickly. Perhaps there's hope for you yet.” He smiled again, reaching up to grab Nico's chin. He turned Nico's face slightly to look at Nico's cheek. “You know, considering your angle, I actually don't mind that you blush. Or is that just for me?”

Nico shrugged, not knowing what to say. His breathing had picked up from Percy's proximity. He could smell Percy. He smelled like the ocean, and it was intoxicating. “Is-Is that all?” Nico asked, fidgeting nervously. 

Percy chuckled. “You want me to leave?” He leaned in closer. “I'm hurt, Nico. I thought you enjoyed,” Percy leaned into Nico's ear and whispered the last part, “my company.” Nico's pupils dilated and his eyes became half-lidded. He rested his hands against Percy's chest. Before he could stop it, a moan escaped Nico's lips. Nico's eyes widened and he slapped a hand over his mouth. Percy stepped back and chuckled. “Perhaps we should get back to work before I give you something you'll need to take care of,” Percy said with a wink.

Nico rubbed his arm awkwardly. He watched Percy walk back over to the couch and sit back down. “I guess I need to practice my talking now?”

Percy nodded. “Now that I think about it, what I just said sort of fits for this.” Percy grinned at Nico and winked again.

“You're enjoying this way too much,” Nico grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Percy pursed his lips, trying to hide a grin. “I don't know what you're talking about, Nico. I'm just making sure you are ready for tomorrow night.”

“By tormenting me.”

“All you have to do is talk, Nico.”

“Are you going to molest me like Luke and Apollo did during lessons today?”

Percy ran a hand along his chin. “What?”

“Well, Luke didn't really do anything, he just pulled me into his lap, but Apollo attacked my face.”

“He kissed you?” Percy asked.

Nico nodded. “Just a brief one.”

Percy nodded his head. “I see.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

Percy shook his head. “Nothing. Let's get back on track,” he supplied.

Nico sighed and blew at his bangs. “What do you want me to do?”

Percy shrugged. “Just do to me what you did with the guys.”

Nico nodded and thought to himself for a moment. Percy's grin returned and he pat the space on the couch next to him. Nico sighed and walked over to the couch, sitting down beside Percy. “This is awkward,” Nico mumbled.

Percy raised a brow. “If you're having trouble, perhaps we should rethink-”

“No!” Nico exclaimed. “I can handle it.”

Percy nodded. “Well, then begin.”

Nico nodded and rubbed his hands together. He turned and faced Percy. This felt so much harder with Percy. He just didn't want to embarrass himself. He didn't know what to say. He could always let his emotions talk for him, but then he might get off on how he wanted Percy to bend him over the couch at the moment.

How was he even supposed to address Percy? What word would fit in this? He was panicking. This wasn't good. He didn't know what to do! Why did Percy have to make him so nervous? Percy smiled at him. He placed a hand on Nico's leg. “Relax, Nico. Just take a breath,” Percy said gently.

Nico nodded his head absentmindedly. He glanced at the floor for a few seconds before coming up with something to say. “Well, hello there. My name is Nico and it will be my pleasure to serve you tonight,” Nico said, leaning closer to Percy. He reached up and pushed some of Percy's hair behind his ear, now practically in Percy's lap. “If there's anything, and I do mean anything, I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know.”

Percy grabbed Nico's shoulders to keep him from leaning closer. He grinned and leaned his face closer. “Careful, Nico,” Percy whispered.

“Well, I'd imagine we'd be careful. That's what condoms are for.”

Percy started laughing, pushing Nico off his lap. “Cute.” He pulled Nico's legs up onto the couch, situating himself between Nico's legs. He leaned in, pressing his hands on either side of Nico's head. “Careful what you say, Nico, or you might end up in a situation you aren't ready for.”

Nico grabbed the hem of Percy's pants and pulled his hips closer. “But I am ready for this,” he replied.

Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I didn't mean with me. I mean, careful what you say to the customers, or you might end up in a situation you aren't ready for. Don't make suggestions that could imply that they can purchase time with you. That would just be false advertisement.”

“Sorry,” Nico mumbled.

Percy shrugged and sat up, Nico's legs still around his hips. He reached down and grabbed the hem of Nico's shirt, yanking it up and over Nico's head. Nico's eyes widened, but didn't say anything. He wasn't about to chance saying something that might make Percy stop. Percy's hands moved down to the button on Nico's pants. He yanked Nico's pants down. Once they were around Nico's knees, Percy pulled Nico's legs up and pulled the fabric the rest of the way off.

Nico's cheeks darkened as he lay there in front of Percy in nothing but his boxer-briefs. Percy trailed his fingers across Nico's chest. “Good,” Percy finally said, breaking the silence.

“Good? What is?”

“Your skin isn't red. I was afraid that with your pale skin, you might stay red a little longer than the others do.”

Nico groaned, covering his face with his hands. That's why Percy wanted to undress him? Percy chuckled, noticing Nico's reaction. “It's not funny, Percy,” Nico grumbled.

Percy leaned down, hovering his face inches above Nico's. “Sure it is. You're cute when you're frustrated. But you shouldn't be eager to toss your virginity away so easily.”

“Apollo and Will told you?”

Percy nodded. “Are you really surprised? The Lost Kids report nearly everything to me. It's part of their job.”

Nico crossed his arms over his chest, trying to cover himself up. “I just don't understand why you treat me differently.”

“Because you are different,” Percy replied.

“Why is that all I get lately from you guys?”

“It's not something you should worry about,” Percy said, running a hand down Nico's stomach. “What can I do to make it better?”

“Have sex with me?” Nico supplied.

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “Try again.”

Nico frowned. “A kiss?”

Percy shook his head again. “Not getting that either.” Nico frowned, letting out a sigh. Percy rolled his eyes. “Here.” He grabbed Nico's head and turned it to the side. He leaned down and pressed his mouth against Nico's neck. Nico was about to question what he was doing when Percy bit down on his neck. Nico's legs tightened around Percy's waist. He thrust his hips up against Percy as Percy continued to nibble on his neck. He couldn't help but let out a moan, and he could feel Percy grin against his skin when he did. 

“Percy,” Nico moaned, wrapping his arms around Percy's back.

Percy pulled back, removing Nico's hands from his body. “How was that?”

“Good,” Nico panted. “More?”

Percy grinned, but shook his head. “Sorry, that's all you're going to get.”

Nico groaned. “That's just not fair. You're such a tease.” Percy squeezed Nico's thighs before getting off the couch. He straightened himself out. Nico's eyes traveled down to Percy's crotch as the black haired young man adjusted himself.

Percy glanced back at Nico, who glanced up to meet his gaze. “Well, I suppose we are done for tonight, so I'll be seeing you after school,” Percy stated. Nico sighed and nodded his head. He stood up and walked with Percy to the door. Percy opened the door and looked back at Nico. “Goodnight, Nico.”

“Night, Percy,” Nico replied, closing the door behind Percy as he walked off. Nico groaned and leaned back against the door. He ran a hand through his hair. He needed to be in bed. He had school in the morning and it was already three in the morning. Hopefully he could get a nap in tomorrow after school. Nico pushed off the door, heading towards his bedroom. Well, he was going to need to take care of another problem before he got the rest he needed. “Damn you, Percy,” Nico mumbled as he shut his bedroom door.


	12. Speak the Devil's Name, and He Shall Appear

Nico groaned as he dragged himself out of bed. The banging on the door was going to give him a headache. He flung the door open to glare at the offender. Connor grinned back at him from the other side of the doorway. Nico groaned. “How are all of you morning people?” Nico mumbled, running a hand through his morning hair.

Connor pouted as he followed Nico into his suite. “We aren't, we just know how to put on appearances,” he explained. “You should see Travis and I when we get out of bed, it's like a zombie apocalypse started.”

Nico giggled. “Do you have to go bang on his door too?” He walked into his bedroom, Connor following behind him. He went through his closet, picking out clothes for the day.

Connor grinned. “No, all I have to do is roll over to see what he looks like in the morning.”

Nico froze in place, his eyes having widened from the statement. “You sleep in the same bed?” Nico asked.

Connor frowned, cocking his head to the side. “Yeah, so? My brother and I have always been close, even before we came here. When you live on the streets together, you get used to sharing the same sleeping space.”

Nico pursed his lip, casting his eyes downward. He hadn't thought of that. “You were fortunate to have each other out there, though.”

Connor nodded. The twins were rarely ever serious, and it always made Nico uneasy when they were. “You ready for tonight?” Connor asked, changing the subject.

“I think so. What's going to be happening today?”

Connor clicked his tongue. “Getting everything organized upstairs.” He let out a long sigh. “It'll be a last minute time period to get schedules changed, for the rest of the weekend anyways, not tonight's schedule.”

Nico nodded. “What will all of you be doing? Besides...talking to Percy?”

Connor chuckled. “You are jealous,” he teased. Nico pouted. He gathered his clothes and headed for the bathroom. Connor leaned against the doorframe and continued talking. “The entire floor will be under maintenance, which basically means it will be getting cleaned and used for last minute practice.”

“What do I need to do when I get back?”

“You'll have to ask Percy, who will be up on the top floor, so drop by.”

Nico nodded. “Alright, well, I need to get a shower, so you can wait outside,” Nico said, shutting the door.

“But showers are more fun with company,” Connor whined through the door.

Nico rolled his eyes and slipped out of his underwear. He turned on the shower and slipped inside, letting the hot water cascade across his body. He was surprisingly calm, considering what he would be doing in a few hours. Well, he was only going to have to walk around in a speedo. He would probably be more nervous next week. Nico grabbed his shampoo and started to lather his hair.

After he was finished with his shower, Nico opened the glass door and grabbed a towel. He toweled his hair first before wrapping the cloth around his waist. He quickly brushed his teeth and reached for his clothes. He looked around in confusion, cursing when he realized he forgot to get underwear.

He cracked the door open, peering outside to look for Connor. “Connor?” he called out to try and get the brunet's attention.

Connor poked his head around the corner of the living room. “Yes?” he called back with a grin.

“Can you go bring me some underwear?”

Connor's grin became impish. “Why don't you just come out and get them?”

“Because, I'm naked,” Nico huffed.

“All the more reason to come out,” Connor teased, leaning against the hallway. Nico sighed and opened the door the rest of the way. He glared at Connor as he walked past him to reach his bedroom. Before Nico knew what was going on, Connor's fingers had slipped down to his towel and unfastened it from around his waist. “Whoops,” Connor said innocently as the towel fell the ground.

Nico's hands flew down to cover his crotch, leaving his ass completely exposed. Connor's eyes lit up as they roamed down to Nico's newly exposed flesh. “Connor!” Nico yelled, making a dash for his bedroom.

Connor followed him inside, grinning like a mad man. Nico huffed as he opened his drawer one handed, his other hand too busy covering himself. When he had some boxers picked out, he shut the drawer, tossing Connor another glare as he slipped his boxers on. He was surprised, however, to find Connor standing right in front of him. Nico's eyes widened as Connor flung him on the bed. Nico yelped as he landed on his soft mattress.

He looked up to find Connor crawling on top of him, once again reminding Nico of a cat. “C-Connor, I need to get dressed. I need to get to school,” Nico stuttered.

Connor pouted from his position above Nico. “But school's not as fun as what I want to do.” Connor's grin returned as he pressed his hips down against Nico's. Nico fought back a moan as Connor rolled his hips. Connor descended on Nico's nipple, licking the piece of pink flesh. Nico arched his back, his eyes now tightly shut. His legs unconsciously found their way around Connor's hips as Connor bit lightly on his nipple. Connor raised Nico's hips, grabbing the bottom of Nico's boxers with one of his hands. He slowly started pulling the fabric down.

Nico's mind caught up with him, his eyes snapping open. His hand flew down to the hem of his boxers, holding the fabric there. Connor pulled back from Nico's chest with a pout. “I r-really need t-to get dressed,” Nico stuttered.

Connor sighed and climbed off of Nico. “Fine, but if you ever change your mind, my brother and I would be glad to play with you.”

“I'm sure you would,” Nico grumbled as he adjusted himself in his boxers. He made his way back to the bathroom so he could hurry getting dressed. He was going to be late if he kept getting distracted.

The ride to school was fairly quiet. Connor kept the music on loud, and seemed to be in a world of his own. Nico would watch him from time to time, intrigued by his persona. The twins were probably the most unpredictable of the Lost Kids. The others probably didn't even know what to expect from them. It was moments like this that got Nico wondering what their real face was. Was it the mischievous side, or was it this almost dark and serious expression that Nico sometimes found on all of the Lost Kids. He wanted to believe it was the prior one, but given their past, Nico doubted it was that one.

“You and your brother are confusing,” Nico blurted out before he could stop himself.

Connor looked over at him and chuckled, his hand reaching over to turn down the volume. “I like to use the words fun and interesting.”

“I just don't understand you.”

Connor raised an eyebrow, returning his vision to the road. “I thought Travis told you about our history?”

“He did,” Nico started. “I just-you both remind me of imps, or something. You seem like you are always up to something, and I don't think anyone can predict what you two will do next.”

Connor hummed to himself, tapping the steering wheel. “I think that makes life more interesting, doing the unexpected.”

“But is it all an act? A mask to protect yourself?”

Connor chuckled. “What, because we are a little messed up, we can't have fun?” Connor's smirk lessened until it was barely noticeable. “We're all messed up, Nico. You just have to find a way to cope with the stuff we deal with.” Nico nodded. “The first thing you have to realize about this world is that people suck. People only care about themselves. They are greedy bastards, nothing more, nothing less. Every one of those people that come to the Lotus makes me sick. All they want is a good time, and they don't care how much it costs. They come in there demanding certain things be done to them, or they come in there to do shady deals. It's all about money, that's what people care about. That's what makes the world turn.”

Nico frowned as he watched Connor's face darken as he spoke. Connor's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. He let out a long sigh and glanced over at Nico from the corner of his eye before turning back to the road. “That's what you're jaded about?”

Connor blinked. “What?” he asked in confusion.

“Will said-”

Connor cut him off. “Ah, you mean, what we hate about the world. Yes, I hate greed. They all want for themselves. They could be helping the world, but instead they throw their money away for sex and illegal trades. It makes me sick, knowing that they could keep people off the streets, if they just used their money for something better.” Connor turned his head to look at Nico for a few seconds, a dark look in his eyes. “You better hurry, you don't want to be late,” Connor whispered.

Nico blinked and looked out his window. They were at school. He had not even realized they had arrived. He turned back to Connor and gave him a small smile, grabbing his backpack from the floorboard. “Thanks again for the ride, Connor,” Nico said as he got out.

“Don't mention it, Nico.” Nico shut his door and began walking towards his school. He heard a window roll down behind him. “Good luck at school today, sweetie! Make good choices!” Connor called after him. Nico groaned and covered his face. That didn't take long for the twin to get back to his usual self.

\--------------------------------------------

Nico knocked on the door to Percy's office. He had gotten a text while at school to drop by and see Leo, so he had dropped his backpack off and came straight to the office. He opened the door to find Leo and Rachel sitting at their desks, busily typing away at their keyboards. They looked up and greeted Nico, Leo rising from his desk.

“There you are. Percy said you'd be dropping by,” Leo said, holding his hand out. “I need your card.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “My card?” he asked. “What for?”

“Leo needs to give you an upgrade so that you can reach the top floor on your own,” answered Rachel.

Nico nodded and fished his card out of his wallet. Leo snatched the card from him and sat back down at his desk. “This will only take a minute,” Leo mumbled. “So, Nico, I haven't gotten to talk to you very much since you've been here. How have you been?”

Nico sat on the corner of Leo's desk. “I've been doing ok,” he replied.

“Ready for tonight?” Rachel asked, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

“As ready as I'll ever be, I guess.”

“I'm sure you'll be more nervous next weekend.”

Nico groaned. Leo chuckled. “Don't scare him, Rachel,” Leo said. He slid the card through a machine next to the computer and handed the card back to Nico. “There you go. You'll do fine, I'm sure.”

Nico smiled. “Thanks,” he replied. He slipped the card back into his wallet and looked back at Leo. “So, I don't suppose either of you could help me figure something out, could you?”

“What's up?” Leo asked, sliding his chair away from the computer.

“I'm just confused about the Lost Kids. They and Percy keep sending mixed signals.”

Leo gave a long sigh and Rachel buried her head behind her computer. “Long story,” Leo mumbled. “They're just complicated, Nico. They treat both of us the same way, but that's because we don't do what they do.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“We don't get on the stage and get naked,” Rachel replied.

“Or have sex with customers,” Leo added.

“So, they hold it against you?” Nico asked.

They both nodded. “It's complicated, like I said,” Leo sighed. “We make about the same as they do, while getting to keep our clothes on.”

“But that's because we do more work than they do,” Rachel continued.

“Yes, but they have the harder work.” Rachel raised an eyebrow at Leo. “What? I'm just saying I can understand their concern.”

“How come the two of you don't do that?” Nico asked.

“Well, Leo was underage when he got here, not to mention, very smart,” Rachel explained.

Leo shrugged. “I guess I was somewhat like you, Nico. I didn't really find myself angry at the world, like the others do,” Leo said, giving Nico a sad smile. “As for Rachel, she was smart and 'untainted' as well. The others probably couldn't do our jobs, and Percy saw promise with us when it came to this job. He needs people to help him run this branch of hotel chains.”

“He'd probably lose his mind if he didn't have help,” Rachel added.

Leo stood up, drumming his hands on his desk. “Well, I think you better get upstairs. It's always interesting to look at on weekends like this.”

Nico nodded and said his goodbyes to Leo and Rachel. He walked back out the door and to the elevator. He slid his card into the slot and hit the seventieth floor button. He smirked to himself when the elevator started rising. It was official, he was part of the Lost Kids.

The elevator opened to the split hallway, but there was no one currently at the podiums. Nico shrugged and stepped out of the elevator, heading down the right hall to the boys' side. He could already hear the music playing as he walked up the stairs, as well as a few voices. He stood in the middle of the stairs for a moment, trying to calm his nerves. It all felt real now. It was happening, he was going to be displaying his body for people's enjoyment in a few hours. He shook his hands and continued up the stairs, jaw dropping when he reached the top.

The wall that would separate the boys' side from the girls' had been moved away, displaying the full stage. The stage itself looked like something out of Carnevale. There were two giant antique mirrors hanging from the ceiling towards the back of the stage, one for each side. Four golden ropes descended from the ceiling as well, two of which the twins were currently hanging from. The wings of the stage were lined by fans made of feathers. Several masquerade masks had been pinned onto the curtains.

“Wow,” Nico sighed. He jumped suddenly when he felt an arm around his shoulders.

“Enjoying the view?” Apollo purred into his ear.

“I just like the theme.”

“It's pretty fun. We do this theme maybe twice a year. We'll have to get you a costume for the next time around, I suppose.”

“It's just fun to look at this. I don't know, it just seems like a fantasy, or something.”

“Our job is to entertain, Nico,” Apollo reminded him. “It doesn't mean we can't have fun in the process, though. You'll see that we actually enjoy the time on stage.”

“Why?” Nico asked, turning his head to look at Apollo.

“We just get to have fun on the stage. We aren't on our backs, having some old man try and get it up, we can just let loose up there. Dancing is fun. I mean, we are taking our clothes off, but there's just something fun in the performances we give.” He smirked at Nico. “Pay attention tomorrow night during my performance, and you'll see what I mean.”

Nico nodded and walked off, receiving a pat on the back from Apollo. He searched the room for Percy, wanting to find something to do like Connor had said. He found Percy in one of the booths with Annabeth and Luke, the girl practically in Percy's lap. Nico sighed, deciding to go ahead and walk over. He'd have to make sure not to look too directly at Percy right now. He knew he couldn't have the green eyed young man, but it still stung to see others throwing themselves at him.

When he reached the booth, Annabeth was in the middle of rubbing Percy's upper thigh, while Percy had his right hand slung around Luke's shoulders. He looked up when Nico reached them, giving Nico a smile. “Hey, Nico,” Percy greeted him. Nico waved, fidgeting slightly. Percy noticed this and cleared his throat. “Give me a moment,” he said, grabbing Annabeth's hand and placing it on the table. Luke and Annabeth tossed Nico a glare, pulling their phones out while Percy talked to Nico. “What can I do for you, Nico?”

“I was just wondering what I needed to be doing right now,” Nico asked.

“Hmm.” Percy tapped his finger on the table, looking around the room. “Just watch the others practice for a moment. I want you to get a better idea of what you'll be dealing with next weekend. After that, go help Silena and Piper backstage, they are sorting through the wardrobes and could use some help.”

Nico nodded. He walked over to the stage, where Will sat on the edge. Will smiled at Nico as the smaller boy approached. “Hey there,” Will greeted him. “How was school?”

“The same as usual,” Nico sighed, climbing up onto the stage next to Will. “So, I'm supposed to be watching you guys practice.”

“Ah, well, as you can see, Apollo's running through last minute changes to the routines. They'll get started in a minute.”

Nico glanced over to where Apollo stood in front of the other Lost Kids, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. “Apollo's in charge of the performances?” Nico asked.

Will nodded. “Percy put him in charge of routines shortly after he arrived, from what I hear anyways. Since he actually studies dance, he's the best suited for it. I hear Percy used to do it until Apollo arrived, but he let Apollo handle it after that. Percy's a busy guy, doesn't have a lot of time to teach us dance moves.”

Nico nodded his head. He glanced back over to where Percy, Luke, and Annabeth sat, a frown appearing on his face. Annabeth was actually in Percy's lap now, grinding her hips down onto Percy. Luke had made himself busy with rubbing Percy's chest, trying to keep Percy's attention on him. Nico let out a loud sigh to which Will chuckled at.

“Still jealous I see,” he teased.

“I just don't get why he won't do any of that with me,” Nico mumbled.

Will arched an eyebrow. “Percy doesn't really do anything with us, it's a matter of letting us do stuff to him. The only time he does anything is when it's time for the actual sex. He doesn't go to any of us for it, we go to him.”

Nico blew out a long breath, still staring at Percy. Will nudged him and hopped off the stage. Nico looked at him in confusion until he saw the Lost Kids were getting ready to perform. He climbed off the stage and followed Will over to a table. Apollo jumped off the stage and walked over to the table Nico and Will were now occupying. The Lost Boys walked over to their side of the room, sitting down on the stage to watch the girls perform.

Nico watched as the girls did their performance, shimmying their bodies, slapping their asses, and bending over to show their clothed butts. “It's much more exciting when it's the real thing,” Apollo whispered. “Wait until tonight when they're in their costumes, it looks nothing short of amazing.”

“I'm sure,” Nico replied with a smile. Apollo leaned back in his chair and slipped his arm behind Nico, pulling the boy's chair closer to him. As the song finished, Apollo stood up. Nico clapped with Will and Apollo as the girls gave a playful bow.

Thalia smirked at Nico when she saw him clapping. She reached for the hem of her shirt and lifted it up. Nico's face darkened as he got an eyeful of her see-through bra. The girls all giggled at him, while Will chuckled and pat him on the back. “You better get used to seeing stuff like that, Nico. You'll be seeing a lot more of it,” Will laughed.

“Good job, girls,” Percy said. Nico turned his head to the booth where Percy sat. Annabeth was already standing up and Percy was sliding out himself. He stood up and walked over to the front of the stage, where he started talking to Apollo.

Nico frowned, his eyes trained on Percy's crotch. Will leaned over and waved a hand in front of his face. “See something you like there, buddy?” he teased.

Nico's face felt burning hot. “I-I wasn't looking at...you know,” Nico stuttered.

Will's eyes widened in amusement. “Looking for a bulge?”

Nico pouted. “Why would you think that?”

Will arched a brow. “Well, you were staring right at his crotch.” Will leaned back in his chair, his eyes flickering to Percy for a brief second before they returned to Nico. “You're not going to see anything, though.”

“Why do you say that?”

Will shrugged. “Percy has control over his body. The only time he really gets hard is when it's time for sex. I guess it was all those years of practice just gave him have total control.”

Nico's lips curled down into a frown, his eyebrows furrowing. That really didn't make sense. “Are you sure?” Nico asked.

Will nodded his head, giving Nico an odd look. “I mean, Annabeth was practically fucking him right over there, but as you can see, he's flaccid.”

“Interesting,” Nico mumbled.

Will's face contorted further in confusion. He started to open his mouth to say something, but Percy suddenly appeared at their table. “Will, get to the stage, you need to practice,” Percy ordered. Will nodded and hurried off to join the others on the stage. Percy turned his gaze on Nico. He smirked and rested his hand on the table. “So, did you enjoy that?”

Nico nodded. “Yeah, I can't wait to see the real thing tonight,” Nico replied.

Percy's smirk grew. He chuckled and winked at Nico. “I'm sure. Now, I need you to get backstage and help Silena and Piper out. After that you can go get some food. When you come back, wear some loose clothing, just make sure to have the speedo on underneath the clothes.” He stood back up to his full height. “Go backstage when you arrive, the twins will have something for you when you get there.”

Nico nodded, standing up. His eyes raked over Percy's body once, still taking in what Will had said. Nico looked back up to Percy's face, where Percy was giving him an amused look. “Sorry,” Nico mumbled.

“Don't be sorry,” Percy chuckled. He snapped his fingers. “Oh yes, before I forget, I need to talk to you about your schedule next week.”

“Okay.”

“Well, you'll still meet with the boys after school, but you'll have private lessons with Apollo in place of lessons with me.”

Nico pouted. “Oh.”

Percy chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. “Cheer up, I'll probably drop in on your lessons with him, just to make sure that you're getting the hang of things.” He grabbed Nico's shoulders and guided him towards the backstage door. “Now, off you go.”

\--------------------------------------

Nico exited the elevator, Clarisse and Ethan were now at their booths. It would be another ten minutes before customers got to come up, so they were currently unoccupied. “Well, well, if it isn't the new kid. Finally made it up to the big boys' club, eh?” Clarisse said, scribbling something down on a clipboard with a smirk.

“I guess so,” Nico replied, walking past the booths.

Ethan chuckled. “Don't mind her, Nico. We're here to keep you guys taken care of. So, if you have problems with the customers, we got you're back,” said Ethan.

Nico gave him a small smile. “Thanks.” He hurried off down the hall, running up the stairs. The room was cast into the darkness it had been in the last time Nico had been up here during business hours. The wall was still open, so Nico was assuming that the Lost Kids would be performing together this weekend.

He headed backstage, where he found six of the Lost Boys. A door close to the one Percy had taken Nico down last time was opened this time. The boys looked to be getting ready, Butch and Apollo already in their speedos. The twins, Octavian, and Luke, were putting on costumes. The twins were dressed to look like jesters. They had on white tights underneath some black puffy shorts. Their shirts were white as well, with black designs elaborately embroidered over the fronts and backs. Their heads were covered with black and white hats, which had several pointy ends, each with its own bell. Their entire faces were covered in masks, each sporting a different one. The one Nico assumed to be Travis, due to the small variation in height, had a half sun on the left side of his mask, while Connor's had a crescent moon on the opposite side of his mask.

Luke's costume made him look like a Venetian noble from the pages of history on his way to a party. His pants were black with golden embroidering down the sides. On both of his hands he also wore black gloves. His shirt was blood red with a black crease running vertically down the center. His arms had black silk wrapped all the way down his arm and around his hands. Nico then noticed the blond was completely barefoot, which he thought was a little odd, until he noticed the same about all the boys in costumes. In his left hand was his mask, it was only large enough to cover from above his eyes down to his nose. Below each of the eye slots, there were gold designs hanging downwards.

Octavian had green tights on. There was a black belt wrapped around his waist with a golden belt buckle. His hands were covered with white silk gloves that extended up into a green coat he had on. The coat matched the pants, but it had green and white feathers lining the opening. One difference with his ensemble and the others' was that he did not have a shirt on, giving Nico a full display of Octavian's torso. Nico couldn't recall ever seeing Octavian shirtless, but he suddenly wished he had. He couldn't get a good look at it, but from what he could see, Octavian was defined, not as much as Will or Apollo, but he had some abs. Octavian's mask was white with green designs swirling across the sides and top of the mask.

“Hey, Nico,” Butch greeted him as he approached.

“Well, look who's finally here,” voiced Luke. “Ready to start playing with the big boys?”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry, I'm trying to take you seriously, but then I look at what you're wearing,” Nico replied.

Everyone but Luke and Octavian cracked up, the twins rolling in a fit of laughter. “Alright, Nico, you need your own mask,” Apollo chuckled.

“Percy said to see the Stolls,” Nico informed them.

“We have your mask right over here,” they said simultaneously. It still creeped Nico out the way they did that.

They walked over to a mirror and retrieved a mask off the desk. They jogged back over and handed the mask to Nico. The mask was like Luke's, in that it only covered the same portion of Nico's face. It was white with a small circle of blue tracing the left eye, while the right side of the mask was covered in blue. The right side was designed so that the blue descended away from the eye, until it reached the bottom of the mask, swirling inwards near the bottom. It was beautiful, Nico thought.

“You need to hurry and get out of those clothes,” Octavian mumbled, slipping his mask onto his face.

Nico looked down, uncomfortable with what he was going to have to do. He handed his mask back to Connor while he slipped his shirt over his head, earning whistles from the twins. Nico rolled his eyes and took the mask back from Connor. He slipped the mask over his face, which oddly enough, made him smile. It felt fun to be wearing it. Perhaps Apollo had been right about this part of the job being fun. He walked over to the mirror where he fixed his hair, having become messy when he pulled off his shirt. He slipped out of his pants and shoes, picking them and his shirt up, and setting them in a pile with the other boys' clothes.

“Now what?” Nico asked.

“Butch and I are about to head out onto the floor, so you can just follow us when we go,” Apollo said.

“We need to show him where to drop off and pick up orders,” Butch reminded the blond.

“Oh yeah, that's right, we haven't taken you by the other backroom. Well, it's not really a backroom. It's just a small room out on the floor. Come on, we'll show you.” With that, Apollo and Butch walked off, pushing the door open, and the three of them emerged back into the main room. A few customers were starting to come in, which meant Nico's night was about to begin. They headed towards two doors which would normally have been split by the wall that was currently gone. Butch pushed the door open for them, and Nico found himself in a room similar to the break room in the bar. This one however, had a variety of liquor bottles lining the back wall. Three large stacks of glasses sat on the right corner of the back wall. There was a sink nearby, on the left wall, and a refrigerator on the opposite side of that.

Hazel, Thalia, and Calypso sat on one of the two couches in the room, while a man that Nico had never seen before sat in a chair in the corner of the room, next to the small bar. Nico looked the man over, feeling an immediate sense of uncertainty about the man. There was just something about the way he looked at Nico, and the smile on his face, that made Nico feel uneasy.

He had a chubby face and a red nose, probably from alcohol consumption. His hair was so black and styled with gel that it looked almost purple in the lighting. His blue eyes were also horribly bloodshot. He was a little on the chubby side, and wore a tiger-striped button-up shirt and black pants.

His eyes crinkled at the sight of Nico, making the young boy fidget. “Oh, Apollo, who's this?” the man asked.

Nico glanced up at the blond next to him. Apollo's eyes had visually turned a darker shade of blue and his jaw had tightened. “This is our new addition, his name is Nico,” Apollo grunted. He turned his angry eyes upon Nico, nodding to the man. “Nico, that's Dionysus, the...bartender up here.”

Nico looked back at the man, giving him a timid wave. The man smiled back at him. Butch grunted and stepped in front of Nico, crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, Butch, must we act so uncivilized?” Dionysus asked in amusement, pouring himself some alcohol.

Nico glanced at the girls on the couch, who seemed to be making a point not to look at Dionysus. They were dressed similarity to the boys, being in bathing suits. They also had masks, each of theirs placed in their laps. Thalia's looked unique, it was nothing but silver-looking metal crafted into the most beautiful designs. Instead of having something painted across it, there were holes to form the mask's designs. It seemed like all the people working the floor could only wear small masks, as her's also only covered a portion of her face.

Hazel's mask was also silver, with what looked like diamonds embedded around the eyes. The right side of the mask was what really drew Nico's attention. It was shaped so that it would curve around and up the side of the wearer's face. There was also a large black feather attached to the right side to complete its look.

Calypso's mask reminded Nico of the Jack-of-Blades mask from Fable. The mask was white for the most part, but had red, black, and gold, scattered across it as well. Lines were drawn between the eyes, looking like string tied into knots. Red spread across the top of the mask, right above the eyes and curving around the outside of the eyes. On the right side of the mask, a black rose was attached to it.

“Hey, Nico,” Hazel greeted him. Nico waved back.

“Are you ready for this?” Thalia asked.

“I think so,” Nico replied. He wasn't completely sure, considering his pulse was racing pretty fast.

Finally, Apollo and Butch put their masks on, allowing Nico a chance to see them. Apollo's had to be the most meaningful of the masks Nico had seen, a music sheet drawn across it. Gold lined the border of the mask, and spread out, covering some of the music sheet. The space over Apollo's nose was black with the gold border around it, forming a perfect triangle. It was beautiful to look at, and went well with Apollo's features. His eyes shined so perfectly through the mask.

Butch's mask resembled flames. Nico couldn't quite decide on the design, debating between an imp, goblin, or a representation of the Egyptian goddess Bast. Pointed ears were on either side of the mask. A golden 'V' ran down the center of the mask, right between the eyes. The eyes were also surrounded by gold. The rest of the mask, however, was colored red. It was interesting to look at, to say the least.

“Alright, we better get out there,” Calypso said, standing up. “Remember, Nico, this works the same as the bar downstairs, but you need to pay even less attention to their business.”

Nico nodded. He definitely knew better than to do that at this point in the job. “Your mask has to stay on at all times while on the floor,” Hazel informed him. He nodded his head again. Apollo pushed on Nico's lower back, ushering him to the door with the others. Nico turned his head back to look at Dionysus as he was going, receiving a crooked smile from the man.

The room had already filled while they had been in the bar room. Nico watched as the others grabbed a pen and pad from a table by the door, Thalia tossing him one for himself. Nico thanked her and began to walk off, but Apollo grabbed his arm in a tight grip. Nico turned his head to look at the blond in confusion, only to be met by a serious look on Apollo's face.

“I need to talk to you real quick,” Apollo said.

“What about?” Nico asked.

“I figured someone had told you about Dionysus, but I guess not. You need to talk to Percy, tomorrow. Just don't take anything from Dionysus.” Nico looked back towards the door, but Apollo grabbed his chin and forced him to look back at him, a fierce look in his eyes. “I mean it, Nico. Nothing. If he offers you something, don't take it. Do you understand?”

Nico nodded his head slowly, a little confused by what was happening. Apollo hadn't even been this upset when he saw Nico was being bullied. “I promise I won't.”

Apollo let out a long breath, releasing Nico's arm. “Good, just see Percy tomorrow. It's time you learned the rules around here.”

“There are rules?” Nico asked, arching a brow.

“Not many,” Apollo chuckled, his face soon returning to its dark expression. “You just need to hear this stuff from Percy. Just listen to my advice, ok? The others will tell you the same thing. Be careful with that man.”

Nico nodded again. “Okay, I'll be careful.”

“Thank you,” Apollo sighed in relief. “Now that that is out of the way, let's get to work.”

It was around the second table that Nico went to that he noticed a difference in business up here, compared to business in the bar. For starters, a lot of the customers did not look as friendly as the ones downstairs. He tried not to overhear, really he did, but he just could not help it. By the sound of what the two men at his table were talking about, Nico wasn't sure if they were dealing in slavery or a prostitution ring. Either way, it made him feel uncomfortable serving them, and even more uncomfortable when they looked up at him.

Percy came in right before the show was going to start, and Nico saw the Lost Kids all start to make their way over to him. Were they going to fight to the death for the chance to be Percy's waiter, or something? He tried to make his way over as well, but Thalia beat them all to him. Nico let out a long sigh as the black haired girl smiled and leaned over Percy's small booth.

“You'll have to be quicker on your feet next time, Nico, if you want that job,” Butch said, patting Nico on the back.

“Why is everyone fighting over him?” Nico asked.

Butch smirked. “It's just how we are. It's sort of a bloodbath up here. All of us want to work up here because both the floor and the stage pay better.” Butch leaned in closer to whisper to Nico. “It also allows Percy's server to have more time to talk to him, in case they want to work on their hours.”

Nico nodded as Butch walked off. He stared back at where Thalia was still flirting with Percy. He was going to get that position this weekend, if it was the last thing he would do. The room suddenly fell quiet as the lights darkened even further than it already was. Nico stood where he was, wanting to watch the opening for tonight's show. He wanted to see how they would kick tonight off, considering the theme.

Two spotlights turned on as the music began, focusing on the two ropes hanging from the ceiling. Nico recognized the song as David Guetta's “Turn Me On”. As the beats of the song began, Travis and Connor started descending, upside down, from the ropes. They landed gracefully on the ground, crossing each other with backflips. Once they finished the curtain in the back was opened, revealing the stage to the audience. The Lost Kids were on stage, in their full costumes. They stood frozen like statues until the line, “Make me come alive”, played in the song. 

Up on the stage with Luke, Octavian, and the twins were Silena, Piper, Reyna, and Annabeth dressed just as extravagantly as the boys. Silena wore a golden dress with black fur around the shoulders. Her mask was golden as well, taking the form of a butterfly. Piper's outfit was pure white. The dress was large and puffy, with silk and lace scattered across it. Her mask was similar to the one Hazel wore, except hers was pure white, with a white feather on the side. Reyna's was a matching outfit to the one Octavian wore, except hers was a dress, obviously. It looked like she had an umbrella stuffed up under her dress from the way it spread out. Her mask was green, but did not cover her left eye, curving in a crescent shape around it. Annabeth's dress seemed to wrap around her, completely black. There was some transparent purple silk wrapped around her shoulders, that traveled up to her head. Her mask was white, with purple designs drawn across it. A single purple teardrop was drawn right below the left eye.

They carried an air of being marionettes as they began to move, dangling their arms every time they moved. Luke started out by slouching forward, his arms swinging in front of him. Silena's head fell off to the side to give a similar effect. It was actually entertaining to watch them put on a performance with this theme. Finally, they reached up and acted like they were tearing the strings away. They approached the front of the stage, lining up in a row. The twins stayed together, leaning against one another, while Octavian had an arm wrapped around Reyna's waist, dipping her back a little. As the beat picked up, they dropped to the ground, pounding the floor with their palms.

As they rose back up, they removed a piece of clothing. A belt, some silk, hats, and an umbrella skirt were thrown to the side of the stage. They all leaned forward, running their hands down their right or left leg, splitting half each, and then slid it back up, caressing their upper thighs as they ascended once again. 

The girls popped their hips out and fell backwards, one of the guys catching each of them. The girls reached up and ripped the shirts away from their respective guys, giving the audience a nice view of each of the guys' torsos. Dresses were then removed, leaving the girls in fishnet stockings and tight corsets.

The girls fell into the guys' chests, raking their hands down the firm torsos. The guys spun the girls around and they spread out a few inches. They stomped their left and then right foot as the song hit two thumps during the song. When the lyrics from earlier repeated, the guys ripped their pants off, now leaving them in either speedos or man thongs. The only real thing now covering the kids, were the masks and the underwear. 

Silena and Connor got down on the ground, crawling across the stage. They laid themselves on their sides, raising their legs up in the air. Nico's eyes widened a little as he watched both of them stick their legs straight up. Luke and Travis hovered over them, dropping down to the floor on top of them. They ran a hand up Connor and Silena's legs, thrusting their hips down in time with the music.

Nico felt his face heat up as he continued to watch the Lost Kids. He yelped when he felt someone press up against his behind, turning around to find a grinning Apollo. “Enjoying the show?” Apollo asked over the music.

“It's interesting, to say the least,” Nico replied.

Apollo chuckled. “Wait until tomorrow. I have a better opening planned.”

“Why not have it for tonight, since it's the actual opening night?”

“Because I want to be in the performance,” Apollo said with a wink. He hummed to himself, still pressed against Nico's bum. “You know, Nico, you have a really nice ass.”

Nico's face turned even redder, turning his face away from the blond. “Shut up,” he mumbled.

“If you ever wanted to lose that virginity of yours, I'd be glad to help you out,” Apollo whispered in his ears before chuckling and walking off.

Nico glared at the blond as he sauntered over to one of his tables, his eyes falling down to Apollo's perfect butt, that the speedo very much complimented. Nico sighed to himself. His attention returned to the stage as clapping erupted in the room. The Lost Kids all stood frozen in place for a few seconds before blowing kisses to the audience and walking backstage.

Nico got himself back to work as they prepared for the next performance. He didn't need to get in trouble on his first night, and he knew that several eyes would probably be on him to see how he did. Checking his suspicions, he glanced over to Percy's booth, where sure enough, Percy's eyes were trained directly on him. Percy smirked at him and raised his glass up at him. Nico blew at his bangs and went to his next table.

Nico threw on a flirtatious smile as he came to the table. Two women sat at the table, one black headed and the other a brunette. “Hello there, my name is Nico. Is there anything I can get you very fine ladies to start off with?” he asked, adding a wink for good measure.

The women did not act like the ones downstairs usually did, who were usually more subtle when they eyed the workers. These women had no qualms about raking their eyes up and down Nico's near naked body. “Well, aren't you...adorable,” the brunette said, biting her lip.

Nico could already tell this job would be different from what he had been accustomed to at the Lotus. He now knew why Percy had told him several times to keep his innocence. It was probably going to be a challenge to keep it. Nico quickly hid the frown that he could feel appearing on his face, replacing it with the standard flirty smile.

Throughout the night, Nico became more and more aware of the behaviors of the people up here. He was also aware of all the looks he was getting, most of them coming across as predatory. He felt like a gazelle about to be taken down by a lion.

The night finally came to an end at three in the morning. Nico collapsed into a booth with Octavian, Apollo, Thalia, and Luke. His head landed on Apollo's shoulder, completely exhausted. He let out a groaning noise as Apollo started rubbing his back. The door to the break room opened and Percy came out with Dionysus. The room seemed to grow eerily quiet as the Lost Kids watched the two, a heavy tension in the air.

Dionysus slipped a wad of cash into Percy's hand and Percy mumbled something to the chubby man. Percy's eyes narrowed at the man as he fished something out of his back pocket and handed it to Dionysus. He pointed a finger at Dionysus and said something else, not looking too happy about whatever they were discussing. The two then glanced over at the booth, looking straight at Nico. Percy grabbed Dionysus jaw roughly and turned Dionysus's chubby face to look back at his, whispering something else to the man.

“What's going on?” Nico whispered.

Luke looked up from his phone, looking bored, and glanced over at the scene. “They're just doing business,” the blond said, returning to his game.

“Don't worry about that stuff, Nico,” Thalia added, giving him a stern look.

Percy walked off from Dionysus and came up to their booth. He grabbed the glass that Octavian was in the process of raising to his lips, and took a sip for himself. “Yes, Percy, you can have that,” Octavian mumbled as Percy handed it back to him.

Percy smirked. “Sorry, just needed something and didn't want to order something new,” he apologized.

“Eh, don't sweat it.”

“You guys did great tonight.”

“Thanks, boss,” the twins sang in Percy's ears, suddenly appearing beside him. They rested their heads on Percy's shoulders, lacing their fingers together around his body.

Percy finally turned his attention to Nico. “I'm actually impressed, Nico. You did well tonight. Let's hope you continue this streak for the remainder of the weekend,” he said with a smile. He glanced at Apollo to speak to him. “Don't forget, you need to work with him this coming week. I need him able to dance like the rest of you by this time next week.”

Apollo nodded, giving Nico's shoulder a squeeze. “I'll work him extra hard,” Apollo teased with a wink.

“What happens tomorrow?” Nico asked. It was the weekend, so he didn't know what he could expect this time around.

“We'll be back up here after lunch, so come back up here after you eat and help out,” Percy said, slapping his palm onto his fist. Percy's smile suddenly fell. “And you'll need to come by my office as well. Do that first, then you can come up here to work.”

Nico nodded. Tomorrow sounded like it would be another interesting day, but then again, what day wasn't interesting at the Lotus?


	13. Loving You Forever Can't Be Wrong

Nico stared over at his alarm clock. It was a little after ten, and Nico knew he needed to be getting up. He groaned and ran his hand under the covers, adjusting himself in his boxers. It was beginning to become a common occurrence for him to dream of his boss as he had last night, and it was really becoming frustrating. Why couldn't Percy just have sex with him? Maybe he should go to one of the Lost Boys.

Nico sighed and swung his legs off the bed. He sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair. While he did admit that the Lost Boys were very attractive, he really wanted his first time to be with Percy. The problem was that Percy was being extremely stubborn in helping him out with that.

Nico stepped out of his bedroom to fix some cereal. It was a little past breakfast time, but he really didn't care. With these late nights, he took his food and sleep whenever he could get them. He reached up into the cabinet and pulled a bowl out. He grabbed his favorite box of cereal and a spoon, and poured the cereal in the bowl.

His problem with Percy was growing, he knew that. Every single day, it seemed like Nico's feelings kept growing. Being around Percy was beginning to be intoxicating to Nico. He thrived on getting time with the green eyed young man. Percy just wouldn't give in, and that confused Nico.

Percy would mess with every one of the Lost Kids, except him. Why was that? He wanted to keep Nico innocent, and he felt this was for Nico's own good, but why? Maybe he didn't find Nico sexually appealing. Perhaps Percy saw him more like a brother. Nico scoffed. That couldn't be it. Apollo treated Nico like a brother, but he still made it clear he wanted Nico in his bed.

Nico sighed as he plopped down on his couch with his bowl of cereal. Percy was, and would probably remain, a mystery to Nico. He wouldn't explain himself to Nico, so Nico would never know the answers to these questions. There was no way he would get the answers out of the Lost Kids. He might be family now, but Nico knew where their greater loyalty lay.

They were also a mystery to Nico. Whose side were they really on? Probably their own. They acted like a close family for the most part, but when it came to time on the top floor or with Percy, they were competitive with each other. Was it a game, or was it for real? Did they stick together for the most part, or would they sell each other out? Nico supposed only time would tell.

Nico reached for his phone, groaning at the time. He needed to get dressed and go see Percy. He scarfed down the rest of his cereal and tossed the bowl in the sink. He quickly got into the bathroom and turned on the shower. This was his problem. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hurry so Percy wouldn't get upset with him for being late, or if was just eager to see the black haired man.

Nico hurried through his shower, getting out and grabbing a towel. He walked back to his room and started drying himself off. He opened his closet to retrieve some clothing, noting his appearance in the mirror. It was still strange looking at himself. It seemed like an eternity for him that he was on the streets and starving to death. Now, he looked better than ever and actually had to admit he looked attractive.

He dropped his towel, running his eyes over his pale skin, not finding a single blemish. It was nice, looking at himself like this. When he first got here, he couldn't even look at himself, and now it was just a relief to see his body recovered. He let out a long sigh and retrieved some clothes for the day from his closet. Nico made haste as he finished getting ready, and soon, he was heading out the door.

Nico found Luke waiting at the elevator, the blond rolling his eyes when he noticed Nico's approach. “Oh goodie, just who I wanted to see upon waking up,” Luke mumbled.

“I'm sure you're not much fun to wake up to either,” Nico retorted.

Luke chuckled dryly. “Funny. I have plenty of people wanting my attention.”

“I can't imagine why, you're about as warm as Antarctica.”

Luke smirked and pinned Nico against the wall, Nico's hands being held above his head. “People like being dominated, Nico. Don't forget that,” Luke purred into Nico's ear, making the smaller boy squirm under Luke's intense gaze.

The elevator finally arrived and Luke released Nico, stepping onboard. He tapped his foot, pressing the button to hold the door open. Nico blushed and got inside. Luke hit the seventieth floor button, and Nico stepped forward to hit the sixty-eight floor.

“On your way to see the boss?” Luke asked.

“He wanted me to come by. Apollo said something to him about Dionysus.”

Luke's shoulders tensed up at the mention of the chubby bartender's name, a reaction that perplexed Nico. Luke didn't seem the type to be bothered by anyone. “Stay away from him,” Luke mumbled, averting his eyes from Nico.

“What does he do?”

Luke just shook his head. “Apollo told you not to take anything he gave you?” Luke growled. Nico nodded. “Good. Don't.”

The elevator opened to Percy's floor, but Nico stood and stared at Luke for a moment. The blond eventually peered over at him, narrowing his eyes at Nico. Nico bit his lip and walked out of the elevator, looking back at the blond as the elevator doors closed. “That was...strange,” Nico mumbled, continuing on his way to Percy's office. The only time Luke was actually decent to him was during lessons, but he just acted like Apollo had the night before.

He opened the door to Percy's office, finding Leo behind his desk. “Hey, Nico,” Leo greeted him.

“Hey,” Nico replied, glancing over at Rachel's desk. “Where's Rachel?”

“Out running some errands for Percy. So, what can I do for you?”

“Percy wanted me to come see him about the rules of this place.”

Leo nodded, chewing on his lip. He looked back at his computer and began typing. “Yeah, I heard about last night.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “What exactly did you hear?”

“Nothing really.”

Nico sighed. “So, is Percy in his office?”

Leo nodded. “Yeah, he's in there,” Nico began moving for the door, “but he's with Calypso right now.”

Nico froze, his hand reaching for the doorknob. “Oh,” he mumbled, his cheeks heating up. He really didn't want to walk in on Percy with another Lost Kid.

“You can just take a seat,” Leo chuckled, gesturing to one of the chairs near the entrance to the office. Nico nodded and walked over to sit down. “So, it seems you weren't being honest with me when we first met.”

Nico looked up at Leo in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You told me that you didn't have a crush on Percy, but according to the others, you do.”

Nico's cheeks darkened even more. “Does everyone know?”

Leo chuckled. “Yes, everyone knows, but don't worry about it. Having a crush on Percy is a normal occurrence for most people when they first arrive, but usually they get over it around now. Well, they still keep a physical attraction, just not the...you know, I'm going to stop rambling now,” Leo mumbled.

Nico smiled, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. “Even Percy knows?”

Leo smiled, returning to his typing. “Yes, even Percy.”

“So, how does he feel?”

“I can't answer that, Nico,” Leo groaned. “That's something for you and him to talk about. Actually, I'm not even sure how he feels, none of us are. He's being confusing right now.”

“What do you mean?”

Leo opened his mouth to reply, but Percy's door swung open, Calypso walking out while adjusting her top. She caught Nico's eye and gave him a quick wink on her way out. Percy appeared in the doorway, leaning his arm against the door frame. “Did I get any messages?” Percy asked Leo.

Leo shook his head. “No, but Nico's here to see you,” Leo replied.

Percy looked over at Nico, smiling and nodding his head in the direction of his office. Nico stood up and walked inside, Percy shutting the door behind them. Nico stared over at the couch, which Nico could tell was what was used for Percy and Calypso's 'business discussion', noting the imprints slowly disappearing from the surface. 

Nico's blush returned as he met Percy's eyes, sitting down quickly and quietly in a chair in front of Percy's desk. Percy arched an eyebrow at him as he sat down in his own chair. “Is there a problem, Nico?” Percy asked.

Nico shook his head. “N-No,” he stuttered.

“Really? Because you seem a little nervous.”

That's because he was nervous. Although, Nico wasn't sure if was because of what had just happened in the office or because of his dream the night before. “I'm fine.”

Percy looked at him skeptically. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on his desk. “Alright, I need to run over a few things with you,” Percy began. “As you know, I don't really have many rules around here, but there are some things you need to know. I need to cover smoking, alcohol, sex, and drugs.”

“Ok?” Nico said hesitantly, not really sure why this needed to be said.

Percy rubbed his face. “Alright, I don't personally care if any of the Lost Kids smoke, but it's pretty frowned on. I don't really approve of it, for the health reasons, so I just say it's frowned upon.”

“Well, I don't really smoke.”

Percy smiled. “I know, I'm just saying. Next, we have sex. As you know, sex is part of the business around here, but it is also something fun for the Lost Kids to do with each other. It's also how they negotiate hours with me. So, I don't care if you have sex, just use protection at all times. Just know that this probably isn't the place you want to go picking a monogamous partner from.”

“I know,” Nico mumbled, looking down at his lap.

“Just the way it is. As far as alcohol is concerned, I'll probably eventually let you drink, just not now. The others use it as a coping mechanism, and I don't think you need it yet. That's all it's really used for around here, something to help nerves and ease pain. So, if I see that you might need some, I'll allow it, but not until then,” Percy stated. “And in general, I don't allow any of the Lost Kids to drink too much or drift into alcoholism.”

Nico nodded his head.

Percy's lips turned down into a frown. “Finally, there's my big rule. This is really the only completely enforced rule around here. I do not, under any circumstances, tolerate the use of drugs among the Lost Kids. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-Yes,” Nico replied.

Percy's face was almost frightening. He didn't appear angry, he was just so serious looking that it gave Nico chills. His eyes were narrow and Nico couldn't help but be reminded of a snake. “I mean it, Nico. Do not take drugs. I do not allow it.”

“I won't take any, I swear. I promise not to let you down.”

Percy's face lightened, his body relaxed, and his smile returned to his face. “I'll hold you to that,” he said, winking at Nico. “So, how was your experience last night?”

“Different,” Nico confessed.

“It'll take some getting used to, but I think you can handle yourself up there.”

Nico smiled, his cheeks once again darkening. Percy smiled at him. “Thanks,” Nico mumbled. He chewed on his lip for a moment before speaking again. “Can I ask about Dionysus?”

Percy's smile instantly fell, his face cast into a shadow. Nico gulped and sat back in his chair, trying to put some distance between himself and Percy. “Just try and keep your interactions with him to a minimal.”

Nico nodded his head quickly. Obviously, they weren't going to tell him anything about the man, but Nico wasn't sure he actually wanted to go poking around like he usually did. Every time the man's name came up, everyone got really upset.

Percy sighed and stood up. He extended his hand out to Nico, but the boy was hesitant to take it. Percy chuckled and grabbed Nico's hand. “I'm not going to hurt you, Nico. I'm just trying to look out for you,” Percy explained. He helped Nico up, the raven haired boy ending up very close to Percy's firm chest. He glanced up to Percy's face, finding Percy's green eyes looking down at him intently. He brushed Nico's bangs out of his face. “I think you're too curious for your own good sometimes,” Percy whispered.

Nico bit his lip. “Everything's just confusing around here. I just want to understand things.”

Percy nodded. “I know, and I'm sure you'll get all your answers eventually.” He leaned in and whispered in Nico's ear. “Just be ready to accept the answers when they are given to you.” He leaned back and smiled down at Nico. “Now, we need to get upstairs, there's something waiting for you.”

Nico cocked his head to the side, staring up at Percy in confusion. Percy just smiled at him and ruffled his hair, opening the door and walking out. Nico huffed and followed after Percy, both of them waving at Leo as they passed.

When they reached the top, Nico found all of the Lost Kids, minus Hazel, Octavian, and Silena, already present. Rachel stood in the center of them, a large cupcake in her hands. “What-What's going on?” Nico asked.

“We wanted to welcome you to the family, Neeks!” the twins exclaimed. Nico blinked at them for a moment, finally looking up at Percy.

“Well, last night was your initiation, and you passed with flying colors, so you're officially a Lost Kid now,” Percy explained, pushing Nico forward.

Rachel smiled and handed Nico the cupcake, the letters 'LK' written in frosting on top. Nico smiled at it. “Thanks,” he mumbled. His eyes widened as the group descended on him, pulling him into a massive group hug. He groaned and squirmed between them, trying to keep his cupcake intact. He jumped when he felt someone pinch his ass, trying to glare at the culprit, but unable to spot anyone.

Nico yelped as a pair of arms wrapped around him, ripping him out of the huddle. Percy chuckled down at him. He swiped a finger across the top of Nico's cupcake and sucked it off his finger, winking at Nico. “Well, he can enjoy his cupcake, all of you need to get to work,” Percy ordered.

The Lost Kids all grumbled and pouted as they made their way to the stage, Nico following after Percy as the older male sat down at the booth that he sat at last night. He slid in beside the green eyed manager, earning him a few scowls from the others. Rachel joined them, handing Percy a few documents and whispering to Percy about hotel business. Nico took a bite out of his cupcake, keeping his eyes on Percy, watching Percy's dark hair fall into his eyes as he looked down at the papers.

Some music started up and the Lost Kids started stretching. Percy grabbed Nico's cupcake and took a bite out of it, earning himself a pout from Nico. “Get your own,” Nico mumbled when the cupcake was handed back to him.

Percy chuckled. “Don't you want to share your food with me, Nico?” he asked with a smirk. He scowled at Percy and returned his attention to the stage.

As the song picked up, the Lost Kids began moving their bodies in enticing manners. His eyes lingered on Will's ass as the blond bent over to touch the floor. He noticed Nico staring at him and slapped his ass, winking at Nico. Nico averted his eyes, feeling his blush once again returning. They were all out to get him, Nico decided.

“I expect you to be able to dance like they do by Friday,” Percy said, not looking up from his paperwork.

“Exactly like they do?” Nico whispered.

Percy nodded, looking up when Nico groaned. “Calm down, Apollo is a really good dance coach. You'll be fine. I'll even have him start with you tonight, if you prefer.”

Nico nodded. “I'm not much of a dancer, so I'll probably need all the help I can get,” Nico confessed.

Percy leaned towards Nico to whisper in his ear. “Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be very appealing to watch.” Percy let out a puff of breath on Nico's neck and flicked his tongue against Nico's earlobe. He pulled back with a chuckle, noting Nico's red cheeks. “You're too easy to tease, Nico,” Percy said, returning to his work.

“You're a cruel tease,” Nico mumbled.

Percy and Rachel shared a laugh. “Well, if Rachel weren't here and bombarding me with work, perhaps I'd be more inclined to hear out your request,” Percy joked

Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Ha. Hasn't stopped you before,” she scoffed.

Percy pouted at her. “So cruel, Rachel. That was just one time, and it wasn't even my idea.”

“I'm not sure I want to hear this,” Nico interrupted them.

Percy smiled at him. “Suit yourself,” the black haired man said.

The hours passed by and Nico found himself in Apollo and Will's suite with Apollo, Will, Reyna, Travis, and Hazel. They had opted for room service, since the hotel was overly crowded for the weekend. It was also easier on them with their tight schedules for the weekend, according to Reyna. 

“So, has it sunk in yet, Nico?” Hazel asked before taking a bite of her salad.

“Um. Sort of, I guess. It's still a little surreal to me,” Nico confessed.

“You'll feel like that for a while,” Travis said.

Nico turned to Apollo, who sat beside him. “So, tonight's show is supposed to be good?”

“Yes,” Apollo chuckled. “You should pay attention to the opening especially.”

“Did Percy talk to you about giving me an early lesson?” Nico asked, sticking some pasta in his mouth. Apollo nodded his head, his mouth currently full of food. “So, you want to start after we get off?”

Apollo grinned at him. “Oh, you won't be getting off until I'm done with you,” he said seductively.

Nico started coughing, his cheeks tinged pink. “Aw. Leave the poor boy alone,” Hazel said, smiling at Nico's embarrassment.

“Am I going to be around for this lesson? Because it sounds like something I want to be a part of,” Will teased, winking at Nico. Nico chuckled nervously.

Apollo nudged Nico's shoulder. “We're only kidding, dude. We're not going to rape you.”

“Unless you're into that sort of thing,” Will added.

Apollo rolled his eyes. “You're just fun to tease.”

“Glad I can be of amusement,” Nico mumbled.

Reyna sighed. “Stop torturing the poor boy, I'm starting to actually feel sorry for him,” she complained. “Between all of you boys, I'm not sure how his face ever has time to be pale.”

Travis wrapped an arm around Nico's leg, laying his head on Nico's thigh. “Aw, but we can't help it, we've never had an innocent one come along,” Travis whined.

“And everyone's so eager to break his innocence, it seems.”

“You said you wanted him to be more like us,” Will mumbled around his food.

Reyna shot him a hateful look and Nico just stared between the two. Will just shrugged, not even looking up at Reyna from his food.

Hazel cleared her throat. “I think we better get going. We don't need to be late,” she reminded them.

The trip up to the top floor was completely silent and awkward for Nico. They came to the top floor, finding it currently deserted. Nico awkwardly followed after the others as they made their way backstage to get changed. The rest of the Lost Boys working up there tonight were already present, and nearly finished with getting dressed. Nico was surprised to find Luke dressed in the same costume he had on last night. Reyna and Hazel walked through an open door, which Nico assumed led to the girls' dressing area.

“I thought he went on last night?” Nico asked Apollo.

Apollo raised his eyebrows at Nico, turning his head to look at Luke. “Oh, yeah, that's how it works. Why do you think we get competitive with hours? It gets pretty cut-throat when busy weekends are getting close, and those that put in the extra effort usually end up with an extra night on stage,” Apollo explained. “I'll be performing tomorrow night as well.”

Nico nodded, watching Travis as he undressed, Luke handing him his jester costume. Apollo pulled his shirt over his head, fully drawing Nico's attention to the blond's abs.

Apollo chuckled. “You're welcome to touch,” he said with a dazzling smile.

Nico glanced up at Apollo's face hesitantly. Apollo just rolled his eyes and grabbed Nico's hand, placing it on his stomach. Nico bit his lip, trailing his hand across blond's muscles. “You, uh, have a nice body,” Nico mumbled.

“Thanks,” Apollo chuckled, unbuttoning his pants. Nico pulled his hand away as Apollo stood there in a speedo. “Aw, Nico, do I make you nervous?” Apollo pouted and batted his eyelashes at Nico.

Nico huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”

Apollo smirked and walked over to grab his costume. “You should get out of those clothes,” he said.

Nico nodded, slipping himself out of his clothes, but keeping his eyes on Apollo as he got dressed. Apollo's costume was rather simple, compared to some of the others. He had black transparent tights, that, when left in just that, left little to the imagination. He slipped his shirt on, it too showing off his body. It was made of black feathers and lace, which split halfway down his chest, opening up to reveal his abs. He smirked at Nico once more before slipping his mask from last night on.

“What are you supposed to be?” Nico asked.

Apollo smiled and handed Nico his mask. “You'll see. I have a performance with Thalia. I think you'll like it.”

Beckendorf walked over, slipping his arm around Nico's shoulders. “I'm afraid I'm gonna have to steal this one away from you, blondie,” Beckendorf chuckled.

Apollo nodded. “Take care of him tonight, man, and remember what I said,” Apollo said.

Beckendorf nodded. “I know. I got this.”

Nico let himself be led by Beckendorf towards the door where Octavian was waiting for them. “About time. I was staring to wonder if I was going to have to get a mop to wipe up the drool from you ogling Apollo,” Octavian droned.

Nico huffed at the blond as they walked across the floor, some of the arriving customers already looking them over. Nico glanced up to Beckendorf. “What was that between you and Apollo?” Nico asked.

Beckendorf looked down at Nico with a warm smile. “Nothing, don't worry about it,” Beckendorf assured him. Nico frowned at the muscular Lost Boy as they stepped into the bar room. They had beat the girls there tonight, but Dionysus was already in his chair, drinking some liquor.

“Ah, the new kid returns,” the chubby man called after Nico as he sat down on the couch.

“He'll be here all weekend,” Beckendorf mumbled, taking a seat beside Nico, placing himself between Nico and Dionysus.

“Well then, how fortunate for me.” The man began digging in his pocket. “Ah yes, I don't suppose I could get you to deliver something for me, could I?”

Beckendorf snarled and Nico watched as Octavian's eyes narrowed at Dionysus. “What did Percy tell you?” Beckendorf growled.

“It's just for a customer,” Dionysus said innocently, holding out a small clear sealable bag, his fingers closed around its contents.

“And you know the rule,” Octavian scoffed. “You take care of it yourself.”

“But wouldn't it be better for business if a pretty little thing were delivering it, compared to me?”

“Do it yourself, if you ask him again, I'll get Percy involved,” Beckendorf warned.

“Fine, take my fun away,” Dionysus sighed.

The door opened, the Lost Girls entering the room. They instantly took in Beckendorf and Octavian's stances and fell silent from whatever they were talking about. “What's going on, baby?” Silena asked.

“This thing tried to get Nico to do his job for him,” Beckendorf barked.

“Your words are so hurtful, Charles,” Dionysus said with a frown.

Silena sat down in Beckendorf's lap, smiling at Nico. “Just tune him out, that's what we do,” she whispered to him. Nico nodded.

Zoë sat down beside Nico, flicking her hair behind her shoulder. “Well, don't get too comfortable, we have to go back out there soon,” Reyna reminded them.

“Good, the air in here is distasteful,” Octavian huffed.

“Do hurry back,” Dionysus called after them as they left.

Nico grabbed a pad and pencil, watching the others with curiosity. Why did they all dislike Dionysus? Even Percy seemed to have a certain dislike for the man. Why did Percy even have him around? Nico tried to gage the others' moods now that they were away from the man, but now that they had put their masks on, it was hard to tell without them looking at him.

Nico was in the middle of taking an order when Percy came in. Nico groaned internally, looking back at the man whose order he was taking. The other Lost Kids made their way over to Percy, and Nico knew there was no point in trying tonight. That meant he would have to be prepared tomorrow night.

He smiled at his customer as he headed back to the bar room, noting a quick change of course from Silena to follow him into the bar room. Last night, he had been suspicious about the fact that the others kept showing up in the bar room anytime Nico went back there, and this was just cementing his theory that they didn't want him to be alone with the bartender.

He pushed the door open and walked to the back of the room, handing the chubby bartender the piece of paper. Dionysus smiled at Nico and looked the order over, his eyes flickering to the door when Silena came in. “Thank you, Nico,” Dionysus said.

“Uh. Thanks?” Nico replied, eyebrows furrowing. “Just doing my job.”

“Oh, but you're doing such a good job at catching onto things, unlike our Silena over there.” Nico looked over to the dark haired girl as she tensed up. “In fact, several of the others had some struggles when they first arrived up here.”

“That's enough, Dionysus,” Silena hissed.

Dionysus blinked at her. “What?”

Silena huffed and shoved her own order at the man. Dionysus smiled and went to work on filling Nico's order. Nico wasn't sure what to do, with the two of them so tense with each other, so he just stood there awkwardly rubbing his arm.

Dionysus slid the tray with Nico's order on it towards the dark haired boy with a smile. Nico returned the smile with a nervous one of his own, brushing passed Silena on his way out. As the door swung closed, Nico heard Silena begin to snap at the man. Nico frowned at the closed door and continued on to his table, trying to put what just happened out of his mind.

Upon delivering his order, the lights went off and Nico stopped to look at the stage. The curtains opened, the two mirrors that had been hanging from the ceiling last night, were now hanging on a large black wall that had been set up on the stage. The lights on the stage lit up, becoming the only source of light in the room. Nico chuckled as the music began playing The Naked and Famous's “Young Blood”. The mirrors opened up and Travis and Piper came tumbling out. Apollo, Luke, Thalia, Will, Annabeth, and Hazel began filing out of the mirrors, reminding Nico of music box figurines as they twirled around on stage.

Nico locked onto Apollo, watching the young man rise on his feet and spin around. The blond moved with such perfect grace that Nico could not help but feel envious of. He was likely to trip and fall on his face when it came his time to get up there. The boys and girls separated to the disparate wings of the stage, Apollo and Thalia staying in the center, spinning gracefully. Thalia was dressed to match Apollo, and Nico instantly picked up on the theme. Thalia wore a black ballerina dress, one that did not really hide much of her lower areas. It was covered in black feathers, just like Apollo's was. She wore a black and silver crown on top of her head.

Nico smiled, wondering what song the two of them would perform later. Luke grabbed Annabeth as the blonde began to do a backflip, helping her pull off the move with precise grace. Travis spread his hands out in front of his face, pushing his upper body forward, and tilting his head from side to side. Piper and Hazel had umbrellas and were twirling them around before swinging them out towards the audience.

Clothing began to fall away, revealing portion after portion of flesh to the hungry customers. Will took a bow at the perfect moment in the song, sweeping his right arm behind his back and into the air. More clothing soon fell away as the song continued. Nico focused on Apollo again, as he and Thalia were moving like the music box figurines he thought of when he looked at them. They must have practiced this number a lot, because the two of them were moving in perfect synch.

The song ended and the Lost Kids made their way off stage, clapping erupting throughout the room. It was a really good opening, Nico thought, Apollo had been right. He was also right in the fact that the performances did look fun.

Nico headed back to the bar room to drop some glasses off while placing another order. To his surprise, he had managed to get into the room without being followed. Dionysus didn't say much this time, taking the order from Nico with a smile and twinkle in his eye.

“So, what did you mean earlier?” Nico voiced, glancing at the door.

“Oh, it was nothing,” Dionysus replied, filling the order while not looking at Nico. “Just that Silena, Butch, Reyna, and Luke didn't do so well when they first arrived.”

“Why not?”

Dionysus glanced at Nico from the corner of his eye, smiling to himself. “Different reasons for all of them. Butch grew up on the streets, so he wasn't much of a people person when he first arrived. Luke, on the other hand, was angry when he and Octavian first got here, snapping at anyone that touched his brother. Reyna was a similar case to Butch, not getting along well with the customers.”

“And Silena?” Nico asked.

“My, my, you are just as curious as I heard you were,” Dionysus chuckled. “A story for another time, perhaps?”

Nico sighed and nodded, taking the finished drinks from the red faced man. At least he found something out, and he didn't have to try asking one of the Lost Kids about it. It made sense he supposed. With what he knew, he could see Reyna and Luke acting like that. He didn't know anything about Luke's past, but from what he knew of Reyna's, everything fit. He was surprised to learn about Butch growing up on the streets, though. He wondered if Percy and Butch had bonded over that fact.

He wanted to ask Luke about his past, but given his past interactions with the blond, he doubted Luke would be open to telling him. Silena was the mystery from what he had just learned. Why had she had a rough time getting started here? There was still so much Nico didn't know about the Lost Kids, but he also knew it would take time for them to be willing to talk to him about it.

Walking over to his next table, he threw on a bright smile. “Good evening, gentlemen,” Nico greeted the three men at his table, probably in their late thirties, their eyes lighting up at the sight of Nico. “Is there anything I can get for you this evening?”

One of the men, a blond, licked his lips and leaned back to stare at Nico's ass. Nico smirked and spun around for the man, hooking his finger into the waistline of his speedo and peeling it back an inch. The man wagged his eyebrows and pulled his wallet out, handing Nico a five. “Make sure you keep coming back like that,” the blond ordered.

Nico smiled and winked. The man next to the blond, a red headed man with faint stubble on his chin, cleared his throat. “I'll take a gin and tonic,” the man said and Nico nodded his head, scribbling down the order.

Nico turned to the third man, a brunet with traces of grey starting to appear in his his curly hair. “Give me three shots of vodka, if you please,” he said, staring down at Nico's smooth legs.

“And you, sir?” Nico asked, turning back to the blond.

“I'll have some Malt Scotch, and tell Dionysus to come out and bring my special order. Tell him it's Barkman,” the blond said with a smile.

Nico nodded and headed off for the bar room, finding Octavian already in the room. Octavian blinked at him while waiting for Dionysus to finish his order. Nico walked over and slipped the slip of paper to Dionysus.

“Thank you, Nico,” Dionysus stated.

“Oh, Mr. Barkman is here and asked for his order,” Nico informed him, tilting his head to the side. Dionysus glanced over at Nico with his usual smile before glancing at Octavian, who was glaring at the chubby man.

Dionysus nodded. “Tell him I'll have it out to him in a bit.”

“What, no pressuring the boy?” Octavian scoffed.

“Octavian, I'm surprised at you. Why do all of you treat me so harshly? All I try to do is help,” Dionysus frowned.

“Bullshit,” Octavian growled, his hand snapping up the drinks that Dionysus had just finished for him. He didn't leave, though. He just stood there while Dionysus started Nico's order, leering at the side of Dionysus's face.

“I'm not supposed to take his order to him?” Nico asked.

Dionysus grinned and handed Nico his tray of drinks. “Oh, that would be very helpful, Nico,” Dionysus said, but Octavian cleared his throat, “but I can handle it.”

“Watch yourself, Mr. D,” Octavian threatened before walking to the door and waiting for Nico. Nico frowned at the bartender, feeling a little sorry for the man. Why were they all treating him like this? He seemed so nice.

Nico turned around and walked towards Octavian, following him back onto the floor. He went back to his table and handed out the three men's drinks. They pulled their wallets out and waved money at Nico. Nico chuckled, trying to hide his discomfort as he let them slip the bills into the waistband of his speedo.

Nico glanced over at Percy's table, where Octavian was tending to Percy. The blond was telling Percy something and neither one of them looked happy about it. Percy's eyes flickered to Nico for a brief second before returning to the blond in front of him. He waved a hand in front of himself, letting Octavian know he was done talking about the issue. Nico frowned as he watched Octavian walk off, catching his eye for a split second.

Nico turned his attention back to the stage as the music began again. This time, Apollo, Luke, and Will were on the stage, only in their speedos and masks. He watched them strut around on stage and flex their muscles, turning around and showing off their asses to the crowd.

“The blond trio,” Beckendorf chuckled. Nico turned his head to look at the tall man. “Since we have a few blonds, the group changes from time to time to fit Octavian into the group, but those three are usually the ones together.”

Nico watched their bodies move, unconsciously biting his lower lip. “So, there are groups that perform together?” Nico asked, unable to look away from the stage as Will groped himself.

“Yeah. Butch and myself, the brothers, the blonds, Piper and Silena, Zoë and Thalia, plus Annabeth and Thalia usually perform together.” Nico licked his lips as Apollo slapped his ass, a look of pure seduction on the blond's face. “Then on big weekends, Apollo and Thalia, Luke and Annabeth, and Silena and I will usually put on a performance.”

The song came to an end, the blond boys basking in the attention from the crowd. Will met Nico's eye and gave him a wink. Nico blushed and turned back to Beckendorf, giving the dark skinned man a smile before walking off.

The next performance must have been the one Apollo had said to watch, because he and Thalia had made their way out onto the stage. Nico smiled at them as he heard the music began to play. It sounded familiar to him. The two began to move slowly, Apollo running his hand down Thalia's chest as she lay back in his arm. Thalia's leg rose into the air and Apollo spun them around gracefully. Nico eventually placed the song, “Perfection” from the movie Black Swan. Nico's mind finally clicked on their attire. Thalia's was an exact replica to the one Natalie Portman wore in the movie, while Apollo's was a male adaptation of the costume.

Apollo released Thalia as she swayed away from Apollo, pulling her body to and fro. Apollo came up to her and placed his hands on her hips, lifting her into the air. Thalia wrapped a leg around Apollo's waist as he arched her body towards the ground before lifting her back up. He threw her out, where she began spinning with much force.

Apollo pulled off a ballon while Thalia was spinning. Thalia began to act the part of a swan, flapping her arms through the air. It was really a mesmerizing performance, and Nico could really tell why Apollo said he would enjoy the blond's performances. Apollo was right. He did incorporate his dance lessons into his stage time.

Thalia's dress was pulled away by Apollo, letting the lace and silk fall to the floor as he dipped Thalia with the dark haired girl's arm around his neck. As Apollo released her, she pulled Apollo's top off, revealing his delicious chest to the crowd. Nico moaned to himself as he watched Thalia's nails rake down the blond's abs.

The two began spinning, beginning with their arms above their heads and slowly bringing them down to pull away another article of clothing. Thalia's top fell to the ground, while Apollo's tights joined his shirt where it lay. As the music turned light, the two slowed down, Thalia running at Apollo, and the blond lifting her above his head, letting his hand slip up her thigh.

The crowd really seemed to enjoy the elegant performance, the two receiving a standing ovation for their performance. Apollo and Thalia blew kisses to their beloved customers before linking fingers and making their way backstage.

\----------------------------------------------------

Nico found himself in a crowded elevator with the rest of the Lost Kids, currently being pressed against both Luke and Piper. He finally was released from his tight space when the elevator opened to their floor. The girls walked down their hall, waving and yawning back at the boys as they went to their respective rooms. Luke, Octavian, and Beckendorf were the first of the boys to come to their rooms, the first two heading into the room on the left, while Beckendorf went to his on the right. Will and Travis continued down the hall, while Apollo stopped with Nico at his door.

“Ready to begin?” Apollo asked with a smirk.

“I guess,” Nico sighed. His body was exhausted, but he knew it would be better for him to get an early lesson. He slid his card into the slot and the two entered his suite. Apollo set his wallet and phone on the island in Nico's kitchen before turning to Nico.

“Don't look so scared, Nico, this is an enjoyable process of learning to dance.”

“That's what I'm afraid of,” Nico mumbled.

Apollo chuckled and slipped his arm around Nico's waist, guiding Nico further into the living room. Apollo pushed Nico's coffee table out of the way so they could have some room. “Alright, I'm just going to keep it brief tonight. I'm sure you're tired, I know I am, and we both want to get to bed, though I'd be willing to crash here, if you wanted.” Apollo winked at Nico.

Nico scowled at the blond, who just smiled back at him innocently. “Let's just get started.”

“Fine,” Apollo pouted, “have it your way.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I take it you have been watching the performances?”

Nico nodded. “Yes, and I get what you mean now about it being fun.”

Apollo smiled. “Good. Now, you've done a good job with interacting with customers, but this is a bit different. This is all about using your body to entice the people in the audience. You don't have the ability to speak, so it's about your actions.” Nico nodded as Apollo popped his lips. “Would you prefer to watch me, or just jump into me guiding you through techniques?”

“Can we start with you?” Nico asked.

Apollo smirked. “Wanna see me naked again, eh?”

Nico's cheeks heated up. “Shut up,” he mumbled.

Apollo retrieved his phone and scrolled through some music until he found a suitable song. He sat the phone back down and began gyrating his body. “Just watch how I move,” Apollo instructed. “You have to move perfectly.”

Nico nodded. He watched as the blond slid his hand down his clothed chest. Apollo gripped the hem of his shirt and slowly pulled it up, keeping his hips moving the entire time. Inch by inch of flesh was revealed to Nico's eyes, and Nico found himself licking his lips. Apollo tossed his shirt at Nico once it was off his head, smirking at the blushing black haired boy.

Apollo's hips were still gyrating as he stepped out of his sandals. He stepped up to Nico and pushed the smaller boy down onto the couch. Nico gulped as he stared up at the stripping blond, trying to bite back a moan.

Apollo's fingers gripped the button of his pants, letting his mouth fall open with a moan as it came undone. Nico's breathing had increased, feeling his heart pounding against his chest. Apollo slipped his pants down, thrusting his hips out toward Nico. He grinned down at the nervous boy, running a hand through Nico's hair.

Once the pants were off, Apollo went back to gyrating his hips. He turned around and bent over, reaching up to slap his perfectly clad ass. A moan slipped from Nico's lips and Apollo chuckled at him. He stood back up and slipped his fingers underneath the fabric of his speedo, slowly lowering the fabric to reveal the top portion of his ass to Nico.

“Alright, I think that's good,” Apollo said, smiling as he sat down beside Nico.

Nico sat there for a moment, still in mild shock at the show he had just received. “That-that was...hot-I mean good,” Nico stuttered, his face turning red.

Apollo leaned in, pressing himself against Nico, bringing his face a few inches away from Nico's. “Thank you, Nico,” Apollo moaned, bringing forth a moan from Nico's lips. These lessons were going to be the death of him.

Apollo chuckled and pulled away. “Let me guess, you're a tease like Percy,” Nico mumbled.

Apollo's eyes dilated as he leaned back towards Nico, bringing his lips just an inch away from Nico's. “Just say the word and I'll gladly finish whatever I start.”

Nico pulled away, finding himself panting rather heavily. “I-I don't know,” he mumbled.

Apollo frowned. “If you're afraid I'll tell Percy, you can be assured it'll just stay between us. That's something we don't report to Percy, our personal sex lives. Though, odds are, he knows about them anyway.” Apollo sighed and leaned back. “Just give it some thought. In the meantime, it's time for you to get started.”

Nico nodded and stood up. Apollo got up and went for his phone, looking for a song for Nico. “So, how does this work?” Nico asked.

“I'm going to be guiding you as you move. Think of it like riding a bike, when the kid first starts, a parent is usually there to keep them from falling. That's what I'll be doing for now.” He grinned at Nico. “I'll try to keep my hands to myself as little as possible.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Lovely.”

The song that Apollo had selected began and Apollo stepped up to Nico, placing his hands on Nico's waist. “Alright, an easy technique is to keep your hips moving. Gyrate them, thrust them, sway them, whatever you can think of to draw attention to them. You'd be surprised at how entertaining the hips are,” Apollo instructed, guiding Nico's hips into a steady pace.

Nico felt his cheeks burn as he felt Apollo's breath on his neck. “I just feel weird with the thought of taking off my clothes.”

“Well, you might have the wrong job,” Apollo chuckled.

“I mean in a seductive manner.”

Apollo nodded, grabbing Nico's hands. He had Nico grip his shirt and slowly raised it up Nico's torso, taking one of Nico's hands and sliding it along Nico's pale torso. The shirt came off and Nico let it fall to the floor, letting his body be guided by Apollo's firm hands.

“Now, you'll have to get the hang of this, because no one is going to be on the stage with you to help you through this,” Apollo reminded him.

“I know,” Nico whispered, letting Apollo guide his hands across his chest. Apollo smirked and pinched Nico's nipple, eliciting a yelp from the smaller boy.

“Whoops,” Apollo said innocently.

Nico elbowed Apollo in the stomach, but it didn't seem to effect the blond, as he chuckled in Nico's ear. Apollo gripped Nico's hands again and guided them down to his shoes, trying to slip them off with as much grace as possible.

“This is why we don't wear shoes on stage,” Apollo told him. “It makes the process more complicated and clunky. So, don't wear shoes while we are practicing.”

“Thanks.”

“That's what I'm here for.”

Nico let his hands be guided to the button on his pants, and then sliding his pants to the ground. Apollo's hands tugged Nico's around to his butt, where Nico's hands were made to feel up his clothed flesh. Apollo's fingers slipped between Nico's. Nico's head fell to the side as he felt Apollo descend upon his neck, placing light kisses upon the dark haired boy's pale flesh.

Nico felt his legs begin to shake, and if not for Apollo's grip around his waist, he was sure he would have collapsed under the blond's touch. Apollo turned Nico around and wrapped Nico's smaller hands around his neck, guiding them towards the couch.

Nico moaned as Apollo continued to ravish his neck, feeling the blond's hands slip beneath his speedo. One of Apollo's hands groped his ass as Apollo brought his face above Nico's. Apollo descended upon Nico's lips, immediately sucking on the lower one. Nico moaned as his legs were placed around Apollo's hips.

Apollo thrust his hips against Nico and Nico's head fell back, breaking the kiss. Apollo slipped Nico out of his speedo, quickly making work of his own as well. Nico licked his lips as he raked his eyes across Apollo's naked body, taking in every inch of flawless skin.

Nico stared up into Apollo's lust filled eyes, trying to bite back a moan. His brain was trying to catch up with what was going on, but then Apollo kept kissing him, making his brain return to mush. Nico placed his hands on Apollo's chest, feeling the tight muscles there. Apollo's hands had found their way to Nico's hips, using them to pull Nico against him with each thrust.

“S-Stop,” Nico blurted out, his face burning hot and his breath ragged.

Apollo stopped moving and leaned back to blink at Nico. “You're-You're serious?” he asked.

Nico nodded his head, trying to look away from Apollo's blue eyes.

Apollo sat back on his haunches, running a hand through his curly blond hair with a sigh. “Nico, you are so confusing.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico mumbled.

Apollo slipped his legs out from under him and sat down on the couch. “It's fine,” he sighed. “I just thought you wanted to do it. I mean, you certainly seem ready to lose your virginity to Percy, but since he's not giving you any, I thought I could...help.”

Nico sat up next to the blond, neither of them having made a move to get their clothes back on. Nico brushed some of his hair behind his ear. “It's not your fault. You're really attractive, don't get me wrong, I just don't know.”

“What's so special about Percy for you?” Apollo turned his head to look at Nico, waiting for an answer.

“He saved me, for one thing. Maybe it's that he isn't having sex with me, makes him more desirable. He's taken care of me since I got here.”

Apollo nodded with another sigh. “Well, we all feel like that when we first get here. Well, except for the him not having sex with you part.”

“It's stupid, forget I said anything,” Nico mumbled.

Apollo smiled and rolled his eyes. He ruffled Nico's hair. “You're alright, kid. I won't tell the boss what you said.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, we need to do a little more work before we go to bed,” Apollo said, picking up his speedo and slipping it back on. He got up and handed Nico his clothes, while he got his own back on. Nico slipped himself back into his clothes, trying to keep his eyes averted from Apollo.

“I-I mean...I'm not saying I might not ever have sex with you, just not-”

“I got it, Nico,” Apollo chuckled. “Come find me when you're ready.”

Nico nodded, slipping his shirt back on. “So, what else do we need to do?”

Apollo sat back on the couch. “I just need to run over a few details with you, things you need to remember.” Apollo ran a hand through his curls. “Keep your body moving in a seductive manner at all times. I will spend time with you, or with a group, running you through routines. Make sure to do things like wink at the audience, they love shit like that.”

Nico rubbed his eyes, trying to stifle a yawn. “What else?” Nico asked.

“Well, you can feel free to talk to others about group routines. Some of the other guys, and girls on big weekends, may want to partner with you, depending on how you do. We'll be making another trip back to Aphrodite's shop in a few weeks to get you some more costumes, including your Christmas one. You'll occasionally do routines with an audience member, perhaps if it's someone's birthday. So, you'll need to know how to give a lap dance.”

“Really?” Nico groaned.

“Don't worry, I'll teach you.” Apollo let out a long breath. “Just keep in mind the dancing I'm going to be showing you, and you should be fine.”

Nico smiled at the blond. “Thanks, Apollo.”

Apollo frowned and looked off to the side. “Don't mention it, Nico,” he mumbled. He rose to his feet and gave Nico a minute smile. “Well, I think we both could use some sleep.” He walked over and retrieved his stuff. He stepped over to the door, turning back to Nico. “I'll see you in the morning, kid.”

Nico nodded at him as his door was shut. He brushed his hair out of his face as he stared off into space. He yawned and rose to his feet, his body finding its way to his bedroom on its own.


	14. The Calm Before the Storm

“So, how was the lesson with Apollo?” Will asked with a grin, Connor snickering behind the blond. Nico groaned and buried his face in his hands. Did they have to share everything? Will chuckled and sat down next to Nico on the couch, slinging an arm around Piper on his other side. It was about time to start another night, and the floor workers were all gathered in the bar room. Surprisingly, Dionysus had been completely quiet. The only thing Nico really noticed, though, was the way Annabeth would glare at Dionysus anytime the man was about to speak.

“It was fine,” Nico mumbled into his palm.

“Really? Nothing revealing happened?” Hazel teased.

Nico sighed and let his head fall back on the couch. “I figured you would have let him take you on the couch, with the way you ogle him,” added Piper with a grin.

“Aw, we all know he really wants Percy,” Connor finished, sticking his tongue out.

“I hate you all,” muttered Nico.

Connor pouted and sat down in Nico's lap, wrapping his arms around Nico's neck. “Aw, Neeks, don't be like that. You love us, don't deny it.”

“I admit nothing.”

Will grinned and poked Nico in his side, making the raven haired boy squirm. “But we love you, Nico,” Will said.

Nico sighed when they seemed to let it go, Connor remaining in his lap. He stared over at Annabeth, the only one yet to speak. She was watching him like a hawk about to take down a mouse. There was something calculating in her eyes, Nico could see it. It made Nico squirm under her gaze, but she refused to ease up.

“Well, let's get to work,” Piper announced, finally pulling Nico's attention from Annabeth's eyes. Connor yanked Nico off the couch, slinging his arm around Nico's neck as they walked out.

Nico moved out from Connor's arm and grabbed a pen and pad, not wanting to waste time. He told himself he was going to get to wait Percy's table before the weekend over, so he had to get it tonight. He casually made his way through the room, quickly stopping at a table close to Percy's vacant booth.

He greeted the middle-aged woman with a bright smile and took her order. It seemed luck was on his side, too, as Percy came into the room just as he was finishing up. He sat down at his table, and before any of the other Lost Kids had a chance at making a move towards him, Nico moved the few steps over to Percy's booth.

“Someone played it smart tonight,” Percy chuckled.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Nico said innocently. Percy chuckled again and leaned back in his booth, resting his arm along the back. “Do you want some everclear?”

Percy tilted his head to the side with a smile. “You remember what I had last weekend?”

Nico nodded. “So?” Nico asked with uncertainty about his previous question.

Percy shook his head. “No, I only drink that when I'm upset.”

Nico blinked at him. “Well, why were you upset last week?”

Percy stared at Nico in silence for a moment. He clicked his tongue once before opening his mouth to speak. “Just get me a Jager Bomb,” Percy told him.

Nico nodded. “Tired?”

“Just something to make sure I stay awake. You'll probably end up on coffee or energy drinks eventually,” Percy said with a smile. “Especially if you make a habit of falling asleep in class.”

“It was just two times,” Nico pouted.

“Still, don't make a habit of it.”

Nico nodded. “So, what perks do I get for being your waiter?” Nico asked, biting his lip seductively.

Percy smirked. “Aw. They grow up so fast,” Percy chuckled. “Well, you can feel free to talk to me when you drop by.”

“Do I get to spend extra time with you, like, sitting with you?”

Percy chuckled again, looking down at the table as he tapped his fingers on the surface. “Well, I don't believe you saw any of the others getting to sit with me. So, what does that tell you?” Percy asked, wagging his eyebrows a single time. Nico sighed, resting his hands on the table to support himself. Percy ran his eyes down Nico's body, curving around to Nico's jutting out backside. He smiled upon returning his eyes to Nico. “You know, perhaps you should wear those more often.”

“I could have them on your bedroom floor, if you prefer?” Nico suggested with a sly smile.

Percy shook his head while chuckling. “You definitely seem to be getting the hang of things.” He licked his lips. “Just remember what I said.”

Nico nodded and walked off, looking up to receive glares from the other Lost Kids. That had gone about as well as he thought it would. He figured they wouldn't be too happy with him, with it being a battle royale to get to Percy's booth.

Nico pushed into the bar room and dropped off his two orders. Dionysus chuckled at Nico. “Got to Percy's table, I take it?” Dionysus asked.

Nico smiled. “I did,” he confessed.

“Well, I'm sure that went over well with the others.”

Nico sighed. “I don't know what their problem with me is. They didn't really do this until about a week ago.”

“Perhaps it would be because you are up here now?” Dionysus offered.

“Why would that matter?”

Dionysus began mixing Percy's drink, humming lightly to himself. “Because, you are a problem for them, just as you are to Percy.”

Nico frowned at the chubby bartender. “What do you mean? I haven't done anything.”

“Ah, well, there's your problem. You haven't done anything.”

Nico groaned. The man wasn't making sense. “Am I supposed to do something in order to fit in?” he asked.

“Oh, you could. I'm sure their rude nature towards you would vanish in a heartbeat.”

“I don't understand. Why does Percy feel the same? He-”

Dionysus cut him off. “Hasn't pushed you away? Hasn't seemed bothered by you? Hasn't seemed distant or cold towards you?” Dionysus glanced at Nico. “No, surely Percy would never be like that with you.”

Nico bit his lip. “How did you know he does that?” Nico asked.

“It's my business to know things, Nico.” He frowned at Nico. “Don't take it to heart, Nico. I'm sure they would just feel horrible if they knew you were getting upset by this. Perhaps they don't realize what they are doing.”

“If I just knew why they were acting like this, perhaps I could fix it.”

“I'm sure if you just let it go, it will fix itself,” Dionysus suggested.

Nico perked up slightly. “Really?”

Dionysus nodded and pushed the tray of drinks at Nico. “I'm very certain that they will handle this on their own.”

“Thanks,” Nico said cheerfully. He smiled at the bartender and picked the tray up. The door swung open in front of him, Hazel coming inside. She stared at Nico for a brief second before walking again. She brushed against Nico's shoulder, making him stumble a little. Nico caught himself, managing to steady the drink, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Oops, I'm sorry, Nico, I wasn't paying attention,” Hazel apologized, a frown gracing her lips.

“Uh, it's fine,” Nico mumbled. He glanced at Dionysus in confusion, but the man just smiled cheerfully back at him. Nico sighed and exited the room. The show had already begun, but he didn't really want to neglect his boss's order, so he didn't look at the stage. He dropped off the woman's drink first. “There you go, ma'am.”

“Thank you. I must say, I don't believe I've seen you up here before,” the woman said, eyeing Nico's exposed chest.

“I'm sort of new,” Nico replied. “Well, if there's anything else, don't hesitate to ask.” Nico winked at the woman and stepped over to Percy's table. Leo had come in and taken a seat at some point while Nico was gone. He was currently rambling to Percy about something on his phone when Nico arrived.

“Oh! Look who beat out the others tonight,” Leo teased.

Percy chuckled and took his drink from Nico. “Thanks, Nico,” spoke Percy. He winked at Nico and lifted his drink to his lips.

“So, I don't think I've asked before, but do I have to discuss hours with you now that I'm up here?” Nico asked.

Percy sat his drink down and cleared his throat. “I don't think you'll have to worry about that quite yet. Besides, I still need to see you on the stage.”

“And then?”

“It's not that important. I'll take care of your schedule, don't worry.”

“Um. Ok?” Nico tilted his head to the side and looked at Leo. “So, do you want anything?” he asked the Latino boy.

“Just a Red Bull for me, some of us actually have to be professional,” Leo teased Percy.

“I have a high alcohol tolerance, thank you very much,” Percy grumbled, taking another drink. Nico nodded and headed over to another table.

When Nico returned to the booth, a man was sitting down with Percy and Leo. He perked up upon seeing Nico and Percy sighed. “Actually, can I change to him?” the man asked, raking his eyes up and down Nico's pale body.

Nico fidgeted under the man's gaze. He looked at Percy, who was tapping his fingers on the table. Nico glanced to Leo, who frowned at Nico. Nico opened his mouth, but Leo shook his head.

Percy cleared his throat. “Well, I think you'd much rather spend some time with one of the other boys,” Percy stated, a blank look on his face.

The man looked back at Nico and frowned. “I don't know, he looks very appealing,” the man tried again.

Percy's eyes darkened. “I really don't think that's what you want. Oh, that reminds me, how is your wife doing again?”

The man paled and cleared his throat. “Oh, perhaps you're right. He's much too...pale for my liking.”

Percy smiled and nodded. He nudged Leo. “Take care of the man, will you?” Percy instructed.

Leo nodded and ushered the man away from the booth. Nico frowned as he sat Leo's drink on the table. “What was that about?” Nico voiced.

Percy shrugged and took another sip of his drink. “Just a business discussion.”

“But you denied him.”

Percy's face hardened as he glanced at Nico from the corner of his eye. “Are you really complaining?” Percy growled.

“No, I didn't mean it like that,” Nico quickly amended.

Percy sighed and sat back in the booth. “It's just how things are handled here, Nico. If I don't want to adhere to a client's request, I simply find a means to deter him from it. Why do you think I have the Lost Kids pull dirt up on people?”

Nico nodded. It made sense, he supposed. “And if they still keep trying?”

Percy stared at Nico, tilting his head slightly to the side. He tapped his fingers in silence as he stared up at Nico. “Perhaps you should get back to work,” Percy ordered.

Nico nodded. “Uh. Just let me know if you need anything else.”

Nico scurried away from Percy's booth. He shook his hands by his sides, trying to calm himself down. That may have been one of the most intimidating experiences he has had with Percy. Nico was right in his assessment yesterday, Percy reminded him of a snake, venomous and deadly.

But, Percy didn't seem much of a violent type. He seemed to handle problems through other means. So, perhaps there was nothing to worry about. He was probably just overreacting. Still, Nico was starting to feel a little intimidated by the young man.

 

\-------------------------------------

Nico collapsed once he was inside Butch's car, exhausted after a late night and long day at school. He let out a long groan and leaned his seat back as Butch pulled away from the curb. Nico's head felt a little dizzy and his stomach did not feel too good at the moment.

“Rough day?” Butch grunted.

“Yes,” Nico groaned. “I just want a nap.”

“Sorry, you got lessons.”

Nico groaned again. “How do you guys handle this all the time? I was doing ok while at the bar, but the top floor is murder,” Nico whined.

Butch shrugged. “You get used to it. Try coffee, or something.”

“That's what Percy suggested.” Nico's eyes widened as Butch took an unexpected sharp turn. “Wh-What are you doing?” Nico shrieked.

“Going to find you some coffee and energy drinks,” Butch chuckled.

Nico held onto his seatbelt with a death grip the rest of the trip to the store. “I don't think I need it anymore today.”

Butch smirked and ruffled Nico's hair. “You need to learn to live a little, kid,” Butch said as they got out.

“Living implies I'm alive,” Nico replied.

Once inside, Butch led Nico to the coffee and energy drinks. “Any preferences?” Butch asked.

“Uh, I've never had any.”

Butch frowned and looked back at the shelves. With a shrug, he scooped a few of each into his arms and headed to the register. Nico followed behind him, still in mild shock from the driving and Butch's latest action.

“That's a lot,” Nico deadpanned.

“Yes, it's so you can decide what you like,” Butch chuckled.

Butch stepped aside and Nico paid the lady behind the register. Butch smiled and winked at the girl, getting a faint blush from the girl's cheeks. He grabbed the bags, and he and Nico headed back to the car. Butch cranked the car and reached inside one of the bags, handing an iced coffee to Nico.

“Here, try this one,” Butch instructed. “You look like you're about to fall over.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled, taking the lid off and taking a sip. His eyes lit up and he drank some more. “This is delicious.”

“Well, we can put French vanilla down on your list.”

They pulled out from the store's parking lot and set off for the hotel, Nico drinking some of his new found love. Taking a sip, he looked over at Butch. “Can I, uh, ask you something?” Nico stuttered, fidgeting with his bottle.

Butch raised an eyebrow, but kept his eyes on the road. “Let me guess, you're going to corner me into telling you about my past?” Butch asked.

Nico pouted. “I haven't cornered anyone.”

“No, but perhaps you shouldn't go asking,” mumbled Butch.

“I just want to get to know everyone better.”

“Well, shouldn't our present be what you're concerned with, not our past?”

Nico frowned. He opened his mouth, but closed it, taking another sip of coffee. “Is there any harm with knowing the past?” He looked over at Butch. “I'd be fine with sharing my past.”

“Well, we already have a vague idea on what happened. We usually all end up on the streets with a horror story, but in this case, those you've already shared a little with have spread it around.”

“Well, that doesn't seem fair,” Nico complained. Butch glanced briefly at Nico. “How come you guys can share info about me, but it's different when I ask?”

Butch tilted his head off to the side in acknowledgment. “I guess you got a point there, kid,” Butch agreed. “The others are right; you're too smart for your own good.”

Nico smiled and sat back, taking another sip with a prideful smile. “So, what about you?” Nico already knew Butch had been raised on the streets, but he also knew that Butch probably wouldn't like the fact that Dionysus had given Nico a glimpse into the young man's past.

Butch squeezed the steering wheel tightly in his grasp, the whites appearing in his knuckles. He let out a long sigh as he continued to watch the road. He took one hand off the wheel and rubbed a hand down his face before glancing at Nico.

“If you really don't want to talk about it-” Nico began, but Butch cut him off.

“I grew up on the streets, like Percy. My mother was a druggie, to put it nicely. We lived in some run down houses while she got her fix. At the time, I didn't really understand where she got the money. It wasn't until much later that I could put the pieces together.” Butch licked his lips. “She wasn't much of a mother, you know? She wasn't warm and loving like you expect a mother to be. She just worried about getting her next dose.”

“What happened?” Nico whispered.

“I got a little older. I took care of myself, for the most part I had to learn to defend myself. I had to resort to stealing, amongst other things, perhaps things I'm not too proud of. But, you got to do what you got to do, right?” Butch's eyebrows furrowed. “I don't know, somewhere in all of that, I just got tired of having to take care of her. I just left one night while she was asleep, hoping to get away from all of that.”

“I'm sorry.”

Butch shrugged. “It was shit. I always had to watch myself, even in the abandoned houses. I freaked out every time I found a needle on the floor. I suppose the fact that she had no regard for my well-being or safety made me come to despise her a little,” Butch explained.

“How did you find Percy?”

“I lived on the streets, by myself, after that. If things had been different for me, I'd like to believe that I would have felt guilty for the stuff I did back then, but I was raised to survive, nothing more. I never even set foot in a school. I picked up speech from my mother and other people. Usually, I just grunted at people.” Butch was quiet for a few moments, until he saw Nico looking at him with concern. “I ran into Percy one day by chance. It seemed I had run into someone he wanted to collect money from. The problem was that I had killed the guy for that money.”

Nico felt himself gulp unconsciously. It sent a chill down his spine to hear that news. When he first arrived at the Lotus, it might have fazed him more, but he was starting to come to terms with how tragic and messed up the Lost Kids' pasts really were.

Butch chuckled. “Normally, I would have probably tried to kill him too, but there was just something about the way Percy carried himself that day that told me I'd be better off if I didn't try. He was completely alone out there in the worst neighborhood in the city, but even back then, I think I knew better,” Butch continued.

“What do you mean?” Nico tilted his head to the side. Percy was intimidating, sure, but what Butch was saying felt weird to Nico.

Butch tapped his finger against the steering wheel as he threw the car into park. “Percy isn't all he seems to be, Nico,” Butch mumbled. “Trust me on that one.” Without another word, Butch got out of the car and headed to the elevator.

Nico got out, grabbing his stuff, and followed after the muscular young man. He frowned at Butch's back as they walked to the elevator in silence, wanting to press the issue, but knowing better than to try. They rode up in an awkward silence, or at least for Nico it was, Butch didn't seem bothered by it at all. That was something slightly odd that Nico found about all of them, they all recovered from bad moods rather quickly.

Butch remained at the elevator while Nico ran to his room to drop off his stuff. Upon his return, he found Butch talking with Octavian and Will, both Lost Boys sporting cheerful faces. Nico greeted them as they all boarded the elevator to descend to the gym.

Nico cleared his throat. “So, Butch, you said you picked up speech from your mother, but you seem to talk fine,” Nico blurted out.

All eyes drew to Nico as the black headed boy waited to hear Butch's answer. “Pushed you into telling your past too, I see?” Octavian mumbled, leaning against the wall of the elevator.

Butch shrugged. “No harm in it. He might as well hear it from the horse's mouth, instead of somewhere else later,” Butch reasoned. He turned to Nico to address the question the dark haired boy laid out for him. “After I got taken in by Percy, he saw to it that I improved on my speech. Couldn't have me running around grunting and sounding like a cavemen to the customers, now could he?”

Nico nodded. Butch turned back around and stared at the door, but Nico kept looking at the taller Lost Boy. It was nice of Percy. He made sure all of them were taken care of upon their arrivals. The elevator door opened and the others stepped out, but Nico's eyes took notice of one detail.

Octavian was limping. Nico felt his face heat up at the realization of what the two blonds had probably been doing before they had come to the elevator. Nico blinked and followed after the three other Lost Boys, his eyes occasionally moving back to Octavian's lower half. He glanced at Will, looking the blond's body over. Will was attractive. Nico would probably say he was the second most attractive of the Lost Boys, Apollo being first, and not including Percy. Percy definitely was the most attractive person in general at the hotel, and probably the most attractive person Nico had ever seen in general.

As luck would have it, the green eyed god was in the room with the others when Nico arrived. He had a bright smile on his face and his eyes were shining in amusement. The other Lost Boys were laughing at something that Percy must have just said before they entered, and Nico found himself wishing he knew what it was. Percy took notice of them as the door closed behind Nico, his smile remaining firmly in place.

“There you are. What took so long?” Percy asked Butch.

“We stopped off and got him some life energy,” Butch replied.

“A hyper Nico,” Travis began.

“Could be an interesting Nico,” Connor finished, both of them grinning at Nico.

Nico tossed them a scowl, walking towards Percy. Which probably wasn't the best move, as he noticed the others shift in their moods. Percy's eyebrows rose at them and he cleared his throat. “So, I need all of you to get this one in shape for Friday,” Percy announced, placing a hand on Nico's shoulder. “Make me proud, and all that.”

“We offer nothing but the best,” Travis purred, leaning his head on Percy's shoulder.

Percy chuckled and ran a hand through the tall brunet's hair. “Oh, I'm well aware of that, Travis,” Percy returned with a wink and a smooch in the brunet's direction. “After that, Nico's to remain here for lessons with Apollo.” Percy pointed a finger at the blond. “I need you to work out a routine for him by Friday. That's what I want you working on him with during your private lessons.”

Apollo nodded, grinning back at the black haired boss. “I'll work him extra hard,” Apollo replied.

“Business,” Percy reminded him. “There's time for personal time later. Although, remember what I said.”

“I remember. We've been playing fair.”

Percy sighed and rolled his eyes. “I know,” Percy droned, “that's why I worry. Now then, Nico, you need to do everything they say, and give it your best.”

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Nico pointed out. Percy smiled.

“He's always gets in a good mood after a big weekend,” Octavian answered.

“More income,” Luke finished for his brother, smirking at Percy.

“And that means a raise for you,” Percy added. He patted Nico's cheek playfully. “So, make me proud.” He grinned at the Lost Boys and made his way out of the room, tossing them a wave over his shoulder.

“Alright, we need to get started,” Apollo announced once the door closed. He grinned at the short pale boy. “We only have a few days to get this taken care of, and you need to be a good dancer and stripper by the time Friday rolls around.”

“Joy,” Nico mumbled.

“If you would prefer we told Percy you weren't up for it...” Beckendorf trailed off, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I didn't say that,” Nico quickly amended. “I'm just sure this will be the most pleasant experience during my time here to date.”

“That's the spirit, Neeks,” the twins chimed, wrapping their arms around Nico's waist.

Nico looked at Apollo. “So, where do we begin?”

“Oh, so eager,” Will purred in Nico's ear, chuckling at the blush that spread onto Nico's cheeks.

Apollo shook his head with a smile. “Anyways, we'll start simple, working with what I showed you the other night. We'll just keep progressing over the days until you are ready. I don't expect absolute perfection in five days, but I do expect you to be able to get the job done by then,” the blond said.

“But Percy said-” Nico began, but Apollo cut him off.

“And I'm not Percy. He's strict with this stuff, you have to understand, but that's how we work. Think of me like the good cop in this situation.” Apollo chuckled. “You'll be fine. I don't expect you to be able to manage getting the customers to drool over you during your first performance, but I need you to be able to handle the performance.”

Nico nodded, slipping his shoes off. He smiled at the blond, getting himself a smirk in return. “So, I won't get in trouble?”

Apollo smiled. “No, you'll be fine.” Apollo tapped his finger to his mouth and glanced at Luke.

Luke rolled his eyes. “He's probably going to nag you about improving, but you won't get in trouble. All he's going to care about is you doing your job,” Luke jumped in.

“There's time for perfection later,” Butch added.

“How awkward is this going to be?” Nico asked, frowning at Apollo.

“This will be fun, Nico,” Octavian grinned.

Nico groaned and let himself be placed in front of the mirror by Beckendorf. “So, we already gave you a little practice last week, and I gave you a quick lesson the other night, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal,” Apollo stated. “Just remember the things I told you.”

Travis started the music and swayed his hips as he made his way over to the group, holding his arms over his head. When the song picked up, the other Lost Boys started moving along with the music. Nico stood there for a moment to watch them in the mirror, becoming mesmerized by their movements.

“You just have to go with the music, Nico,” Will chuckled.

“While keeping it sexual,” added Octavian.

Nico nodded, following along with the group as they ran their hand down their chest, though, his came out a little awkward. Luke rolled his eyes and grabbed Nico's hand, guiding it slowly down Nico's chest. “Move it slower and more sensually,” Luke instructed. Nico nodded, unable to meet the intense blue eyes staring at him.

He had realized that that was one of his problems. They could reduce him to a blushing pile of mush just by uttering a few words and looking at him. How was that even fair? It was frustrating, but Nico didn't know what to do.

Once he had the hang of it, Luke released his hand, letting the raven haired boy do it himself. The Lost Boys swiped their hand around the back of their head, messing their hair up a little in the process of the action. One by one, they each reached for the hems of their shirts, slowly raising them up to expose their torsos. Nico licked his lips, averting his eyes from the mirror in order to keep himself from staring at the skin. He raised his own shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground with the others.

The Lost Boys started to shake their hips when the song hit a series of quick beats. Nico groaned in frustration, placing his head in his hands. “Calm down, you'll get the hang of it. Just watch and try to imitate,” Butch assured him.

Nico sighed and nodded. He looked back at the mirror, watching as others. His eyes seemed to linger on their hips, drawn in by the shaking movement they were performing. It was an enticing movement, to say the least.

Nico got down on the ground with the rest of them, propping himself up on his hands. He blushed as he rolled his hips as the others did, receiving many grins from the other Lost Boys. Will in particular caught Nico's eye, the blond wagging his eyebrows as he rolled on top of Nico, settling between the pale boy's legs. He rolled his hips against Nico, making Nico's face heat up even more.

He began to shift away, but Will grabbed him. “Just go with it, Nico,” Apollo instructed. “You'll have to learn sooner or later.”

“Besides, we need to break this feeling of uncomfortableness you seem to have with the rest of us pressing against you,” Luke mumbled.

Nico groaned, Will still smirking above him. “Relax, Nico. This stuff is enjoyable, once you get comfortable with it,” the blond chuckled.

Nico blew out a breath as Will continued to move against him. He glanced at Apollo from the corner of his eye. “How long do I have to do this?” he asked.

Apollo shrugged. “Until you break out of that shell of yours,” Apollo replied with a grin.

Nico pouted and looked back at Will. “Am I that bad, Nico?” Will purred into Nico's ear. Nico felt his cheeks blush once more and he shook his head. “Do you like it?”

Nico bit his lip to keep a moan in, feeling Will's cock press against his ass. Will chuckled at him, knowing he was driving the smaller boy insane. Nico glared up at him and decided to try and turn the tables. He tightened his legs around Will's waist and wrapped his arms around Will's neck, using it as leverage to pull himself up against Will's thrusts.

The action caught Will off-guard at first, his eyes widening at Nico, but he soon recovered, his smirk once again returning. “That's better,” he chuckled.

“Your job is to entice the audience through action,” Octavian pointed out. “Use whatever you can at your disposal.”

“Your body is your greatest weapon in this profession,” Travis continued.

This awkward experience for Nico continued for about an hour before Apollo dismissed the Lost Boys. He smiled at Nico as the others filed out of the room, leaving them alone. Apollo ran a hand through his hair as he circled Nico. “Not bad,” the blond stated. “We still have a lot of work, but not bad.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled, rubbing his arm.

“Now it's time for more one-on-one time, which means more touching.”

“Yay,” Nico droned. 

Apollo chuckled and stepped up behind Nico. “You seemed to enjoy it the other night,” he whispered in Nico's ear, causing Nico to shudder.

“So, what are we going to be doing during the private lessons?”

Apollo blew out a puff of air. “I'll just be giving you more attention. What we just did was more for you to watch us. This is for me to work on you. So, basically, I'm going to be watching you put the skills we've taught you to work.”

Nico nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. “Ok.”

Apollo pat him on the back. “Don't look so nervous, Nico, I'm just trying to help. I promise not to make it hard on you. I won't laugh, I swear,” Apollo said seriously.

Nico took a deep breath and nodded at the blond. Apollo gave him a bright smile in return, taking a seat a few feet away. “So, I just begin?” Nico asked.

“Whenever you're ready.”

Nico nodded again. He began by moving his hips and sliding his hands up his thighs. “So, am I going to be able to do what you do?” Nico asked as he continued to move.

“What do you mean?”

“You just perform differently than the others. You have an air of grace about you.”

Apollo smiled. “That's just from my dance lessons.”

“Are you going to go professional?” Nico asked.

Apollo frowned and shook his head. “No, I don't really want to ruin my feet,” he said, making himself put on a smile. “That's why I don't do the toe stands very much. I try to keep it simple.”

Nico nodded, sliding his hand up his chest. “What about Thalia?”

“She takes a ballet class with me in order to perform with me on the big weekends. It's something fun for us to do and bond over.” Apollo chuckled. “I had to force her to take the courses with me originally. As you can probably tell, she's not a girly girl. She's warmed up to it, though.”

“So, I won't be able to do that stuff?”

Apollo scrunched his lips. “Well, you could always take some classes, but I don't know when you would have time. I could teach you a little, but it's a lot of work. I'd suggest just sticking with basics. You need to find your own style. Don't worry about trying to be like one of the rest of us,” Apollo suggested.

Nico nodded, bending over, but keeping his vision on the blond in the chair. From time to time, Apollo would stand up and walk over to Nico, correcting something about his posture or a move the pale boy had just made. Nico would nod and fix whatever it was the blond pointed out. Apollo smiled at him and returned to his chair after each thing was fixed, waiting until he noticed something else to repeat the process.

After about another hour of that, Apollo dismissed him. Nico frowned at the blond as he slipped his shoes back on. The blond sat in the chair, staring off into space, having become oblivious to Nico's presence after dismissing him.

Apollo ran a hand through his hair, resting it in his golden locks, and tilted his head to look at Nico. “You should hurry, you need to eat before work,” Apollo whispered.

Nico chewed on his lip and nodded, not certain what to say to the blond adonis. He pushed the door open and headed back to the elevator, pulling out his phone on the way. He called down to the kitchen to place an order for room service to deliver for him and rode up to his room in utter silence.

Something felt weird all of a sudden, and Nico couldn't quite place it. Ever since Friday, something had just seemed to begin to feel wrong. Apollo's demeanor just then had especially concerned Nico. He was always cheerful. The only time Nico had really seen him depressed had been their day at the beach, when Nico had talked to him about his past.

He exited the elevator and made his way to his room, passing Butch and Beckendorf's room on the way. The door was open and the two roommates stood in the middle of their living room with the twins, all of them falling quiet at the sight of the black headed boy. Nico made his way passed the doorway, glancing down at the ground as he finished walking to his door.

Once inside, he sat back on the couch and turned the TV on. That was another thing that had been bothering him since the weekend began. The Lost Kids were being blunter in this sense of distaste for Nico. The glares, stares, and hurtful words were there more often. Nico wasn't sure what he had done, but obviously he had done something to offend them.

It was like they were watching and waiting for something. But what? Was Nico supposed to do something? Some sort of initiation? Obviously he had missed the memo if that were the case. It felt a little unfair that they acted like this and wouldn't tell him what the problem was, or what they were waiting on. There was not much he could do, though. He would just have to take Dionysus's advice and let it sort itself out.


	15. I'm Falling Deep into a Pit of Vipers

Nico moved along with the other Lost Boys as the music played. Friday had finally rolled back around, and Nico was getting the hang of things. Apollo had been working him into the ground trying to learn a specific routine for tonight, and he was just relieved that he was actually managing to pull off the moves.

He swept his hand up into his hair and around his head. He ran both of his hands up into his dark locks, further messing his hair up and putting on a seductive look. It felt so weird for him, but the others had said it was to be expected at first. All that mattered was that he could keep up the appearance of being comfortable with what he was doing.

Nico stepped to the left and slid his right leg along the floor, running his hand up his thigh. He followed the Lost Boys' moves as they spun around and groped their asses. He flicked his wrist and snapped his fingers like he was instructed. He got down on the ground, like the others, and lifted his leg up into the air. He was already out of his shirt and shorts at this point, only leaving him in his boxer-briefs.

The door to the gym opened, revealing Percy. Nico couldn't help but admire his attire. He was wearing a dark grey shirt which clung to his torso perfectly, while his lower half was clad in a pair of tight black jeans that showed off his ass. He raised an eyebrow at Nico's position and walked over to the music, shutting it off. The Lost Boys all stopped moving and grinned at Percy. “I just thought I'd come see how things were going,” said Percy.

Nico hadn't seen much of him this past week. He asked Thalia and Butch about it, but they just said that Percy had his hands full with important business. Nico had been given the rest of the week off from the top floor and had been kept to the bar, which Nico had been a little thankful for. Being around that environment had gotten a little suffocating for Nico, if he were being honest.

Apollo picked himself up. “Well, we were just finishing up,” the blond informed their boss.

Percy nodded. “I just want to get a look at how he's doing.”

Apollo grinned and ran a hand up into his golden curls. “Fine by me, I have no problem sharing.”

The rest of the Lost Boys got up and got their things together. Will went to talk to Percy before he left, but he was whispering, so Nico was unable to hear their conversation. Will grinned widely, though, and rested a hand on Percy's chest. Percy smiled back and tilted his head to the side. He said something back to Will, while running a hand through Will's short blond hair.

Nico moved over to where Apollo stood, so that he could hear the two talking, while remaining inconspicuous. “So, tonight?” Will asked. “I really need to discuss some business with you.”

Percy smiled back and gripped Will's hair, pulling him closer. “Not tonight,” he whispered. “I just need to make sure everything goes smoothly.” Percy's eyes darkened. “You know, in case something goes wrong.”

Will frowned and huffed. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why would anything go wrong? He's so perfect after all.”

Percy raised his eyebrows. “I always worry when it's someone's first performance. Need I remind you of your first performance?”

Will grumbled and shook his head. He turned around and walked off, glaring at Nico briefly before walking out the door. “Well, that went well,” Apollo said cheerfully, placing his hands on Nico's shoulders.

“Drop it,” Percy ordered, tossing Apollo a harsh look.

Apollo inhaled sharply behind Nico and cleared his throat. “So, I suppose we'll just get started.” He spun Nico around to face him. “Alright, Nico, let's show the boss what you've learned,” the blond said with a wink.

Nico nodded and situated himself as Apollo walked over to put some music on. Percy pulled up two chairs for himself and Apollo. He crossed his arms and sat back to watch Nico. The raven haired boy shifted slightly under his gaze, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. He had gotten comfortable with the other Lost Boys watching him, but Percy had yet to see him. It was like the night in his room, where Percy had watched him walk and talk.

“Clothes back on,” Percy instructed, tossing Nico's shirt at him. “I need to see the full thing.”

Nico nodded again and slipped his shirt over his head. He walked over to retrieve his shorts from the other side of the room. He bent over and picked them up before turning back around. Percy was leaning over and Apollo was whispering something in his ear while they both smirked at Nico. Nico pouted and grumbled to himself as he slipped his shorts back on to hide his butt.

Percy rested an elbow on Apollo's shoulder, resting his head on his fist. “Well, Nico, let's see what you have learned this past week,” Percy chuckled.

Nico felt a little sick to his stomach at having to do this in front of Percy, but he nodded and began the routine that Apollo had been drilling into his head all week. Percy kept a blank and unreadable face throughout the entire performance, unlike Apollo, who was smiling and giving him a thumbs up.

When he was finished, he rested his hands on his knees and panted. It had been a long day of practice, and he just wanted a break and a nice hot shower. Percy leaned over and whispered something to Apollo, a serious look on his face. Apollo nodded, a grin creeping onto his features. Percy made a few gestures, but ended up nodding. He stood up and glanced at Nico, tossing him a wink before walking out the door.

Nico watched him walk out in confusion. He looked back at Apollo, tilting his head to the side. Apollo stood up and clapped him on the back. “Good job, kid,” Apollo began. “He said you need some more work, but that you should be fine for tonight.”

“So, I'm clear?” Nico asked.

Apollo nodded. “You're clear.” He pushed Nico towards the door while Nico picked up his clothes on the way. “Go get cleaned up and prepare yourself for tonight.” A bright smile spread out across Apollo's face. “It should be a fun night.”

Nico nodded, slipping his clothes on. “Is there anything I need to wear?”

Apollo nodded again. “Go see Octavian, have him help you get something together.”

Nico smiled. “Alright. Thanks again, Apollo.”

Apollo placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. “It's been a pleasure, Nico,” the blond replied before walking out.

Nico sighed and bent down to tie his shoes. He was definitely starting to feel nervous. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, and he had barely eaten at lunch. It seemed to only be getting worse as the day went along. Perhaps if he just didn't focus on the crowd? Would that help?

He sat back on the floor and rested his left arm on his knees. Nico blew out a long breath while running his other hand through his dark hair. Last weekend was the easy part, he knew that. He knew this would be the real test.

Before he had come to the Lotus, no one had seen him naked since he was a toddler. Percy had been the first. He smiled to himself. That night seemed like so long ago now, but it had only been a little over a month. He had been in such poor shape, and Percy had saved him from starvation and a life of constantly being afraid. And Percy had at least been somewhat of a decent gentlemen about not ogling his body while Nico was showering. Which slightly surprised Nico, now that he knew what this place really was.

His body had been in such bad shape, and now, he was about to get paid to let people stare at it. It was an interesting way to display how far he had come since he first arrived here. He just had to keep his nerves down. He didn't want to throw up on stage. Nico groaned. That wouldn't be attractive at all.

Picking himself up with a sigh, Nico walked out of the room, heading towards the elevator. He had a little time before he had to be upstairs, and he still had to eat. But first, Nico needed to see Octavian about something to wear.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the blond's number, frowning when Octavian didn't pick up. He rode up to the Lost Kids' floor and headed for Luke and Octavian's suite. He knocked on the door. There was a grunt on the other side, followed by a few curses.

Luke flung the door open and glared down at Nico. “You got me killed,” he grumbled.

Nico raised an eyebrow. “Sorry?”

Luke rubbed his head. “What do you want?”

“I need to see Octavian. Is he here?”

Luke grinned. “Yeah, he's in his room. Follow me,” Luke instructed, pulling Nico inside. He shut the door behind them and led Nico to the first door in the hallway. Without knocking, Luke threw the door open and Nico's face instantly flushed.

Octavian was on his bed with Travis lying on top of him, both of them fully naked. Travis was busy thrusting into Octavian, and Octavian had his nails digging into the brunet's back. Nico made to step back, but Luke held him in place. His face heated up more when he heard Octavian release a string of moans as Travis picked up his pace.

Nico couldn't help but trail his gaze across both of their naked bodies. He would be lying to himself if he said he hadn't thought about them being naked before. Hell, he had probably thought about all of the Lost Boys naked. He was a little bit more drawn to Travis's lean and naked form, though. He licked his lips as he took in Travis's sweaty torso.

Luke cleared his throat, but the two on the bed didn't stop their actions. They just looked at the door, Octavian raising an eyebrow. “What-What do you want?” Octavian panted.

Luke shoved Nico forward a little. Nico's blush worsened as Travis and Octavian both looked at him, Travis still thrusting into Octavian. “A-Apollo wanted me to come see you about helping me get some o-outfits put together,” Nico stuttered. 

Travis gripped Octavian's hips and thrust harder. “Can't it wait? He's a little busy right now,” the brunet growled.

Octavian shrugged. “Or feel free to join,” he added.

Travis slowed down and stared at Nico. Was he actually waiting for Nico to answer that? “Or you can join me in my room,” Luke whispered in his ear.

Nico didn't know if his face could be any darker right now. He figured all the blood in his body had made its way to his face. Travis shrugged and went back to plowing into Octavian's ass. The blond threw his head back and released more moans.

Nico stood there, unsure of what to do. He needed Octavian's help, but he wasn't sure he wanted to wait right there for the blond to finish. “I-I'll just wait in the living room,” Nico mumbled.

Travis shrugged. “Suit yourself. I'll have him out to you in a minute.”

“Or several,” Octavian panted.

Travis grinned and leaned down to kiss Octavian. Nico cleared his throat and made his way out of the room, Luke shutting the door behind them. Luke laughed as he followed Nico into the living room. He plopped down on the couch. “That was more entertaining than I was expecting,” Luke chuckled.

“I'm so glad I could amuse you,” Nico mumbled as he sat down next to the blond.

Luke kept snickering, but handed Nico a controller.

\-----------------------------------

“I object,” Nico voiced, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Aw, but you look so cute in the uniform,” Will teased him.

Octavian had spent nearly an hour helping Nico get some outfits ready for his first night. Octavian had insisted on Nico wearing the schoolboy uniform, as it fit his angle pretty well. Luke and Butch were off to the side, snickering quietly to themselves as they watched Nico pout about his outfit.

The Lost Girls that were performing tonight had also stopped by to torment him by pinching his cheeks. He had glared at them to the best of his ability, but it had not deterred them, especially not Thalia. She had cackled and walked off.

Luke chuckled and walked towards the stage, pinching Nico's cheek as well. Nico huffed at the blond's retreating back, but he didn't seem to care. “So, how is order determined?” Nico asked Will.

“Luke's going to go on first. He and Annabeth are sort of the more popular ones, I guess you could say,” Will explained.

“Well, when it comes to sex,” Butch added.

Will nodded. “Yes, when it comes to sex. Apollo excels at the performance aspect here on stage. So, they and Thalia could be considered your biggest competition.”

“Why Thalia?” Nico asked.

“It breaks down into some complicated shit,” Butch began. “Apollo is better at dancing, Annabeth is the most requested girl for private sessions, and Luke and Thalia excel with their kinkiness.”

“But it all depends on what the customer really wants,” finished Will. “Customers don't always want the same thing twice, and different people want different things.”

Butch clapped Nico on the back. “But you don't have to worry about most of that.”

Nico sat down on the couch as he listened to the music play for Luke's performance. He would be going on after Will, who was going to perform when Luke was finished. Will and Butch watched him silently, glancing at each other before going about their tasks.

Nico's heart was beating heavily in his chest, and he was feeling a little cold as he sat there. His palms were getting a little sweaty. He tried taking deep breaths, but they didn't seem to help him any. He eyed the door, debating on making a break for it, but that would not do him any good. He had come too far to back out now. He figured Percy was looking at him as more of an adult now, and he didn't want to reverse that.

As Luke's performance ended, the tall blond walked backstage with a grin on his face. He glanced at Nico before looking over to Will, his smirk only growing. That weird feeling that Nico had earlier in the week was starting to come back. He was also afraid his dinner was about to come back up. He covered his mouth and tried to slow his breathing.

Nico was getting a bad feeling about this. But everything would be alright, wouldn't it? The others had assured him that it would be fine. They had worked with him for the past two weeks after all. Everything should be fine. He knew what to do. 

Will had made his way out onto the stage when the music started. Nico's heartbeat quickened. He was starting to find it hard to breathe. Everyone was going to be staring at him. What if he messed up? What if he fell on his face? Why was all of this just now coming to him? Why hadn't he thought about this already?

Luke and Butch stared at him the entire time Will was performing. They glanced at each other from time to time, frowning to themselves. Will came back sooner that Nico would have liked, signaling that it was his time to go on. 

The world around Nico was starting to spin. Nico was feeling extremely dizzy and nauseous as Will walked over and helped him up. Will patted him on the back as they walked towards the stage. Nico silently shook his head. “You'll be fine, dude,” Will assured him with a wide grin.

Nico glanced down at his hands, which were visibly shaking. He heard the door open and Thalia, Reyna, and Calypso walked towards them. “We just wanted to see the show real quick,” voiced Thalia, but it came out as a muffled sound to Nico.

He was having a hard time focusing on his surroundings, everything just kept getting dizzier and dizzier for him. He was afraid he was going to collapse at any moment. He glanced back at Will for help, but the blond just grinned at him and shoved him forward when the music began.

Nico's eyes widened as he stumbled out onto the stage. His hands were shaking at his sides as he stared out at the audience in absolute terror. He wasn't ready for this. 

The music was so muffled behind the ringing in his ears that he couldn't even hear it. Everyone was just sitting there, waiting for him to do something. He searched for Apollo on the floor, eventually finding the blond staring up at him. Apollo didn't do anything, though. He just stood there, watching Nico with interest.

Nico's eyes flew over to where Percy always set, not finding the sight any more helpful than Apollo. Percy was sat in his booth, stone-faced as he watched Nico. While it was dark on the floor, Nico could see that Percy did not look happy. His eyes darted over to where Apollo stood.

Nico jumped when he felt two pairs of hands on him. He turned to see both Luke and Butch on either side of him. Their faces were blank, so Nico couldn't tell what they were thinking, but their hands moved across Nico's body. Nico glanced back to Percy, who had relaxed back into his booth.

Luke grabbed Nico's chin and forced Nico to look at him. He grabbed the jacket on Nico and slid it off Nico's shoulders, while Butch worked to get his belt off. Butch cracked the belt. Luke yanked on Nico's tie and bent the black haired boy over, allowing Butch a chance to smack his ass with it. Nico bit back a yelp, feeling the sharp sting on his backside.

Slowly, Luke unfastened the buttons on Nico's shirt. He picked Nico up, wrapping the shorter youth's legs around his waist. He pushed on Nico's chest, urging him to lean back. Nico obeyed, pressing his hands against the stage to support himself.

Luke leaned over and licked around Nico's stomach, eliciting a small moan from his lips. Butch started to unbutton Nico's pants. Nico was eventually slid out of them, he himself ending up with his back on the stage. Luke grabbed one of his legs and rested it on his shoulder. He grabbed Nico's hair and yanked on his dark locks as he thrust against him. Luke buried his face in the crook of Nico's neck, on the side opposite the audience.

“You can thank us later,” he hissed in Nico's ear.

Luke pulled back and Nico stared up into his narrowed eyes with curiosity. They were helping him? Luke was helping him? Butch grabbed Nico's hand and yanked him up. He bent Nico over and ran his larger hand down Nico's smooth back.

It was a little awkward to be stripped by others, but at least he wasn't completely humiliated in front of everyone. The song finally came to an end and Luke and Butch made sure he took a bow. As he rose back up, he saw Percy walk over to Apollo and whisper in his ear. Percy firmly pointed a finger towards the ground and pushed Apollo towards the backstage door, following behind the blond.

Luke tossed his clothes at him once the curtain was closed. He grunted at Nico and walked towards the others, who were deadly quiet. Nico slipped back into his shorts and headed backstage. Percy was there, arms crossed, staring at the floor. He glanced up at Nico. Nico flinched at the ice in Percy's eyes.

Percy rubbed at his face. “Go,” Percy ordered, an air of finality in his words. Without an argument, the Lost Girls scampered towards their door. Luke and Butch stood off to the side, arms crossed as they stared at Percy. Will was standing close to Nico. He was also staring at Percy, but he was biting his lip. Apollo on the other hand, was refusing to meet Percy's gaze.

“I-” Apollo began, but Percy cut him off.

“Do you think I'm stupid?” Percy asked, his voice surprisingly calm. Apollo briskly shook his head. Percy's eyes turned back to Nico. Nico gulped and fidgeted quietly. “I want to see you after the show is done. Do you understand?”

Nico nodded. He wasn't sure what was going on with Percy. He had looked upset at his booth, but he was speaking so calmly right now. “Yes, sir,” Nico whispered.

Percy sighed and looked back at Apollo. “I'll need to see you, too.”

“But-” Apollo tried.

“That wasn't a question,” Percy interrupted him, a small smile spreading across his lips. “For now, I need you to get Travis off the floor and back here. Understand?”

Apollo nodded. “Y-Yes, sir,” Apollo whispered.

“What about me?” Nico asked. 

“You're not going back on tonight,” Percy replied. His words bit into Nico like the very snake Nico had been comparing him to. Percy shook his head. “No, I want you to take Travis's place on the floor for the rest of the night.”

Nico nodded. He bit his lip to hide his frown. Part of him wanted to cry, but he knew this wasn't the time. Percy looked back to Apollo and blinked. Without further instruction, Apollo hurried off to fetch Travis.

Percy gestured towards the door and Nico followed him out. Percy slipped a hand into his pocket as they walked. It was slightly awkward for Nico. Percy was refusing to look at him, let alone say anything. What was happening?

\---------------------------------------

Nico stood with Apollo beside Percy's booth. A few of the Lost Kids were a small distance away, gathered at a table. Percy was talking to Leo about a customer as they got out of the booth. Leo nodded and walked off, heading past Nico and Apollo. Leo caught Nico's eye and gave him a concerned look.

Percy sighed and crossed his arms, but didn't look at either Lost Boy in front of him. “Leave,” Percy barked suddenly. The Lost Kids straightened and gathered their things quickly. They made their way out in silence.

Percy paced around in front of the two remaining people in the room. He rubbed at his face from time to time, but did not speak. He let out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair. He finally looked at Apollo and Nico, glancing between the two with a frown.

“Nico, would you care to explain what happened tonight?” Percy asked calmly, once again surprising Nico. Nico blinked at him in slight shock, but Percy just stared back at him in silence. There was nothing to read on him. His eyes and face were completely blank but for a calm, almost placid, smile.

“I just froze,” Nico confessed. “I'm sorry.”

Percy nodded. “And why did you freeze?”

Nico tilted his head to the side. Wasn't it obvious? “I was nervous.”

Percy raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? Why would you be nervous? Weren't you told how to deal with your stage fright?” Percy asked. Nico shook his head, opting to remain quiet. Percy hummed to himself with a nod. He let out a chuckle.

Nico glanced over to Apollo. The blond was fidgeting to himself. He was wringing his hands in front of him. His eyes were wide and darting all over the place, almost as if they were searching for something. Nico frowned at him. What was he nervous about? Nico had been the one to mess up.

Percy rubbed his chin as he turned to Apollo with a warm smile. Apollo visibly paled under Percy's gaze. “So, you didn't teach him everything you were supposed to?” Percy asked, but it was obviously rhetorical.

“I-” Apollo tried, but Percy's laughter cut him off.

Nico tilted his head to the side. Percy was being pretty calm and cheerful, considering what had happened. He then glanced at Apollo. He was supposed to have worked with Nico about this? Why hadn't he?

“Tell me, Apollo,” Percy began, still remaining calm, “did you think I wouldn't look at you when he messed up? You should have known I would hold both of you responsible for his failure.” Percy was being very cordial about the ordeal, but his words were starting to bother Nico. Had Apollo done this on purpose? He glanced up at the tall blond with a frown, but Apollo's eyes were still glancing around the room.

“I-He-” Apollo began, but put his hands over his mouth. He looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He flinched when Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Percy sent off a quick text and slid the device back into his pocket.

“You know, I'm actually a little surprised,” Percy continued. “I thought you were going to be a better friend to him than this, but I suppose I was wrong.” Nico's eyebrows knitted together as he listened to Percy talk. “You stabbed him in the back and left him for the dogs, that's pretty harsh.”

Nico's eyes widened. Apollo had done this on purpose? He looked to the blond, hoping he would deny it, but Apollo just silently stared down at the ground. Apollo had wanted him to fail? Why? Why would he do that? Percy sighed and ran a hand down his face. Nico could feel his eyes starting to burn as he stared at the blond.

Percy nodded his head. He opened his mouth, but he opted to speak in a foreign language. Nico wasn't quite sure what it was. It sounded like French, but he couldn't be quite sure. Percy made a few gestures as he went back to pacing. He smiled and chuckled at Apollo as he spoke, but Apollo only seemed to fidget more. Percy smiled brightly as he stared down at the ground, saying something else to Apollo. Percy shook his head, smile still in place, and said something more quietly.

Letting out a long sigh, Percy looked back at Nico. “I need you to come by and see me in my office,” Percy instructed with another smile. “Let's make it Monday, shall we?”

Nico nodded, staring in confusion at Percy. Percy nodded back and dismissed them. He sat back down at his booth with a sigh. He picked up his half-finished glass and took a long drink. Nico followed silently behind Apollo.

They descended the steps, finding the Lost Kids at the base of the stairs. Nico felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at each one of them. They were a sea of emotions. Some of them glanced at the ground in shame, others looked sadly at Apollo, and some even glared coldly at Nico.

“Well, you really are the boss's little pet,” Reyna grumbled.

“At least he fucks us, though,” Travis chuckled dryly.

“Y-you all knew?” Nico rasped out. His vision was beginning to blur from the tears.

“Don't take it so personally, Nico,” Hazel began.

“We just wanted you to fail,” continued Calypso.

“Why?” Nico sobbed.

“So, you could be like us,” Will spat. “You're so fucking perfect that the boss won't even touch you.”

Nico bit his lip and rubbed at his face. He glanced at Thalia, hoping for some support, but the girl was too busy rubbing Apollo's back. She turned an icy stare at Nico, shrugging. “You're innocent, Nico. You're not like us. Why do you think all the Lost Boys have been trying to fuck you? Someone needs to make you like us, since Percy won't,” she scoffed.

“Sort of like a game,” Will added.

Thalia nodded. “You're like this horrible image we have to look at each day. A constant fucking reminder of what we lost and will never be able to get back.”

“And then you wanted to come up here, like you didn't even appreciate what Percy was trying to do for you,” Piper snarled.

“We just decided to watch, hoping you would show some sign of becoming like us, but no,” Apollo whispered. “Why are you so special?”

“You wanted me to-” Nico clasped a hand over his mouth, fighting back another sob. They wanted him to be like them? They wanted him to hate people? They wanted him to lose the thing Percy had told him to hold on to?

“Don't take it to heart, Nico,” Connor said. “It'll be easier for you once you're like the rest of us.”

“You don't hate yourself as much this way,” Travis added. “Just like Leo and Rachel, you don't have all these people violating your body. You're just so fucking perfect and it makes us all sick.”

“It hurts to look at you, knowing you managed to do what we couldn't,” Thalia whispered. “We have to feel disgusted with ourselves every time we look at you.”

“None of us made it off the streets so lucky. How is it fair that you did?” Will growled.

“In a way, we were trying to help you, Nico. Like the twins said, it's easier once you're more like us,” Hazel mumbled, refusing to look at Nico. The others all nodded.

“And besides, why do you think Percy won't touch you?” Octavian finally voiced, having remained quiet until now.

Nico's eyes widened. “What do you mean?” Nico croaked out.

“Like with us, you're just like one of those carnival mirrors that Percy has to look at. You are nothing more than a reminder of himself. You're disgusting to him for that reason.”

Nico sobbed as he stepped down the rest of the stairs. He walked past the Lost Kids, stopping in front of Butch and Luke, who had remained silent the entire time. They were leaned against the wall, but had been staring at Nico the entire time.

“Thank you for back there,” Nico mumbled, wiping his nose on his arm.

Luke grunted. “We only did it to help Percy,” Butch grumbled.

Nico blinked in shock at them. “Percy wouldn't have been happy if you had been a disaster and ruined business for him,” Luke spat, glancing at Apollo. “Apparently, Apollo didn't think about this.”

“We did, however, talk it over and made sure to get stage time tonight when we found out what Apollo was going to do.”

“Just in case you did fuck up,” Luke sneered.

Nico's mouth opened a few times. He stared off to the side, not wanting to meet either one of their eyes. He couldn't stop crying, and the tears were flowing heavily down his cheeks. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. He felt two pairs of hands on his shoulders and opened them to find Clarisse and Ethan guiding him away.

They guided him onto the elevator without a single word and pressed the button to Nico's floor. Nico whispered his thanks to them as he rubbed at his eyes. The doors closed and he buried his face into his hands. He rode down the rest of the way sobbing into his palms.

He had been so stupid. He had trusted them. He had trusted Apollo. Apollo. Why did it seem like the blond always hurt him the most? First, he walked in on him having sex with Percy. Now, he had been stabbed in the back by the blond.

And what the others had said, could that be true? Did they really feel that way about him? Did he really disgust all of them? He even disgusted Percy? He exited the elevator and made his way down the hall, still crying.

Well, that would explain a lot of Percy's actions, Nico thought to himself. Nico banged his head on his door. He was so stupid. He had known something was up. He saw the way Apollo acted on Monday, and Saturday before that. He had been planning this all week. He had even gotten the other Lost Kids involved.

Nico slipped inside and yanked his costume off, suddenly feeling disgusted with himself. He went to his bedroom and slid off his speedo. He couldn't stand to be dressed like one of them right now. He found the boxer-briefs he had on earlier and slid them back on. He got some sweat pants and a t-shirt, and slipped them on over his naked form.

He dragged himself back to the living room where he collapsed on the couch. He buried his face into the cushion and continued to sob there for a long time. This wasn't his fault! They were acting like he was on some pedestal, and he wasn't. He had just wanted to survive on the streets. Most of the time, he had been starving because he was too small and frail to actually manage to steal food from someone. He had to slink away from places that were occupied in order to be able to make it through the night.

But from all of that, he hadn't come to hate the world. How was that his fault? He hadn't had time to be angry, all he had felt was fear. Nico lurched and leaned over the side of the couch. He felt like he was going to be sick. They had tried to have sex with him, and it was just a game to them?

Suddenly, Nico felt alone again. He felt alone and afraid like he had when he was on the streets. They had all turned on him. He had thought he could trust them, but they had all turned on him. At least Luke and Octavian had always been honest about their feelings toward Nico. The others had masked their opinions. Did they really hate him? Did he really make them feel so bad about themselves? He didn't mean to. He had never wanted to do that. He liked them, all of them. He wanted them to be his family, but now, everything was crumbling, just like Luke had said it would.

Luke had warned him about how twisted and messed up the Lost Kids really were, and he had just brushed it off. But now, he saw they really were messed up. They were dark, just like this hotel. That's exactly what they were like, the hotel.

Getting up from the couch, Nico walked to the door. He wasn't quite sure where he was going, he just knew he needed someone. But who could he go to? He wanted Percy, but he doubted he could get to or find the green-eyed young man. Still, he was the only person Nico could really think of. So, Nico opened the door and, still sniffling, made his way down to the elevator.

He wasn't sure if the others were in their rooms, but at the moment, he didn't really care. He just wanted someone to comfort him right now, and he knew he couldn't rely on any of them. He pressed the elevator button and waited. He pursed his lips tightly as he felt another wave of tears coming on.

The elevator doors opened, and Nico sobbed at the sight of him. He buried his face in the lean torso, wrapping his arms around the owner's waist. A hand came up to rest in his hair, while the other wrapped around his waist.

“Shh. You're ok, Nico,” Percy whispered to him. He pulled Nico further into his chest and stepped back onto the elevator. “Come on.”

Nico remained silent as the elevator ascended. He continued to sob into Percy's chest as Percy ran a hand through his hair. Percy let out a long sigh and lifted him up, just like he did when he brought him into the hotel for the first time. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck, letting the taller young man carry him towards his suite. Percy managed to reach a hand back for his wallet and pulled it out, sliding the keycard out with his thumb.

Nico looked up at him when Percy carried him inside, blinking up at him with uncertainty. Percy just smiled at him and let the door close behind him. He sat Nico down on the couch and walked into the kitchen. Nico fidgeted on the couch as he watched Percy move around inside the kitchen, already missing the other's touch.

“What did they say to you exactly?” Percy sighed, returning to the living room with two glasses and two bottles. One bottle was clearly a bottle of Coke, but the other contained some amber liquid. Nico finally realized what it was and his eyes widened. Percy sat down beside him and mixed the liquids together, but not touching the glasses when he was done. He glanced at Nico, waiting for an answer.

Nico rubbed his eyes, sniffling as he did so. “Th-They just said some things,” Nico mumbled.

Percy frowned. “What sort of things?”

Nico pursed his lips.

Percy ran a hand across his mouth. “Nico, Clarisse and Ethan already told me what happened. I just want to hear it from you,” he explained.

Nico chewed on his lip as he watched the drinks on the coffee table in front of them. “They said I was this horrible thing they had to look at, because I have something they lost,” Nico sobbed.

Percy sighed. He rubbed Nico's back. He reached with his free hand to pick up a glass and took a sip. “I'm sorry they said that,” he whispered. “You just have to understand, you aren't like them, but you shouldn't feel bad about it. I like that about you, Nico, I really do. I want you to keep that innocence of yours. I want you to remain untainted by the world.”

“Do they hate me?” Nico whispered.

Percy shook his head. “No, they don't hate you.” He took a deep breath. “It's just like they said, you are a bad reminder for them of what they've lost. They're not innocent anymore, Nico. They lost that on the streets, in some way or the other. I don't know how you did it, but you managed to make it through with yours.” Nico bit his lip. “I'm not saying you didn't have a hard time, Nico. I'm sure you did, but for some reason, you were lucky.”

“I don't feel lucky right now.”

Percy smiled. “Well, you should.” He scooted the other glass of alcohol towards Nico.

Nico frowned. “I thought you said-”

Percy sighed. “I know, but I'm going to let it be your choice. Do you want it?” Percy asked.

Nico eyed it for a moment, contemplating his decision. While he did feel like having some at the moment, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go down that road just yet. Percy had said it was a method of coping, but it made Nico feel like if he chose it, he had run out of other options. If he took it, he would feel like he couldn't manage to deal with this stuff himself. So, he just shook his head and smiled.

Percy smiled back and slid the drink back towards himself. “So, what else did they say?” Percy asked, taking another drink.

“I feel like a snitch by telling you,” Nico mumbled.

Percy chuckled. “I'm not going to tell any of them, you have my word. I just want to know for myself. I also know you could use someone to vent all of this to, and I figured I could help. I was actually on my way to check on you, when you caught me at the elevator.”

Nico nodded, glancing into Percy's green eyes. “They wanted me to be like them, and the other Lost Boys were just playing games with me, trying to seduce me.”

Percy was silent for a while, swirling his drink around in his glass, eyeing the liquid. “I know,” he finally whispered.

“You knew?” Nico was a little shocked by Percy's response. He had known, and he hadn't done anything?

“Yes, but I had faith that you would make your own decisions and decide what was best for yourself. I told them that they had to be fair about it, and if you said no, to drop it.” Percy looked at Nico and chuckled. “Nico, if you're expecting me to be your knight in shining armor, I don't think I'm quite it. You're not a princess, you don't need saving. You're old enough to make your own decisions. You just have to be able to live with any consequences of those decisions.”

Nico looked down. He knew what Percy was saying was true, but it still would have been nice if Percy had done more about it. Maybe he really didn't care about Nico, at least not in the way Nico wanted him to.

“Continue,” said Percy. Nico looked at him, knitting his eyebrows. “I know there's more, Nico. I want to hear all of it.”

Nico took in a deep breath before letting it out. He looked at Percy, who was watching him intently. Did he really want to tell Percy about the other thing they had said? “They, uh, they said that you were like them, disgusted by the sight of me, and that's why you won't touch me.”

Percy leaned back against the couch, eyebrows furrowed. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He rubbed his forehead as he sat in silence for a moment, refusing to look at Nico. Nico felt like crying again. Was it really true? Was that why Percy wouldn't touch him?

“I-is it true?” Nico asked, his voice cracking.

“Yes,” Percy whispered.

Nico nodded and he let his head drop, a few tears falling from his face. Percy sat quietly beside him, unmoving as Nico cried. Nico felt sick with himself. He disgusted the guy he liked.

“But,” Percy finally continued, “that's not why I won't touch you.”

Nico turned his head to look at Percy in surprise. He opened his mouth, but Percy continued on.

“I don't touch you because I don't want to corrupt you. I'm afraid if I get involved with you, in any way, that I will break you. I don't want you losing your innocence, I told you that,” Percy whispered.

“I-”

“But it is hard for me to look at you sometimes,” Percy confessed.

“Why?”

“The same reason as the Lost Kids. You have something that I don't. You're something that I can never be, something that I can never know. I was raised on the streets, Nico. I'm far from innocent.” He turned to face Nico. “I'm also not someone you want to get involved with. I've tried to push you away, but you're so determined.” A smile found its way onto Percy's lips as he finished. He glanced up at the clock and sighed. “Do you want to sleep here tonight?”

Nico's eyes widened at the question. Percy was going to let him sleep here? With him? “You mean, in the same bed?”

“Yes, in the same bed,” Percy chuckled. He stood up and took the drinks into the kitchen, depositing them into the sink. He walked back into the room and looked at Nico. “Usually, at some point when each Lost Kid gets here, I let them when they need comforting. I just figured you finally could use it. This place has been hard on all of them when they first got here. I expected this when you said you wanted to work upstairs.”

Nico's face fell a little. He had hoped that he was special, that it wasn't common. “Oh,” Nico whispered.

Percy sighed, smiling at Nico. “Don't think of it like that. I know you need someone to comfort you, though. But I don't let any of them sleep here whenever they want to. It's just that I know this place is hard and, sometimes, they all need someone to comfort them. That can apply to you too, if you want.”

Nico nodded. He glanced up to meet Percy's gaze. “I would like to sleep here,” Nico finally told him.

Percy smiled again and extended his hand out to Nico. Nico pulled himself up and let Percy lead him back to his bedroom, turning off the lights on the way. Nico fidgeted in front of Percy's bed, as the green-eyed young man pulled his shirt off.

Percy chuckled at him. “You can get into the bed and make yourself comfortable,” Percy told him.

Nico nodded and climbed into the bed, letting out a small moan. He blushed as Percy raised an eyebrow at him. He covered his face in shame. He couldn't help it, the bed was so comfortable. He watched as Percy slid his pants off, staring at the boxer clad ass as he bent over to pick the pants up and toss them in a dirty clothes hamper. Nico's eyes dilated upon seeing Percy bent over. He had yet to see Percy naked, but he was definitely the biggest turn on, even clothed.

Percy stretched, giving Nico a good view of the front of his body. He smiled down at the black haired boy and crawled into bed “A-Aren't you going to get the lights?” Nico asked as Percy crawled on top of him.

Percy shrugged. “That depends, do you want to be able to see?”

“What?”

Percy sat back. “Unless you don't want to?”

Nico bit his lip. “Want to what?” Nico asked.

Percy sighed. “I'm going to give you something else to make a choice on, Nico. As with everything else, this is completely up to you.”

Nico blinked at him. “I don't want you to tease me again.”

Percy leaned in and nipped at Nico's neck, placing a hand behind Nico's back. “I'm not planning on pulling back this time,” Percy whispered into his ear. Nico shuddered. Percy pulled back to look at Nico in the face. “Not all the way, but I figured we could do something,” he explained.

Nico nodded his head, his eyes already hazed over. Percy chuckled and slipped Nico out of his shirt. He laid Nico down and ran his hand down Nico's torso, ghosting over the smooth skin. He held Nico's gaze as he slipped his fingers under Nico's jogging pants and slipped them off. He descended on Nico's nipple, licking and biting.

Percy gripped Nico's hip with one hand, while the other one lifted his lower half off the bed. Nico was beginning to wonder what he was doing, until he felt Percy press against him. He didn't move, he just sat there with Nico's ass pressing against his crotch. Nico's head fell back and Percy took the opportunity to suck on Nico's throat.

Nico closed his eyes as he felt Percy kiss across his body. He made his way down to Nico's navel, dipping his tongue inside. He moved over to Nico's hip, biting and sucking lightly at the skin there. Nico moaned and ran a hand down into Percy's hair. Percy then moved lower, just below where Nico's boxer-briefs ended, sucking there as well.

Nico tugged on Percy's face, trying to get him to come up to him. Percy inched back up Nico's body until he was hovering over Nico's face. Nico sat up, and Percy sat back. Nico leaned forward, inching his face closer to Percy. Percy seemed to hesitate for a brief moment before crashing his lips against Nico's.

It started off innocent enough, but soon escalated into heated kisses. Nico felt Percy slide his tongue across Nico's lips, asking for entrance. Nico didn't hesitate with granting him access. Percy's tongue slid into his mouth, sliding along Nico's own. Nico fell back down onto Percy's pillow, the kiss not breaking.

Percy's hands ended up on Nico's hips, pulling their bodies closer. Percy's tongue pulled out of his mouth, where Percy soon began sucking on Nico's lip. Nico whined when Percy pulled away. Nico was panting as he watched Percy lick his lips. He returned to Nico's sides, sucking on the skin just above the hips once again. Nico gasped and writhed beneath him. Percy chuckled against his skin, holding him in place.

“If you want me to stop, just let me know,” Percy whispered.

Nico's only reply was a moan. Was he crazy? Nico had wanted this for too long to back out now. Percy hovered over Nico as he lowered Nico's underwear, gazing down at Nico's naked form. He spread Nico's legs and kissed his way up Nico's right thigh. He halted nearby Nico's crotch, placing a long kiss on the pale boy's upper thigh. With a devilish grin, Percy bit and sucked at the skin there. Nico immediately jerked off the mattress, letting out a loud gasp. His leg squirmed, but Percy put a firm grip on it.

He continued to suck on that one place on Nico's upper thigh until Nico's head was jerking on the pillow, moaning in ecstasy. Percy ran a hand up Nico's other thigh. He settled on a spot and rubbed circles on it with his thumb.

Percy moved up to Nico's stomach where he kissed around Nico's navel. “Percy,” Nico moaned.

Percy leaned back and chuckled. “Haven't you ever heard of foreplay, Nico?”

Nico groaned. He was horny now, and he wanted more. Percy grinned up at him as he descended back to Nico's thigh, running a hand down Nico's chest. He went back to sucking on that sensitive spot on Nico's upper thigh. This time, however, he took a hold of Nico's hard dick and gave it a few jerks.

Percy moved his face a few inches to the left and sucked on the skin directly next to Nico's cock. Nico's hips seemed to move on their own as they rolled under Percy's administrations. Percy continued to suck on the skin there, while one of his hands continued to slowly stroke Nico.

Nico was about to go insane from this foreplay. His mind kept telling him to get Percy's mouth around his dick as soon as possible, but he couldn't seem to move. Percy placed a firm grip around Nico's dick, standing it straight up. He placed a final kiss to Nico's upper thigh before moving his head above Nico's arousal. He glanced up at Nico, smirking upon seeing the hazy look in Nico's eyes. He flicked his tongue out to swipe across the tip, teasing Nico with much satisfaction.

Nico moved his hands down to lace his fingers into Percy's black hair. Percy ran his tongue down the base of Nico's shaft, maintaining his eye contact the entire time. He dipped his tongue between Nico's balls before licking back up the shaft.

Percy swirled his tongue around the tip, chuckling at the moaning from Nico's mouth. “Enjoying yourself, Nico?” Percy whispered.

“Uh-huh,” Nico panted.

Percy hummed to himself as he licked around Nico's cock. He gripped Nico's balls and tugged on them while he continued to tease around the shaft. Nico yanked on his hair, trying to get him to go further, but Percy just chuckled up at him and continued his licking.

“Percy, please,” Nico said breathlessly, tightening his grip in Percy's hair.

Percy stared up at him silently for a moment, licking around the tip still. With a flick of his tongue, Percy raised himself up slightly, hovering above Nico's crotch. “Please what, Nico?” Percy whispered seductively.

Nico moaned and bucked his hips. “You know what.”

Percy smirked. “I want to hear you say it.”

Nico groaned and rested an arm over his eyes, hiding his eyes from Percy. “Suck me, please?” Nico mumbled.

Percy hummed and licked the tip again. “I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that.”

“Please suck my dick, Percy!” Nico shouted. His cheeks darkened from his outburst and he still refused to move his arm.

He let out a gasp when he felt Percy's warm mouth envelop his erection. He moved his arm and stared down at Percy. His dark locks had fallen into his face as he slowly descended down Nico's shaft. Nico moaned as Percy reached the base. Percy locked gazes with Nico as he slid back up, sliding his tongue along the base as he did.

Percy sucked on Nico's dick as Nico writhed beneath him. Sweat was starting to build up on Nico's body as he let out a continuous string of moans. Was this real? This is what he had wanted, and he was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that this was really happening. But that could be blamed on the fact that he was having a hard time forming any sort of coherent thought. This was different from his time with Apollo. At least then he was able to get a few words out, but Percy was reducing him to an incoherent mess.

Percy sucked on the head for a while, his cheeks having sunk in. He hummed as he bobbed up and down on Nico's shaft. Nico bucked up into Percy's mouth, trying to get more out of it. Percy eventually held his hips down, gripping them tightly.

Nico propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at Percy, still sucking on his dick. He pulled on Percy's hair and pulled him off. Percy tilted his head to the side as Nico made him sit back. He slid into Percy's lap and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck.

Nico pecked Percy on the lips, and Percy smiled back at him. Percy leaned in and nipped at Nico's bottom lip. Nico rolled his hips in Percy's lap, eliciting a growl from Percy. They kissed for a few more seconds before Nico pulled back for air.

Nico bit his lip. Percy tried to lay him back down on the bed, but Nico wouldn't let him. He rocked his hips against Percy's lap. Percy took a deep breath as his eyes darkened. Percy moaned and gripped Nico's hips, thrusting up against Nico's ass.

Nico ran his hands down Percy's lean torso as Percy continued to thrust against him. He was a little entranced by the exposed flesh in front of him. So close, and he was finally able to really touch it. Nico buried his face into Percy's neck and mumbled something.

Percy pulled back and looked at him in confusion. “What was that?” Percy asked.

“I said I want to suck your dick,” muttered Nico.

Percy smirked. “You don't have to do that.”

“But I want to.”

Percy lowered his gaze, his eyebrows furrowing. He was silent for around a minute before looking back at Nico. “No,” he said with a voice of finality.

Nico blinked at him. “No?”

Percy nodded. “You're not sucking me off.”

Nico frowned. “Can I at least see you naked?”

Percy stared at him for a moment before nodding. He got off the bed and stood in front of Nico. Nico slid his legs off the side of the bed and sat on the edge, watching as Percy hooked his fingers under the hem of his black boxers.

Nico licked his lips as the fabric was slowly lowered from Percy's hips. Percy's hardened length bounced out from behind the material and Nico had to bite his lip to mask a moan. Percy was bigger than the average dick size, a fact that Nico found himself liking very much. It was perfect, just like the rest of him.

Percy stepped out of his boxers and brushed at his bangs. “Is that better?” Percy chuckled.

Nico stared at it in fascination. Percy smirked and stepped forward. Nico reached around to feel up Percy's ass. Percy smiled and turned around, giving Nico a full view of his backside. Nico moaned. How could one guy look so perfect? He didn't even have any tan lines. Percy turned back around, smile still in place, and slid his fingers into Nico's dark locks.

A mischievous spark appeared in Percy's eyes as he pushed Nico back on the bed. “Don't think we are done yet,” he chuckled. “I'm still going to take care of you.”

Percy reached over to his nightstand and opened the drawer. Nico watched as Percy retrieved a bottle of lube and dropped it on the bed. He hovered over Nico for a moment before leaning down to kiss his way back down Nico's chest. Percy lapped at Nico's navel again before returning to Nico's thigh. Sucking rather harshly there, Percy returned to his earlier activity of sucking on Nico's arousal.

Nico let his head fall back as he let himself enjoy Percy's administrations. Somewhere in the back of Nico's mind, he heard the click of the bottle, but he couldn't be bothered to pay too much attention to it. Percy's lips felt so amazing around his erection.

Nico yelped and jerked his hips up when he felt a cold finger pressing against his entrance. Percy sat up and chuckled at him. “Calm down,” said Percy.

“What was that?”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “I was going to finger you.”

Nico's cheeks blushed. “Oh, uh, sorry,” he mumbled.

Percy smirked and returned to sucking on Nico's cock. The finger once again pressed against Nico's entrance, but this time Nico didn't jerk away. His face did contort slightly from the uncomfortable feeling it was presenting him.

Percy pulled off of him and came up to nibble on his collarbone. “Relax,” he whispered.

Nico took a deep breath and nodded. Percy's finger slid into him as the owner returned to lick along Nico's shaft. It was still a little uncomfortable, but Nico could handle it. He let out a long moan when he felt Percy's mouth go back down on him at the same time that his fingers brushed against something inside of Nico.

Nico's mouth fell open as Percy continued to press his finger against that spot inside of him. His hands fell into the sheets, getting a firm grip on the fabric. A second finger was added, and the feeling uncomfortable feeling returned, but to a lesser degree.

Percy pressed directly against his prostate, dragging a loud moan from Nico's lips. Nico's breathing became ragged as Percy increased his suction. Every now and then, Percy would spread his two fingers apart and then go back to striking Nico's prostate. Nico felt like he might pass out from all of this. His vision was starting to blur, but his mouth was still working just fine, as he could not stop moaning.

He gasped and dug a hand into Percy's hair, trying to tug him off, but Percy swatted his hand away. Nico tried to open his mouth to warn Percy, but all that came out was a moan. He propped himself up on his elbows as he looked down at Percy. His head fell back when Percy kept his fingers against his prostate, massaging it. Percy looked up at Nico and they held gazes as Nico reached his climax. Nico saw white as he felt himself release into Percy's mouth before collapsing on the bed.

Nico whimpered as Percy's fingers were removed from him. Percy got off the bed and walked into his bathroom. Nico's eyes were starting to droop when Percy returned. Percy smirked and flipped the light switch, casting them into shadow.

Nico felt Percy crawl into the bed beside him. He felt a hand settle onto his waist and he was pulled against the warm body behind him. Nico's eyes opened and closed a few times, trying to keep himself awake, but he was too spent. His head relaxed against the pillow, and soon he drifted off to sleep.


	16. Break His Pretty Face

Nico nuzzled further into his pillow, basking in how perfect if felt under his head. His eyes drifted open for a brief second before closing again. Something finally dawned on him, though, bringing a frown to his lips. There was no source of warmth behind him, as there had been when he had fallen asleep. He blinked his eyes open and rolled over, finding the bed empty. He glanced around the room, wondering where Percy had gone.

He finally took in his surroundings, not having paid attention to it the previous night. He rubbed his neck as he set up, the covers falling from his torso. A TV, the same size as the one in Percy's living room, sat on top of a dresser, directly across from the bed. A black nightstand sat on the side of the bed that Percy had slept on, an alarm clock sitting on top of it. Two sliding doors sat near the dresser, leading to what Nico assumed was Percy's closet.

Percy's bed was Queen sized, covered in a black comforter with white sheets. Black pillows covered the head of the bed. Two lamps jutted out from the wall on both sides of the bed with speakers right below them. On Nico's side of the room, there was another dresser with a mirror. Two picture frames sat on it.

Nico crawled off the bed to inspect the photos. One was of all of the Lost Kids; Leo, Rachel, Clarisse, and Ethan included. Nico frowned. He wondered if Percy would replace it with one that included him in the group. The second picture was of two people that Nico didn't recognize, a woman and a young man. The young man looked to be about Percy's age. He had curly black hair and hazel eyes that almost looked golden. His skin was pale like Nico's. He made Nico a little uneasy with the grin on his face.

The woman was beautiful. She was perfectly tan, and looked to wear little makeup, if any. She had long straight black hair and green eyes that reminded Nico of grass. Her smile, unlike the young man, made Nico feel warm. There was still a presence about her that Nico couldn't quite place. Looking at her eyes and face, it sort of reminded him of how Percy looked when he was masking his emotions. There was a mix of warmth and hardness in her eyes. He wasn't sure about the young man, but Nico was going to guess this was Gaea.

He pursed his lips and stepped away from the photos. He walked over and grabbed his underwear, slipping his the fabric back on. He found the rest of his clothes strewn about the room, and he quickly pulled them back onto his body. Fixing his messy hair, he decided to go looking for Percy.

It didn't take long. He found Percy in the kitchen, sipping at a cup of coffee. He was dressed in the same clothes he had leant Nico on his first night there, a dark blue shirt and a pair of black track shorts. Percy was already staring at him when he walked through the doorway. The gaze made Nico fidget under the stare, as he could not decipher what Percy was thinking.

“Morning,” Percy mumbled groggily, taking another sip.

“Morning,” Nico mumbled, rubbing his arm.

Percy stepped aside and gestured to his kitchen. “Feel free to help yourself to some breakfast.”

Nico chewed on his lip as he stepped around the island and went for a bag of bagels. He pulled one out and nibbled on it, glancing at Percy from time to time. Percy leaned on the island and watched Nico in silence, only making Nico fidget more.

“How are you feeling?” Percy asked.

Nico brushed some of his hair behind his ear. “Better. Thanks.”

Percy smiled. “It was my pleasure.” He watched Nico over his mug as he took another sip.

“So, does this mean I can be treated like the others?”

“No.”

Nico blinked. “No?” He asked.

Percy sighed. “Look, Nico, while last night was fun, don't expect it to happen on a regular basis.”

Nico furrowed his eyebrows. “Why not?”

“I'm not trying to corrupt you, Nico. That's why I drew the line where I did.”

Nico frowned and looked down. He had thought he had made progress with Percy, but Percy was pushing him away again. He had thought Percy was actually starting to care about him. But he was back where he started.

“I know what you want, Nico,” Percy whispered, “and I can't give it to you. If that's what you thought last night was, it wasn't.”

Nico covered his mouth. His heart was starting to hurt. He drew his lips into a thin line. “I know you can't give me what I want,” Nico whispered.

Percy let out a deep sigh. “I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea.”

Nico shook his head, biting down on his lip.

“Nico, I'm not trying to hurt you,” said Percy.

Nico nodded. “I know. It's just the way things are around here.”

Percy sat his mug down and rested his hands on the island. He stared at Nico for a few minutes before speaking. “Are you going to be ok?”

Nico nodded his head slowly. He wasn't really sure if he was being honest, but he knew it was the response he needed to give. If he said no, Percy would think he was incapable of handling life at the Lotus. “I just thought I was different,” Nico whispered.

Percy tilted his head to the side. “You are different.”

“I don't mean from the Lost Kids. I mean with you.”

Percy frowned. He scratched his head. His eyes flickered to Nico, narrowing lightly. “Why would you think that?” Percy asked, picking his mug back up.

Nico stared off to the side for a moment, unsure if what he was about to say was a good idea. He rubbed at his arm as he looked back at Percy, wanting the green-eyed young man's reaction. “You...You got aroused with me the other night, and I heard you had perfect control over your body. I-I saw you adjusting yourself when you got off of me.”

Percy smirked as he raised the mug up to his lips. “Is that so?” He shrugged.

Nico's heart was now pounding in his chest. His eyes were nearing the point of tears. He knew he saw what he did. Nico suddenly had the urge to run. He wanted away from Percy at the moment. He felt like he was about to cry, and he didn't want Percy to see it this time.

“I-I need to go get ready for work,” Nico whispered sadly. He made his way into the living room, and Percy followed him.

“That reminds me, I need to talk to you about that,” Percy stated, his voice coming out empty of all emotion. Nico slowly turned back around, already wishing he hadn't. Percy's face was the same as his tone of voice, emotionless. “You're going to work your shift this afternoon, but your punishment starts after that.”

“W-What's my punishment?”

Percy's eyes seemed to turn cold, and it was taking every inch of Nico's willpower not to start shaking. “When you finish your shift, you will not be working tonight. In fact, you will not be working until further notice. I'm going to have Leo cut off your card access. You will not be able to reach the bar or the top floor. You will not be able to return to this floor once you leave. You will be losing access to the pool, Circe's Spa, the gym, the game room, and any similar places within the hotel. In fact, the only place you'll have access to is your room and the kitchen. You can leave the hotel if you wish, but you will have to find your own ride.”

Nico had broken as Percy spoke. He just couldn't help it. Percy's words were like knives cutting into him. His eyes looked broken and he had started to shake. Percy just stood there in front of him with his hands in his pockets. Nico nodded his head slowly. He turned back around and opened the door, just as the first tear fell down his cheek.

He managed to get into his suite and get himself to the bathroom, where he promptly threw up into the toilet. His body heaved and lurched as he sat hunched over the porcelain bowl. He leaned back and sat against the tub, pulling his legs to his chest and burying his face.

\----------------------------------------------

Nico tried to calm himself down during his elevator ride up to the bar. He was starting to hyperventilate, which he did not need to be doing during work. Did that even matter, though? What was going to happen to him? Why was Percy punishing him like this? His fears had been getting the best of him since he had gotten back to his suite, and he couldn't turn his brain off.

He had started biting his nails, a habit that he hadn't done since he was in the seventh grade. When he caught himself, he shook his hand and clenched it at his side. As frustrated as he was with this place at the moment, he had an appearance to maintain.

Nico's heart rate went up as he exited the elevator into the bar. The twins and Reyna were already tending to the few customers that were already there. Nico felt tears already threatening to resurface. He didn't want to see them right now. They hated him, no matter what Percy had said. Percy was in with them, of course he would say that. They were all the same. He was alone in this place.

“Hey, Nico!” the twins exclaimed cheerfully as he passed them.

Nico stopped in his tracks and blinked. What was that? Where was the animosity from last night? He hadn't been expecting this reaction.

“H-Hi,” Nico replied.

They both grinned at him with their usual Cheshire smiles. They looked so normal and casual. Well, as normal as they could get. Did they know about his punishment? Was that why they were happy? “Hey, don't sweat it about last night. I'm sure you'll get it next time,” said Travis.

They walked off and Nico slowly walked over to the bar. He wasn't really sure what was going on. Chiron gave Nico his usual warm smile. Reyna was the only one not smiling, but then again, that was normal for her.

“You look a little rough, Nico. Did you sleep ok last night?” The dark haired girl asked.

“I, uh, slept alright,” Nico replied, more than a little confused.

The twins came by and dropped off their orders. “You should have had some coffee. You do look a little tired,” Connor agreed with Reyna.

“Ok, what's going on?” Nico asked.

The twins blinked at him. “What do you mean?” They asked, slinging their hands behind their heads.

“Are you sure you're alright?” Reyna asked, arching an eyebrow.

Nico shook his head in disbelief. What game were they playing? Chiron frowned. “I think you should all get to work,” the man said.

The twins' smile returned and they walked off towards the tables. Reyna just shrugged at Nico and followed off after them. Nico looked at Chiron. “What's going on with them?” Nico asked.

Chiron pursed his lips. “You should go get started on a few tables,” he said with a smile.

Nico frowned and looked at the ground as he walked off, not caring that his feet were dragging. What was going on? He didn't understand any of this anymore. He felt like he should be in Wonderland as opposed to a place that was the equivalent to Neverland.

After about an hour had passed, Nico's mind was racing all over the place. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do during his time off. He wasn't sure why Percy had chosen this punishment. Nico could handle waiting tables, so why had he removed Nico from work altogether? Were all of the Lost Kids going to be acting like this, like nothing had happened? Where was that going to get them? What was their angle?

Nico bit back a groan. He had to stop thinking like that. He was starting to sound paranoid, and he didn't like it. He just couldn't help it. His heart wouldn't stop pounding in his chest. His skin felt cold and he couldn't manage keeping his eyes under control. They looked broken, like shattered glass.

Nico gasped as he tripped, his empty tray flying out of his hand. Travis grabbed him and Connor caught the tray. The smaller twin grinned and handed it back to him. “There you go, Nico,” Connor chuckled.

“You seem distracted, Nico,” Travis stated, tilting his head to the side. They really did remind Nico of a cat sometimes, it was a little scary.

“I'm...fine. I'm fine,” Nico tried assuring them, but his words didn't sound believable. What was wrong with him? He was starting to lose it. He knew he didn't imagine what had happened last night, though.

The twins frowned at him and rubbed the back of their heads. Travis shrugged and elbowed his brother before they both walked off once again. Nico's head was starting to hurt, and he was feeling a little dizzy.

He just wanted to go back to his room and curl up in his bed. He just wanted to be alone, and it wasn't helping how a few of the customers would do their usual discreet once over of Nico's body. He wanted to be away from all of this, but at the same time, he didn't. He was going to be isolated until Percy decided otherwise. This was really starting to frighten him.

He wiped his eyes as he approached another table. He was doing his best to keep from crying, but it was getting harder by the minute. “Good af-afternoon, ma'am. Is there something I can get for you?” Nico asked, trying to be seductive, but failing miserably. He just couldn't do it. His mind was too focused on what Percy had said.

The woman frowned at him. “A new waiter, if you're going to be crying on me the entire time,” she sighed. 

Connor came up and patted Nico on the back. “Sorry, he's just having an off day,” the brunet apologized. He yanked Nico off to the side. “Why don't you go talk to Chiron? Clock out early. You're not focused today.”

Nico nodded. He would have normally argued, but he knew Connor was right. His mind was too out of it at the moment. He dragged himself towards the bar. “Chiron, is it ok if I clock out early?” Nico asked in a whisper.

Chiron sat down a glass he was cleaning and looked Nico over. He gave a sympathetic smile and held out his hand. “It's fine by me. Go get some rest, Nico,” he said soothingly.

Nico nodded and handed over his apron. He slowly signed himself out and made his way back to the elevator. Getting in, he glanced at the bar one last time, not knowing when he would see it again. The twins waved at him, while Reyna simply nodded. The elevator door closed and Nico fell back against the wall.

He felt so incompetent. He knew this part of the job like it was the back of his hand. It was so frustrating for him to mess up like this. All this was going to do was encourage Percy to reconsider having Nico working for him at all.

Nico soon found himself back in his suite, where he promptly curled up on his couch. He pulled his knees up to his chest and fell over onto his side, a deep frown set in place on his lips. What was going to happen to him now? He was alone. He only really saw the others at work.

But he doubted the Lost Kids would really want to spend time with him. All of that had to be an act, right? They weren't going to come see him. Would Percy even come and check on him? He liked to think the green-eyed manager would still be concerned about him. But there were enough security cameras in various places of the hotel that if Nico did go get food, leave the hotel, or something like that, Percy would probably know he was fine.

Why was this happening to him, though? He knew he wasn't supposed to make a mistake on stage, but it wasn't his fault that Apollo had thrown him under the bus. It wasn't his fault. So, why was he being punished? And the way Percy had looked at him. Did he not care about Nico?

Nico began to shake as new tears started to fall from his eyes. What if Percy didn't let him work again? What would he do then? Was Percy going to get rid of him? Was he going to end up back on the streets? Nico's blood ran cold at that thought. What if that was it? What if Percy didn't think Nico could handle this place anymore and he was going to toss Nico out?

And what was he supposed to do for school? Was he supposed to get a taxi now? He didn't know. Percy had just said if he wanted to go somewhere outside the hotel, he had to find his own ride. But did that extend to Nico getting to school?

He was alone. He was alone, and no one was going to save him. Percy had said it himself that he was not a knight in shining armor. He wouldn't be coming to Nico's rescue. Where was the warm Percy that Nico had developed feelings for? Where was the Percy that had been taking care of him? He wanted that Percy back, not this cold emotionless one.

Nico just didn't understand why he couldn't be happy? Why couldn't there be a happy ending? He had thought he had found a better life when he had gotten here, but then he started to question it when he found out what it was. Now, he just didn't know anymore. Sure it wasn't the abusive home that he had lived in, but this felt so traumatic to him. Everything was crumbling, and Nico just wanted to keep it held together.

Nico wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he was becoming vaguely aware of his stomach growling. He just didn't feel like moving, though. He didn't even want to reach into his pocket to check the time. He just wanted to lay there. What was the point? He didn't have anything to do. He didn't have anywhere to go. He didn't even have anyone to spend time with. All the people he had been spending time with had stabbed him in the back.

Nico just kept staring at his TV, which he hadn't even bothered to turn on. He would blink from time to time, but other than that, he remained unmoving. He kept hoping that his door would open and that Percy would be in the doorway, and that everything would be fine. Hell, he would even settle for one of the Lost Kids.

A full day hadn't even gone by, and he was already feeling utterly alone. He had been counting on Percy after last night, and the young man had abandoned him as well. He thought Percy would have tried to be there for him, considering Nico had no one else to turn to after the Lost Kids made their feelings clear. But had they? What was their deal? They had seemed fine earlier. Did they hate him or not? Why couldn't they just be honest and upfront with him? At least Luke and Octavian seemed to do that.

But it had hurt so bad coming from Apollo. He had thought Apollo was his friend. He had considered the blond his best friend since his arrival. He had taken care of Nico. And just a few nights before, he had tried to have sex with Nico. Now Nico was finding out that that had just been a game to corrupt him. A game that Percy had allowed simply because he wanted Nico to make his own choices. Part of Nico wanted to be furious with Percy for allowing the others to do this to him, but the rational part of his brain told him that was stupid. Percy was giving him responsibility. He was allowing Nico to show him that Nico was mature and capable of making the right decisions.

Nico finally blinked and ran a hand across his face. He sat himself up and pulled his phone out. It was a little after six. He should probably go get something to eat. He worried that he might not be able to keep it down, though. He felt horrible. His eyes and face hurt. He felt so cold. His shoulders were tense, and the rest of his body felt sore. He could also feel a headache coming on.

Nico sighed and stood up, nearly falling over. He stumbled back to the bathroom where he splashed cold water on his face. He brushed his messy hair so that he wouldn't look like exactly like he felt. He sighed again and shook his head. His face still looked horrible. His eyes were red and his face looked even more pale than usual.

With one final glance at his reflection, Nico turned off the bathroom light and made his way out of his suite. He boarded the elevator and hit the button to the lobby. He figured he could have called for room service, but he just wanted an excuse to leave his suite at this point. He was going to be cooped up there for however long this lasted, and he would just have to leave it when he could. It was like a prison now. A very nice prison, but a prison nevertheless.

The elevator finally came to a stop and Nico wrapped his arms around himself as he made his way through the lobby to the restaurant. The hostess greeted him with a smile as he passed her. He could only nod in return. He just couldn't manage a smile on his face right now, he knew that much.

He had been determined to just get to the kitchen and place an order, but as he made his way to the back of the restaurant, he spotted Leo and Rachel sitting in the corner of the room. They had both already spotted him and were waving him over. Nico glanced back at the kitchen for a moment, debating on his choice. He sighed and walked towards the two secretaries. He needed a friend right now, and maybe, just maybe, they could be it.

“Hey, Nico,” Rachel greeted him as he approached the table.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled with a small wave.

“Do you want to sit down?” Leo asked, gesturing to the chair next to him.

Nico nodded and sat down with the two of them. Rachel handed him a menu with a smile. “So, how are you holding up?” Rachel asked.

“I don't know anymore,” Nico confessed. He rested his face in his palms. “Why is Percy doing this?”

Leo pursed his lips and rubbed Nico's back. “He can't play favorites, Nico. This is just how he is. Gaea put him in charge because his methods are effective. He gets things done while being good with both us and the customers,” Leo explained.

They fell silent as the waitress came up to their table and took their orders. Nico kept his meal simple. He just didn't think his stomach could handle a big meal at the moment. All he could think about at the moment was if he would still be here tomorrow. And he really didn't know what part scared him worse, being ripped away from this home, or never being able to see Percy again.

“Don't take it personally with us, dude. We were just following orders,” Leo said once the waitress was gone.

“I know,” Nico whispered. “I'm not mad at you. But the others...”

Rachel sighed. “We told you they were complicated. We're all family when it comes to outside entities, but when it comes to each other...” she trailed off.

“It gets competitive and personal,” Leo finished for her.

“What am I supposed to do?” Nico asked, his hands starting to shake again.

Leo glanced at Rachel. “Well, if we're free, you're welcome to hang out with us. But we are usually working.”

Nico nodded sadly. “It's okay,” he mumbled.

“We would let you come and sit with us in the office, but Percy already told us it wasn't allowed,” Rachel informed him.

Nico shook his head. “It's fine, really.”

The waitress returned with their drinks and Nico took a small sip. He found he had a hard time swallowing, and worried if he would even be able to get his meal down. He felt so broken and defeated. He didn't even know where he was going to end up. Nico glanced between Leo and Rachel. Maybe they could be of some help to him. After all, they had said they were similar to him. They were supposed to be untainted like him.

“Can I ask you two something?” The raven haired boy asked.

“Shoot,” Leo replied with a grin.

“Have the others ever done anything like this to you? I mean, you said you both were like me, so I just figured they might have done something similar.”

Rachel and Leo shared a look. “Well, Nico, perhaps 'we are like you' wasn't the right phrase to use,” Rachel mumbled around her glass of water.

Nico cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“We're not like the others, but we're not like you so much either,” answered Leo.

“But that's why Percy didn't put you to work in the top floor, right? Because you aren't tainted like the other Lost Kids.”

Rachel cleared her throat. “But we're not innocent like you are either, Nico,” she explained.

“We had our own rough past, but we didn't turn out quite like the others,” Leo continued.

“Perhaps because we were always the way we are now.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Nico asked.

Rachel frowned and looked at Leo. Leo sighed and scratched his head. “We...have always been aware of the way the world is, Nico. We just didn't turn out to be jaded like the others,” the Latino boy explained. He was silent for a moment before continuing. “We had our rough lives, but we always sort of expected the things that came at us.”

“My father is someone that probably would do or has done business here, Nico. He's not a nice person, and growing up in that environment, I got to see what kind of place the world really was,” Rachel added.

“But then why wouldn't Percy just stick you both up on the stage?” Nico asked. “You both look like you could work up there.”

They both smiled at him. “Thanks,” Rachel mumbled with a faint blush.

Leo chuckled. “We might have been worldly, but we still weren't as bad as they are when we arrived. Plus, it helped that we were smart with business and technology,” Leo answered Nico.

“But in turn, it drove a barrier between us and them.”

Leo nodded. “Clarisse and Ethan get treated somewhat similarly, but not as bad.”

“Why is that?” Nico asked with a frown. That didn't seem very fair. Why would they discriminate to a degree like that?

“Because, Clarisse and Ethan are more like the other Lost Kids than we are,” Rachel replied, taking another sip of her drink. “They were put in their positions because they can handle other people when the need arises.”

“You mean with violence?”

They both nodded. “It's something we can agree with the others about,” Leo mumbled. “They turned out a shade darker than the rest of us.”

“The other Lost Kids are just complicated and traumatized. Ethan and Clarisse, well, they are something else,” Rachel said, a tinge of something in her voice. Nico couldn't quite place it, but it made him fidget in his seat.

\---------------------------------

Nico slumped on his couch, trying to find something appealing to watch. It was getting late, so he didn't have much more time before he would be going to bed. That was one advantage of not working. He would actually be able to go to bed at a decent hour. He was just so bored. Leo and Rachel had had to go to work, leaving Nico with no one to spend time with.

He debated texting Percy to see if he would be willing to come visit him, but he had decided against it. He wasn't sure what to expect from the manager at the moment. So, he figured his best option was to not go seeking him out. The problem was that left him with nothing to do. He had no one to hang out with or talk to. He was alone, and he knew this was what his life was going to be like for a while, if he remained here that was.

He now wished he had already purchased a game console. At least that would have given him something to do. He could be spending his time in isolation playing video games and watching DVDs. Instead, he was stuck staring at the TV. He figured he could wait until the morning, so he had just put that off. He also had thought about looking into purchasing a laptop.

Ever since he had arrived, he had been essentially cut off from the outside world. But he hadn't even thought about contacting any of his old friends until this moment. He felt a little bad about that. The thought of contacting his sister over Facebook had crossed his mind, but he had also decided against that. Even though he hated thinking about the blond at the moment, he now understood why Apollo didn't want to contact his sister.

How would he explain his situation to Bianca? What would she think of him? He wasn't sure if he could look her in the eye in his current situation. Nico figured she would be disappointed in him, trying to sell his body for money. It wasn't like him at all, and he knew that. So, in the end, Nico had chosen not to go down that road.

Nico blinked in confusion when there was a knock at his door. He stood up slowly and made his way to the door. He wasn't sure who it could be. All of the Lost Kids should have been working. Was it Percy? Had he actually been concerned about Nico's state?

To his surprise, Nico found Rachel standing outside his door, a smile on her face. “Good evening, Nico,” she greeted him.

“Hey, Rachel,” Nico mumbled. He glanced down the hall. “What are you doing here?”

“I was going to head back down to the restaurant. Do you want to tag along?”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Isn't it kind of late?”

Rachel grinned at him. “I thought we could go for some ice cream,” she told him.

Nico finally smiled. “That does sound appetizing.”

“Great!” Rachel grabbed Nico's arm and dragged him into the hall. Nico barely had time to grab his wallet from the stand beside the door. “I was just in the mood for something sweet, and figured you would like an excuse to get out of the room.”

Nico nodded with a smile. “Thanks, Rachel,” he mumbled.

“Anytime. Besides, some of us have to remind you that this is still a family.”

Nico rubbed the back of his head as they waited for the elevator. “Well, I'm not really sure what's up with the others right now. They are acting so normal, but after last night, I just don't want to believe them.”

Rachel nodded and placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. “Don't think about it too much,” she said as she boarded the elevator. “I don't think they actually hate you. Maybe this is their way of letting you know you are still one of them.”

“Maybe.”

Rachel slapped his back. “Cheer up, gloomy. I've never seen any of them hate one of our own.”

“But I still disgust them,” Nico reminded her.

Rachel shrugged. “They just have to work through it. It's not your fault, Nico. Don't change because of them. I don't think you want to do that, and I know Percy doesn't want you to do that.”

“But he's leaving it all up to my choice,” Nico mumbled.

Rachel smiled and stared back at the elevator door. Nico frowned at her. Did she know something? No, Nico had to tell himself, that probably wasn't it. He was probably just being paranoid again. Still, it looked like she had some interesting thoughts on the subject.

Nico followed Rachel out of the elevator once it opened at the lobby. The hostess was still standing at her podium when they arrived at the entrance to the restaurant. “Just coming for a midnight snack,” Rachel informed the woman. She nodded at them and they walked inside the restaurant.

Some of the waiters and waitresses were in the process of cleaning up. One of them spotted them and walked over when they sat down. “What can I get for you?” The waiter asked.

“Two banana splits,” Rachel said. She glanced at Nico. “Is that alright?” Nico nodded. “Yes, two banana splits.”

The waiter nodded and walked off to the kitchen. Nico sighed and relaxed in his chair. “Thanks again,” he said.

Rachel waved him off. “Don't worry about it. I wanted the company anyways.” She let out a sigh. “Usually, I come down here by myself. All of the others are usually working. The only option I usually can get is Clarisse or Ethan.”

“It must suck.”

Rachel nodded. “This place can be a lonely place sometimes. But that's why we try and stick together the best we can, even if we bicker.”

“Well, I'm not going to get my hopes up,” Nico mumbled.

Rachel frowned at him. “You shouldn't think like that.”

Nico stared down at the table. They sat in silence until their dessert arrived. Nico couldn't help but smile as he looked at it. It was a fairly large banana split. It had the usual three scoops of ice cream, but this one had a second layer on top of that. It was adorned with various condiments, two bananas, whip cream, and three cherries.

Nico moaned as he took his first bite. He definitely needed this. “So, what was that about your father earlier?” Nico asked after swallowing a mouthful of ice cream.

Rachel frowned as she picked at one of her cherries with her spoon. “He and I never saw eye to eye,” she began. “Like I said, he's the type of man that you might see doing business here. He always saw me as an embarrassment on the family name. I just didn't agree with some of the things he did. I was the stain on our family name, and my brother was his little golden boy.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “What did you do?” Nico asked.

Rachel sighed. “It started out with simple bickering, but as I grew, I started protesting his corporation. I started taking action. I would donate money to charities that didn't like my father. I eventually became an activist. I-I tried giving them some dirt on my father, but my brother caught me. When my father found out, as you can imagine, he was not pleased.”

Nico frowned, suddenly finding his ice cream harder to swallow. It was also starting to taste a little foul in his mouth. “What happened?”

Rachel's face fell. She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “He disowned me. Kicked me out without a second thought. Well, I had been preparing for such a thing. I had prepared an emergency bag and stocked it with a little money.” She bit on her lip for a few seconds before continuing. “I made my way all the way from New York to here. My money...my money eventually ran out, and I ended up on the streets.”

“And Percy found you?” Nico whispered.

Rachel nodded. “He did, eventually. I had been doing a street job, trying to make a little money. I think he had been shopping with Annabeth. Anyways, they both came across me as I was getting ready to leave. Percy sort of deduced what my situation was and approached me. On the way back to the hotel, he figured out I was good with business, and offered me a position as his secretary. As you can imagine, I immediately made a bad impression with Annabeth.”

“So, you were raised in a similar lifestyle?”

Rachel tapped her lips. “I wouldn't say similar, but I knew what kind of man my father was. I knew how things worked. I wasn't blind to the nature of the world like you and the rest of the Lost Kids probably were before ending up on the streets.” She smiled. “Because of that, Percy saw a different use for me.”

Nico nodded, taking another bite of his dessert. “I'm sorry.”

Rachel shrugged. “Don't be,” she replied. “I didn't really care for my father. I was glad to be away from him.” She took another bite of her own banana split. “Do you have any siblings?”

Nico nodded. “A sister.”

“Did you two get along?”

Nico nodded again. “We did. I mean, we bickered, but I figure most siblings do that. But she protected me the best she could against our father. I think father hesitated a little with her trying to do that. I don't think he felt as comfortable hitting a girl.” Nico stared down at his melting ice cream. “I was always thankful for her. I don't think I could have made it without her. It might sound a little weird, but I think that's a reason I'm drawn to Percy. I mean, I didn't have a thing for my sister, but-”

“I got what you meant, Nico,” Rachel chuckled. She nodded in understanding. “It's a little sweet. But as I know Leo has told you, I don't think you are barking up the right tree.”

“Percy told me that too,” Nico mumbled.

“They're right. Percy is protective, that is true. He just isn't in any position to give you what you want, even if he wanted to.”

Nico nodded and went back to eating his banana split. His shoulders slumped a little. He perked up, though when he heard talking. Rachel turned to look at the restaurant entrance as Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, Piper, Luke, and Apollo entered the restaurant. Nico felt a mixture of emotions hit him when he laid eyes on the blond.

Part of him wanted to cry because the blond had betrayed him. Part of him wanted to run from the restaurant, not wanting to be in Apollo's presence. Part of him wanted to curl up in a ball. But most of him felt angry. His hands clenched on the table, drawing a concerned look from Rachel.

Annabeth noticed them first, her eyes widening. She stopped in her tracks, drawing attention from Percy. He frowned and followed her line of vision, landing on Nico. He raised an eyebrow, but made no further acknowledgment. Apollo, however, froze on the spot, his shoulders tensing.

Percy just shrugged and changed direction to their table. Nico was gritting his teeth by this point, shooting a death glare at Apollo. Clarisse was grinning as she sat down next to Rachel. She leaned over and whispered something to the red headed girl, causing Rachel to frown. Luke eyed Nico as he sat down next to Clarisse, fully aware of the tension in the air. Nico's eyes flickered to Luke for a second. Don't, Luke mouthed. Nico frowned and turned his attention back to the other blond. He growled, and before he put more thought into it, he jumped out of his chair.

He tackled Apollo to the ground, surprising him. Apollo's eyes widened as they hit the floor. Nico let out another growl and punched Apollo square in his jaw. His only thought at the moment was to ruin the blond's perfect face. Annabeth had gasped when it happened, and she was now yelling at their side with Piper. The two of them were trying to tug on Nico's shoulders, but he just shrugged them off. Percy just shrugged and sat down calmly in the chair next to the one Nico had just jumped out of.

Rachel stared at the manager with wide eyes, confused at how he could just sit there so calmly when Apollo was getting punched. Nico landed another hit to Apollo's jaw, planting his legs on top of Apollo's arms. He wanted this, and he wasn't going to be denied his revenge.

“You asshole!” Nico yelled.

Luke jumped out of his chair and ran over to them. He tried pulling Apollo out from under Nico, but to no avail. He went to try to yank Nico off, but the raven haired boy grabbed onto Apollo's shirt. He kicked Luke in the knee and landed back on the blond, whose cheek was already red.

“Nico, wait!” Apollo tried, but Nico wasn't about to listen. Apollo cried out in pain as another blow was landed on his cheek.

Nico was suddenly pulled off of Apollo. Nico swiped at Apollo as he was pulled up, scratching his neck and getting a grasp on his shirt. As he was yanked away, the shirt was ripped, Nico smirking as part of the blue material remained in his hand. He began flailing as he was held off the ground by Clarisse. Annabeth and Luke quickly helped Apollo up as Nico was slowly dragged towards the exit. Apollo frowned at him as he rubbed his jaw.

“Just let him cool off for a little while, Clarisse,” Percy called after them.

Clarisse waved over her shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. I got it, boss,” she grumbled back.

“Let me go,” Nico growled as she dragged him into the lobby.

“Not until you cool off.” She brought them to the elevator where she shoved him in. She glared at him, daring him to try and run back as she hit the button to the second floor.

“Where are we going?”

“You need something to take your aggression out on.”

Nico frowned at her as the elevator came to a stop. She grabbed his arm and led him towards the gym. Instead of stopping at the room the Lost Boys had been using with him to practice lessons, she went two door down. She slid her card in the slot and shoved Nico into the room.

Nico stared around in confusion as he looked at the various punching bags and gym equipment. “And this is going to help me, how?” Nico asked in frustration.

Clarisse smacked her forehead. “Hit something!” She waved her arm around the room. “Take your pick. Hell, if you want, I'll go print out a picture of Apollo's face and stick it on a punching bag for you.”

Clarisse rolled her eyes and guided him over to a punching bag. He turned and frowned at her. She only glared back at him. Sighing, Nico threw a punch at the bag. 

Clarisse snorted. “That was quite manly of you there, kid,” she teased him.

Nico's frown deepened. “I'm sorry, I've never done something like this before.”

“Have you even been in a fight before?” Clarisse asked. Nico shook his head. “Damn, you really are innocent.” She scratched her forehead. “Alright, well, just hit the thing until you can cool off.” She rubbed her mouth and chuckled. “I got to admit, though, you did a nice number on Apollo.”

Nico blinked down at the blue cloth still clutched in his hand. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“But I wouldn't suggest doing it again. Percy doesn't really tolerate physical violence amongst the Lost Kids.”

Nico nodded. “Sorry. I just couldn't help it.”

Clarisse shrugged as Nico took another experimental swing at the punching bag. “Don't worry about it. Personally, I thought it was amusing.”

Nico smirked. “It felt good,” he admitted.

“I'm sure it did. You looked pretty upset last night. Though, you kind of were acting like a girl.”

“Shut up,” Nico mumbled.

Clarisse chuckled. “I bet you felt real good trying to break his face.”

“I just feel used. They wanted to have sex with me, but I meant nothing to them.”

Clarisse shrugged. “Sex means nothing to them,” she replied. “It's just normal for them.”

Nico groaned as he hit the bag again. “Is it too much to ask for some happiness, though? Or romance?”

Clarisse rolled her eyes and swiped her thumb across her lips. “Like I said, girl,” she grumbled. Nico glared at her. “With this place, you just have to find your own happiness.”

Nico sighed. He supposed that was true. He reared his arm back and punched the bag again. His hand was starting to feel a little sore, but he didn't care. It was starting to make him feel a little better. Nico ran a hand through his now messy black locks and turned to face Clarisse.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Clarissed raised a brow. “For what?”

“Bringing me here. It helped.”

Clarisse crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I can make a man out of you yet.”

Nico chuckled. “And thanks for last night.”

Clarisse waved him off. “I don't like being around those guys either.”

“What do you and Ethan do all day anyways? I usually don't see you.”

Clarisse smirked. “I'll tell you what, kid, I'll come get you tomorrow, and you can hang with me and Ethan.” She scratched the back of her neck. “You know, since I figure you don't have anything else to do.”


	17. The Shooting Incident

Nico let the warm water pour down on his head, letting out a long sigh. He had been standing in the shower, playing with his bangs, for the past five minutes. He had already finished up his shower routine, but his mind had just started to wander. He had figured that yesterday's events would have tempered his hormones, but that wish had died when he woke with an erection. Even when Percy was being mean, Nico still fantasized about the green-eyed manager. How was that fair?

It wasn't Nico's fault that, even when he was being mean, Percy was still hot. Although, that had probably been the contributing factor to Nico's dream about angry sex. He supposed it was a good thing that he probably wasn't going to be seeing Percy for the next few days, though. Perhaps it would help him get his thoughts straightened out.

He had had such a hard time going to sleep last night. Even after he had gotten back to his room, he had just ended up bored. He hadn't been able to go to sleep. Apparently, punching Apollo's face and then hitting a punching bag had woken him up. And then there were the Lost Kids altogether. What was their deal? They were doing nothing but confusing him, and it wasn't helping Nico's head.

Letting out a groan, Nico shut the water off. He stepped out of his glass shower and grabbed his towel, drying his hair before wrapping it around his waist. He needed to get ready to meet Clarisse and Ethan, and he had already wasted enough time.

He was really grateful for them right now. If Clarisse hadn't offered, Nico would have been stuck in his room all day with nothing to do. Nico walked back into his bedroom and picked up his phone, noticing he had one new message. Apparently, Clarisse wanted him to meet them down in the lobby, as they were helping Leo with something.

Throwing some clothes on, Nico grabbed his phone and key card, and headed out the door. He slipped his phone into his pocket as he headed down the hall. He felt a little uneasy when he was out in the halls, now. He wasn't sure if he wanted to run into any of the Lost Kids just yet. After all, last night's encounter hadn't gone so well. But that had mainly been because of Apollo.

As he was nearing the elevator, there was a whistle from Luke and Octavian's opened door. Nico frowned before turning back around and leaning into the room. Luke paused his game and leaned back on his couch, resting his hands behind his head.

“Well, looks like someone decided to show his face today,” Luke said, smirking at Nico.

“What do you want, Luke?” Nico grumbled.

Luke arched an eyebrow. He huffed and stood up, but didn't approach Nico. “I just wanted to say that you didn't do too bad of a job last night.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at Luke. What was he playing at? “What's that supposed to mean?”

Luke smirked and walked around his coffee table. “It seems you're not the only one being taken off the job for the time being,” Luke replied. “Percy's not letting Apollo go back to work until his cheek and neck have healed.”

“And you're happy about this?” Nico asked in disbelief.

Luke shrugged. “I thought it was amusing. But then again, I also thought your near disaster on stage was amusing.”

The look on Luke's face was making Nico shift uncomfortably. He reminded Nico somewhat of his two bullies at school, except better looking and probably more intelligent. He just seemed to enjoy watching other people suffer. Maybe that's why he apparently did so well in the kink rooms.

Luke slammed a hand onto the doorframe next to Nico's head. He smirked down at Nico, watching as the black haired boy's eyes widened. Percy and Luke had to be the two people at this hotel that could easily get under Nico's skin, though in different ways. Percy knew what buttons to push to make Nico blush and what would make him happy or upset. Luke knew how to frustrate and arouse him. Luke enjoyed tormenting him. It almost reminded Nico of how Bianca would pick at him from time to time.

Nico pushed on Luke's chest, only managing to make himself stumble backwards. “What's your deal anyways?” Nico grumbled, looking away from Luke's eyes with a frown.

Luke shrugged. “Need to find some entertainment somehow.”

“Do I really bother you so much?” Nico whispered.

Luke rubbed the back of his head, staring blankly at Nico. “Like Thalia said, you're a weird mirror for us to look at. But then again, I did try and tell you this.”

“I know.” Nico sighed and looked back up at Luke.

Luke studied him intently for a moment, his lips tilting down into a frown. Nico wondered what horrible thought Luke was imagining while looking at him. Was that all they saw when they looked at him? He didn't understand them anymore, and it didn't feel fair.

“Thank you for being honest with me, though,” Nico said, offering Luke a smile. Would it hurt to try and be nice to them? If Nico did get to stay here, they would be a constant in Nico's life. Perhaps, with time, they wouldn't see him so horribly.

Luke only continued to frown at Nico, though. Nico let out a sigh, his smile faltering. He supposed it was too much to hope for. Honestly, he didn't even know if he was ready to forgive them at the moment. He just knew it would be better if they could all manage to get along. And for some reason, he couldn't really see any of the Lost Kids trying to apologize. But maybe their way of doing that was by acting like nothing ever happened. Nico groaned as his head began to hurt. All of this was doing nothing but give him a headache.

“Well, I don't try and bullshit people when there's an issue,” Luke finally mumbled. He turned around and walked back to the couch, sitting down with a sigh. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his short blond locks.

“You couldn't have told me what the problem was?”

Luke smirked, his eyes still closed. “What fun would that have been? It was much better to watch you fall.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you're an ass?”

Luke chuckled. “On occasion.” He shrugged. “It's not my fault I get bored easily.”

Nico rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Whatever, I've got stuff to do,” Nico mumbled. He turned and began walking out the door.

“Hey!” Luke called after him. Nico turned back around with a frown. Luke had a frown on his face. “Don't try that stunt from last night again. And I'm not telling you that for Apollo's sake. We said keep your hands clean, and that meant with each other as well. If customers had been in the restaurant, Percy wouldn't have let you gotten away with your little revenge stunt.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “What's it matter to you? I'm sure you would all be happier if I got kicked out of here.”

Luke's eyes darkened and he snarled at Nico. “Fine, go get your ass thrown out! Do whatever the fuck you want, kid,” he growled, slumping back on the couch and going back to his game.

Nico stumbled back in surprise. He pursed his lips and walked out of the room, making haste to the elevator. What had that been about? “I swear, they're so fucking confusing,” Nico muttered under his breath as he watched the floor numbers descend.

Clarisse, Ethan, and Leo were already in the lobby when Nico arrived. They fell silent as Nico approached them, Leo smiling and waving at the pale boy. “Hey there, Nico,” Leo greeted him.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled. He sat down next to Leo, turning to the small Latino boy. “So, I heard about Apollo.”

Clarisse and Ethan snickered under their breath. Leo pursed his lips to hide a grin. “Yeah, Percy had him sit out for a few days,” Leo replied.

Nico nodded. “So, how is he going to manage business if he is short two stri-”

Leo clamped a hand over Nico's mouth. “Don't talk about the top floor down here,” he hissed at Nico. Clarisse and Ethan had covered their faces with their palms. Leo looked around, frowning at a woman holding her child. He smiled at her and waved until the woman walked off. He turned back to Nico with a frown. “Dude, there are actually people here that don't do business on the top two floors. We. Do. Not. Talk. About. It. Here. Understand?”

Nico nodded his head slowly. Leo sighed and removed his hand from Nico's mouth. “Sorry,” he whispered. He guessed he hadn't thought about it. It did make sense now that Leo mentioned it. He also felt stupid now. He really should have known this. It should have been common sense.

“Not everyone that goes to the bar does business at the top floor, just as some people at the top floor may not go to the bar. But there are people who are just here having a nice family vacation, and Percy would prefer it if they did not know about what went on upstairs.”

Nico nodded again, his face turning red. He had almost let that slip. What would have happened if he had? Would Percy go through with kicking him out?

He didn't have too long to think on it, as Clarisse stood up and placed her hands behind her head. “Come on, kid. We'll go take you to do something fun,” the girl said with a wicked grin.

“Where are you going to take him?” Leo asked.

“None of your business.”

Leo frowned. “Remember what's happening soon,” he mumbled.

Nico tilted his head to the side. “What's happening?” Nico asked.

“Oh, we have some new arrivals.”

Nico blinked. “As in new Lost Kids?”

Leo nodded. “Percy had some shipped from other branches. Well, they have different terms for different places, but they'll be Lost Kids now. You'll have to meet them. They'll already know the others, so you'll still be the odd man out,” Leo answered with a grin.

Nico frowned. “Great,” he mumbled. Just what he needed, more people to betray him.

“Yeah, Rachel went to the airport to wait for their flight.”

Ethan waved a hand dismissively. “We remember all of that. We were there when Percy told us,” the Asian mumbled. He smirked at Nico and yanked the smaller boy up. He slung an arm around Nico and led the pale boy away, Clarisse on his other side.

They stepped onto an elevator and Clarisse pulled out her card. Nico watched as she slid it into the slot and hit the button to the third basement level. Nico tilted his head to the side. He had been wondering what the two floors below the parking garage were.

“What's this floor?” Nico asked, pointing his finger at the button to the second basement level, only to have it slapped away by Clarisse.

“Something you don't need to worry about,” the girl hissed.

Ethan chuckled. “Aw, just tell him. It's not like there's any harm in it. He knows plenty already,” Ethan reasoned.

Clarisse eyed her co-worker for a moment before grumbling. “Fine.” She looked down at Nico. “That would be the kink floor that the others probably told you about. Like I said, you don't need to worry about it.”

Nico frowned at the button. He was a little curious to see what the floor looked like. He was just hesitant to actually set foot there. He had gotten a sneak peak of it in the monitor room, and perhaps that was the most he needed to see of it. He figured the entire floor was full of leather, chains, and sex toys, not some things he felt comfortable being around.

The elevator door opened, revealing a small hallway with a set of doors at the end. Nico followed the two security workers into the hall, where Ethan slid his card into a slot by the door. The doors swung open and Nico's eyes widened.

There was an entire shooting range beneath the hotel. A few targets lined the far wall, while a table sat closer to Nico and the others. In front of the table were a few small booths with some spare targets. On the ceiling, there was a conveyer belt, for what Nico assumed was for people to replace targets. Another table and shelf sat a few feet behind the table. Nico walked over and looked around at the contents. There were earplugs and headphones on some of the shelves. On the table were a few black briefcases, which had electronic combinations on them.

Nico walked down a few steps, noticing a sliding glass wall in front of some of the shelves. He peered inside to find a various assortment of guns. They had brought him to a shooting range? Why would they need to spend their time here? The better question was why was there a shooting range down here at all?

“You spend your days shooting?” Nico deadpanned.

The two smirked at him. “Gives us something fun to do,” Ethan replied.

Nico eyed the two of them carefully. Leo and Rachel's words were now starting to bother him. He supposed he shouldn't find it odd that someone would enjoy shooting at a target fun, but the way they spoke about it, plus the looks on their faces, made Nico concerned. Their job was to keep the peace upstairs, right? He had never even seen them carry a gun.

“So, customers come down here to test out their merchandise, or something?” Nico asked hesitantly.

Clarisse smirked, sending a shiver down Nico's spine. “Nope,” was her only reply.

A door behind Nico opened, startling the boy. He turned around to find a short Latina woman carrying a small black box. She had curly black hair and a pair of bright brown eyes. She had on an old Rolling Stones t-shirt and some tattered jeans with a few grease stains.

She blinked at them in mild surprise before smiling and continuing on into the room. She sat the box down on the table and wiped her hands together. “Well, what can I do for you today? She asked in a Hispanic accent.

Ethan smiled, so surprisingly genuinely that it didn't creep Nico out. “We were just showing Nico here the floor, Esperanza,” he told her.

Esperanza nodded and turned to look at Nico. She wiped her hands on the back of her jeans and held her hand out for him. “You must be the Lost Boy that Leo was telling me about.”

Nico turned his head to look at the other two in confusion. “Esperanza is Leo's mother,” Clarisse explained.

Nico's eyes widened at the woman. He had figured that all of the Lost Kids were cut off and abandoned from their families. But here was Leo's mother in front of him. “It's nice to meet you, ma'am,” Nico said with a smile.

“Oh, please, call me Esperanza. None of that formality mierda.”

Nico arched an eyebrow. “That means shit, dude,” Ethan chuckled. Nico's eyes widened as he nodded his head.

“Anyways, we wanted to do some shooting,” Clarisse said. “Thought we might let Nico try firing one.”

“I-I am?” Nico asked nervously. He had little to no gun experience. He shot guns in video games all the time, but the extent of his real life experience with them consisted of the pistol his father owned and some thugs he would sometimes run into on the street. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was with this idea.

Ethan shrugged. “You should be fine,” he said, waving a hand through the air.

Should be? Nico's eyes widened. He could end up shooting himself in the foot! He felt like this was going to be another bad experience for him. Were they going to set him up to make a fool of himself too?

Esperanza shrugged. “Should be fine. Just make sure all of the protocols are seen to,” the Latina woman instructed.

The two security workers nodded and led Nico over to one of the booths. Clarisse walked over to the table and shelves and began to look through the contents. Nico turned back to Ethan. “So, what does Leo's mom do around here?” Nico asked out of curiosity.

Ethan glanced over at the woman. “She's the handyman around here, or handywoman, in her case,” he chuckled. “She fixes our cars, oversees to some hotel maintenance, deals with this floor, and a few other things.”

Clarisse returned to the booth and tossed three headphones onto the small table in the booth. She had a plastic bin in her right arm, which she sat down on the table behind the booth. Ethan smirked and walked over and pulled out a pistol. Clarisse pulled out her own pistol and returned to the booth. She grunted and handed Nico a pair of headphones, which he immediately put on. One of the few things he did know about guns were that they were loud.

He took a step back and glanced over at Esperanza, who smiled warmly at him. Nico turned back to the booths. Ethan and Clarisse had set up in their own separate booths, having put their own headphones on. They checked the clip of their guns before cocking it. Nico pressed his hands to the side of his headphones as they both raised their guns.

Even behind the headphones, the noise was a little too loud for Nico's taste. He found himself frowning at nothing in particular. Nico released a sound of awe as he looked at their targets, both perfect bullseyes. His eyes widened and he clamped his hands back over his headphones as the two fired again. Couldn't they give him some kind of warning?

The two continued firing a few rounds with enthusiasm. Nico had to admit, they were pretty good shots. He supposed he should be more impressed with Ethan; though he only had one good eye, the young man was a very good shot. Nico yelped and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a pair of hands rest on his shoulders.

The room quieted when Ethan and Clarisse heard Nico, both turning around with frowns. Nico turned his head to find Percy standing behind him. “What are you doing?” Percy mumbled.

“I-they brought me down here for something to do,” Nico stuttered, his cheeks darkening. Damn Percy for scaring him like that, in a shooting range of all places.

Percy raised an eyebrow at his two security workers. “Is that so? Funny, I don't remember hearing anything about this.”

Ethan and Clarisse smirked at Percy, who grinned back at them. “We thought he could use something fun to do,” Clarisse said.

“Perhaps let him try shooting one,” Ethan added.

Percy frowned. He eyed Nico briefly before finally shrugging his shoulders. “I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything,” Percy finally consented. “Just make sure he knows what he's doing.” Nico stared up at Percy, who was now fiddling with the cuffs of his black button-up shirt. Percy grinned, without looking at Nico, and ruffled his hair.

Percy nodded his head over towards the booth, and Nico hesitantly walked over. He wasn't sure he liked this idea, but Percy was there supervising. So how bad could it be? Ethan walked over and went through the bin that Clarisse had picked out. He picked out a beretta and held it out for Percy to look at. Percy scrunched his lips up and nodded.

Ethan grinned at Nico as he placed the gun in Nico's smaller hands. Nico frowned as Ethan let go, the gun immediately weighing his hand down. He already disliked the feel of it. It felt cold and made Nico's skin feel clammy.

He turned a frown on Percy, who smiled back at him. “If you don't want to shoot it, you don't have to,” he told Nico.

Nico pouted at him. Maybe just one shot. He let Ethan run through a few gun safety and shooting tips, making sure to pay attention to every word. The last thing he wanted to do was mess up with this thing.

After Ethan was done, the Asian stepped back, leaving Nico alone in the booth. Nico pursed his lips as he raised the gun towards the target. He scrunched up his face in preparation for the oncoming gunshot. He felt a hand rest on his hip and looked up to find Percy behind him.

Percy's eyes were blank as he helped Nico aim, making sure to fix the way Nico was holding the gun. “Make sure to look down the barrel, and don't shut your eyes,” Percy whispered.

The tall manager took a few steps back and took a pair of headphones from Clarisse. After that, Percy slipped his hands into his pockets and turned his attention back on Nico. Nico exhaled slowly and took aim again. He frowned to himself as he moved his finger to the trigger, hesitantly pulling the trigger.

A searing pain coursed through Nico's hand as he winced and fell back onto his ass, his body shaking. He heard the others laughing. He frowned and looked up to see Percy laughing down at him. His frown turned into a pout as his eyes turned sad. Percy's laughter died down to a chuckle as he kneeled down in front of Nico.

“Not so bad now wa-” Percy cut himself off as he looked Nico over. Nico winced as Percy pried the gun out of his hand. His eyes turned to panic as he noticed the cut on the webbing of his hand, blood already running down his palm. Percy lifted Nico's hand up for inspection with a sigh.

“Shit. I'm sorry, Nico, I forgot to mention that part,” Ethan apologized.

“I-It's fine,” Nico replied, his ears still ringing.

Esperanza appeared at Percy's side, offering him some rubbing alcohol and a bandaid. Percy thanked her and opened the bottle of alcohol. Nico whined as Percy went about cleaning his wound. “Don't whine, or I'll take you up to Will and let him do this,” Percy mumbled, silencing Nico with a harsh stare. Nico narrowed his eyes at the young man, but chose to not make any more noises.

“You'll be fine, kid. It's just a little nick. A few more practice shots and you'll be fine,” Clarisse said, patting Nico's shoulder.

Nico frowned up at Percy. Percy flicked his eyes up to Nico's before returning to the brown-eyed boy's hand, a frown on his face. “I think that's enough for him.”

Clarisse grumbled, but didn't say anything further. Percy finally put the bandaid on and helped Nico stand up. Percy sighed and rested his hand on Nico's head. Nico's face contorted back into pain as he looked down at his hand. He tried moving his fingers, finding that it hurt when he pressed his thumb and index finger.

Percy rolled his eyes and pushed on the back of Nico's head, guiding him towards the door. “Let's wrap it up here. I need all of you up in the lobby,” Percy instructed. “Can you clean this up for us, Esperanza?”

“Of course, sir,” Leo's mother replied, already placing the guns back into the bin.

“Great. The two new arrivals should be here by now, so let's get upstairs.”

Nico trailed behind Percy as they walked back to the elevator. Clarisse and Ethan were mumbling something behind Nico, but he wasn't paying them much attention. Nico clutched his hand, wishing that the pain would go away. He wanted to ask how long it was going to hurt, but after what Percy had said, he felt like he was being a child. He would probably just make his situation worse if he complained further.

Percy didn't even look at him as they rode up in the elevator. It was starting to make Nico's head spin at the mixed signals he was getting from the green-eyed young man. Perhaps he should just be blunt and ask Percy. Did Percy like him? Did Percy hate him? Was Percy even capable of an emotion like love? Sure he was sometimes affectionate with Nico and the other Lost Kids, but he had his boundaries that the others knew not to press.

If Percy would just act one way, it would make Nico's life so much easier. But instead, Percy constantly changed his moods. Perhaps Percy's eyes were fitting for him, because he reminded Nico of the sea. What was Percy's true nature? He was raised in this environment, so for all Nico knew, he could just be wearing a really good mask and be putting on one hell of an act. Leo had said Percy knew about Nico's crush. What if Percy was just manipulating his actions through flirtation? He said everything was Nico's choice, but that didn't mean Percy couldn't give Nico a shove in the direction he wanted Nico to go.

Nico was abruptly pulled from his train of thought as Clarisse shoved him out of the elevator. Nico frowned at the tall girl, who paid him no attention. Rachel was standing in the middle of the lobby with two girls.

One of them was a tall Asian girl. Her black hair was long and done in ringlets. She had warm brown eyes that reminded Nico of a deer. She was beautiful, and her perfume reminded Nico of Christmas. One feature Nico didn't really like about her was that she had a lot of jewelry on. The majority of her fingers had various rings on them, she had several bracelets and bangles, she had several earrings, and a golden necklace. He also felt she was wearing too much makeup. Nico felt she was trying too hard to be pretty when she already was. Still, she seemed friendly enough.

The other girl was fairly short, probably coming up to Nico's eyes. She was very petite, and Nico feared for her safety in this job. She looked so fragile. She had wispy amber colored hair that fell just below her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green, like leaves in the middle of summer. Unlike the other girl, this one didn't try wearing a lot of makeup or jewelry. The girl did wear a lot of green, though, and Nico guessed it was probably her favorite color.

Percy was the first to greet them, raising each of their hands up to his lips. “Drew, Juniper,” he addressed them respectively, bringing a blush to each of their cheeks. Nico scowled at all three of them. They had only been here a few seconds, and Percy had already enchanted them.

Well, Leo had said that the other Lost Kids already knew these two, so Percy probably did as well. The Asian girl snapped her fingers at Clarisse and Ethan. “I'd like my things carried up to my room now,” she commanded, her Japanese accent coming in fairly strong. Perhaps Nico had been wrong about that warm thing.

Clarisse and Ethan scowled and grumbled at her as they carted off the girls' things. Percy cleared his throat and beckoned Nico closer. The two girls raised their eyebrows at him. “I don't believe you've met Nico yet. He's a relatively new addition here. Nico, this is Drew and Juniper,” he introduced each of them respectively. 

“Aw. He's adorable,” Juniper sighed, raising her hands to her face. She also spoke with an accent, hers being British. Nico just blinked at her. He wasn't going to get drawn in by their sweetness, he had learned where that got him with these people.

Drew looked him up and down and shrugged. Yep, appearances were definitely deceiving, Nico thought. “I've seen better,” Drew said distastefully. Nico scowled at her, but she had already pulled out a compact and was busy applying makeup.

Percy slid his hands into his pockets with a smirk. “Drew here is from one of our Beijing branch.”

Drew flipped her hair. “But I'm a native of Japan.” She closed her compact and smiled at Percy. “Frank sends his regards, and wished me to ask you about that request.” Nico tilted his head to the side. Was Frank the Percy of that area of the world?

Percy chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, the whole reason I asked for new girls was because I needed to balance things out since Nico arrived. So, I don't think I can really release Hazel into his care.”

Drew shrugged. “That's fine by me. I'm sure he'll bring it up at the next branch meeting, though.”

Percy nodded. “I figured he would.”

“Wait,” Nico interjected. “If you're trying to balance the numbers, why did you get two girls?”

Percy blinked at him with a blank expression, his lips falling into a straight line. He then cleared his throat and turned to Juniper. “Juniper here is from our European branch. As you might have guessed, she's from England. Though, business gets tricky in Europe and Asia,” he continued, avoiding Nico's question. “But she answers to Gaea's branch in Germany, which is run by Athena.”

Nico nodded his head, wishing Percy would lose that blank expression on his face. Nico needed to learn what not to say so he wouldn't get him in a mood like this. Why couldn't Percy just look at him like he did the other night? Why couldn't Percy touch him like he did the other night? Why was Nico still being restricted? Was that part of his punishment? It felt cruel, like, dangling something in front of his face and then snatching it away.

“Anyways,” Percy continued, drawing Nico away from his thoughts, “would you mind showing the girls up to their room, Nico?”

Nico frowned at him. Didn't Percy say he wasn't supposed to be working until further notice? Was this the notice? He doubted it. Not enough days had passed to really torture him. Nico finally nodded. “Um, sure, I guess,” he mumbled.

Percy smiled, making Nico's heart beat faster. At least he was back into his normal mood. “Great. Well, I have to go take care of some business. So, I will see you two girls tonight.”

Nico frowned again as Percy walked away, patting Nico on the head. He wanted to find the nearest object and toss it at the back of Percy's head. He was afraid he was regressing, and that Percy was beginning to treat him like a child. Why did the two new girls get to see Percy later and he didn't? No, he was still being punished.

“Well? Let's go,” Drew griped. Nico huffed and headed towards the elevators, the girls stepping in behind him. He slid his card into the slot and pushed the button to their floor. Nico crossed his arms over his chest and stood in the corner of the elevator, sulking to himself.

“So, Nico, where are you working tonight?” Juniper asked.

“I'm not,” mumbled Nico.

Juniper tilted her head to the side. “Why not?”

“I messed up and Percy's punishment for me was to take me off work until further notice.”

Drew snorted. She inspected her nails with a devilish grin. “I'm loving my time here already,” she cackled.

Juniper smiled. “Don't mind her,” the girl said, smiling at Nico.

Nico studied the amber haired girl for a moment. She seemed nice, and Nico wanted to befriend her, but he was just too hesitant right now. The events of Friday night were still fresh in his mind. Drew on the other-hand reminded Nico of a more sadistic Luke. Nico wasn't too sure how Drew was going to fit in with the other girls, none of them caked on their makeup like this girl. But Percy had picked her, so she probably did get along with the others.

That didn't seem very fair to Nico. How was it fair that some girl like this could be liked by the Lost Kids and he couldn't? The Lost Kids usually came off as nice people, when they weren't plotting on stabbing someone in the back.

The elevator came to a stop, opening up to reveal Thalia and Piper. Nico tensed up, hesitant to leave the elevator now, but knowing he had to if he didn't want to be trapped inside with them. “Hey, Nico,” Thalia greeted him, patting him on the back on his way out.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled back.

Piper and Drew were staring at each other, both with frowns on their faces. Perhaps not all of them would get along with the girl after all. “I'm so glad you decided to transfer here, Drew,” Piper managed to get out, though she looked pained with the words.

Drew just sneered at Piper, flipped her hair, and walked off down the girls' hall. They definitely did not get along. At least Piper had made an attempt to be nice to Nico.

Piper sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned to Nico and smiled. “Watch out for that one, Nico,” she mumbled, entering the elevator with Thalia.

“Hope you're not getting too bored down here, Nico,” said Thalia as the door began to close.

“Don't be a stranger. Feel free to drop by one of our rooms.”

Nico stared at the closed elevator doors in confusion. He was going to get a migraine soon, he just knew it. What was their deal? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Nico turned around to face Juniper.

Juniper smiled at him as they walked down the hall. Drew was wandering around, trying to slide her card into the doors. “It's the one on the right at the end of the hall,” Nico told her.

Drew huffed and stomped towards the door. She slid her card in and marched inside. Juniper shook her head and turned back to Nico. “Well, thank you for showing us to our room, Nico,” Juniper said.

Nico nodded. “I just feel bad for you, having to share a room with her.”

Juniper laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “She's not always so bad.”

“I'll just have to see for myself. I mean, she can't be worse than what I already have to deal with.”

Juniper tilted her head to the side. “Is something wrong?”

Nico contemplated telling her, but shook his head. He just met her, and she was probably already friends with the others. It would just be better if he kept it to himself. “It's just this place is still taking some getting used to,” Nico replied, which was partly the truth.

Juniper nodded. “I suppose it does. Well, I need to get ready for tonight. I suppose I'll see you later.”

Nico nodded and smiled. “I'll see you around, Juniper.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked back towards his room. He slowed down as he passed Luke's room. The door was closed, and Nico couldn't tell if anyone was inside or not. Nico sighed and continued down the hall.

As he was slipping his card into his door, Apollo and Will's door opened. Will emerged from inside, cracking his neck as the door closed. He stopped walking when he noticed Nico, blinking at the pale boy. The blond's usual warm smile spread across his face as he began walking once again.

“Hey, Nico,” the blond greeted him.

Nico nodded back at him.

“So, if you end up getting too bored in there, you could always borrow something from one of us to entertain yourself with. I have my own game system, if you want to borrow that.”

Nico pursed his lips. If he said yes, he would have to face Apollo, and Nico wasn't ready for another encounter with the blond Adonis. “Um, maybe later. I need to catch up on some homework before school tomorrow. Besides, I can actually get a decent night's sleep now,” Nico chuckled.

Will nodded with a smile. “Alright. If you change your mind, let me know.”

Nico opened his door and watched Will walk down the hall. He shook his head as he stepped into his suite. Was he ever going to understand them? It seemed very doubtful. Did they like him or not? Just like Percy, they were sending him mixed messages.


	18. Nico Makes a Friend

“Percy!” Nico cried out as he released himself on his shower wall. He panted heavily as he stood under the hot water. As he had done frequently, of late, Nico had once again woken up fully aroused. And once again, it was his boss that was the star of his erotic dream. Nico shook his head and turned off the water.

He had to get control of himself. Percy would never be his, and it was probably time he got that through his head. Nico grabbed a towel and dried his hair. He walked out the door, wanting to make himself some coffee. Since he lived alone, he didn't really concern himself with closing his bathroom door anymore. He stepped into the kitchen, pulling the towel off his head. Nico's breath hitched as he jumped back against the wall behind him.

Standing in Nico's kitchen, with a smirk on his face and a cup of coffee in his hand, was the very green-eyed boy he had just been thinking about. Nico's entire face turned red as Percy's eyes drifted down his naked body. He quickly wrapped the towel around his waist. Percy just continued to smirk as he raised his coffee to his mouth.

“Good morning, Nico,” Percy greeted him. Nico looked him up and down, studying him uneasily. Today he was dressed casually in a dark blue v-neck and black pants.

“M-morning,” Nico stuttered. “I was, uh, just gonna make myself some coffee.”

“Here.”

Nico blinked at the coffee that was shoved in front of his face. He slowly reached out and grabbed the cup himself, raising it to his lips. He let out a satisfied moan as the warm liquid flowed into his mouth.

“So, did you have a nice shower?” Percy asked, stepping closer to Nico.

Nico nearly choked on the coffee, his cheeks darkening again. Had Percy actually heard him cry out his name? Nico grabbed his towel with his free hand, and held it tightly around his waist.

Percy's grin turned smug. “Nico, why are you embarrassed? It's not like I haven't seen you naked,” he purred into Nico's ear, sending a shiver down Nico's spine. With a satisfied grin, Percy pulled back, plucking his coffee out of Nico's grasp.

Nico frowned. He straightened himself out and gave Percy a glare. “What's your point?” Nico said defiantly. “Apparently you didn't like it.”

Percy chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee. “And who said that?”

Nico huffed. He wanted to strangle Percy at this point. Was this just a game to Percy? Was his heart just something to be played with? “What are you doing in here anyways?” Nico mumbled.

Percy smiled. “Well, I tried knocking, but you didn't answer, probably too busy with your shower activities.” His eyes flashed in amusement when Nico's cheeks heated up again. “So, I just let myself in.”

“Remind me to bolt my door,” Nico grumbled.

Percy placed his hand on the wall beside Nico's head, while using the one holding his coffee to run his index finger along the inside of Nico's towel. “But what's the fun in that? Maybe I like dropping in on you like this.”

“As long as you don't pull some Twilight shit and stare at me while I sleep.”

Percy chuckled. “I also needed to talk to you before I took you to school.”

Nico held up his hand to stop Percy. “Whoa, hold on a second. Who said you were taking me to school?” Nico asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Percy's head tilted to the side. “If you prefer to walk...” Percy trailed off.

Nico slumped his shoulders. “Why are you so cruel?”

Percy ruffled Nico's drying hair. “It's one of my many,” Percy leaned in to whisper in Nico's ear, “many talents.” Percy sat his coffee down as Nico walked into the living room.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Nico asked, just wanting to get to the point of Percy's surprise visit.

“You have lessons with me for the rest of the week, immediately after school.”

Nico blinked, spinning around in surprise. He was even more surprised when his towel fell off his thin waist. He yelped and went to reach down and grab it, but Percy beat him to it. Percy smirked and slung the towel onto his shoulder. Nico scowled and moved his hands down to cover his crotch.

“Lessons for what?” Nico asked, pursing his lips when he felt himself growing hard. He couldn't help it. Being naked in front of Percy was a little arousing for some reason.

Percy smirked and stepped closer to Nico. Nico's eyes widened when Percy slid his hands behind him, and planted them on his ass. Nico tried so hard to glare at the tall young man, but he had to put all his energy into not moaning. He was going to strangle Percy. Mainly because he knew Percy was only doing this to tease him.

“I need you to be over your stage fright by Friday.”

Nico blinked at him, his mind forgetting about the hands placed on his butt. “Wait a minute. I'm working again?” He asked.

Percy cocked an eyebrow. “Yes? Why would you think otherwise?”

Nico opened and closed his mouth a few times. He sort of felt stupid. Percy's hands moved up to his hips. “Sort of,” he mumbled. “I thought I might be getting kicked out.”

Percy frowned and tilted his head to the side. “Why would you think that? Nico, I wouldn't kick someone out onto the streets. Shouldn't you know me better than that by now?”

Nico's face turned red, but for a different reason this time. He really should have known that. He really had been stupid. “I just wasn't thinking. I got scared when you said I wasn't going to be working until further notice, and it didn't help that you restricted me from doing anything.”

Percy smiled and ran his hands up and down Nico's sides before removing them. He chuckled, which made Nico frown. Percy cleared his throat. “Sorry. I didn't mean to make you freak out like that,” he assured Nico. “I was never planning on kicking you out. I just can't show favoritism. I mean, I know Apollo sabotaged you, but I can't just go easy on you. You complain about how the Lost Kids treat you sometimes, well, how do you think they would react to you getting special treatment like that?”

Nico pursed his lips. He just felt like an idiot at this point. Percy had been doing him a favor, and he had spent the past few days upset with the green-eyed young man. And he had at least made some new friends out of the punishment. Nico let out a sigh. Now that he thought about it, maybe he shouldn't have been mad at Percy in the first place.

“Anyways,” Percy continued when Nico didn't say anything, “I'm going to be working with you myself so that I know you are ready for Friday.”

Nico nodded. “Sorry.”

Percy tilted his head to the side. “For what?”

“I should have known you weren't going to kick me out.”

Percy shrugged. “Don't worry about. You got scared. Your mind fucks with you pretty hard when you’re frightened.”

Nico nodded. “I guess that's true.” He glanced up at Percy. “What are you scared of?”

Percy smiled down at Nico, but didn't say anything. What kind of answer was that? Did he have something he didn't want to talk about? Or was it that he didn't get scared of anything? 

“I promised you that you wouldn't have to suffer like you did before, and I meant that. I mean, I can't give you a perfect life, but I trust that you can find your own happiness. And then maybe one day you will choose to leave and pursue something.”

Nico frowned. “You want me to leave?”

Percy sighed and pulled out his phone. “Go get dressed, or you'll be late for school,” he ordered.

Nico nodded and walked towards his room. It wasn't until he heard Percy chuckle that he remembered that he didn't have his towel on. His cheeks tinged pink, and his hands went behind him to shield his butt from Percy's eyes.

\-----------------------------------

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of the school day for Nico. He made his way through the halls towards the parking lot, dodging his way through the crowds of people. Unfortunately, someone ended up bumping in to. He slid across the floor, his books scattering in front of him. He groaned and got onto his hands and knees to crawl over to them. As he was reaching for one of his books, a hand grabbed it and picked it up. Nico blinked up at the boy in front of him, who was already tasking himself with gathering Nico's fallen binders and books.

The boy was relatively tall, and looked to possibly be a year older than Nico. He had light olive skin, like the sun couldn't decide if it wanted to tan him or not. He had a few freckles splashed across his cheeks, and a friendly smile on his face. He had wavy light brown hair, which was kept relatively short. His dark grey eyes sat behind a pair of glasses, which had drifted slightly down his nose. He looked relatively fit, but from the way he dressed, Nico wasn't sure if he was a jock or a nerd. He wasn't really one to stereotype people, but he just couldn't tell with this boy.

Nico stood up and took his books from the boy's hands. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

The boy smiled at him for a moment before frowning and tilting his head to the side. “Do I know you from somewhere?” The guy asked out of nowhere. He pushed his glasses up, the light reflecting in them, and studied Nico in silence.

Nico blinked and scratched the back of his head. “Uh, not that I'm aware of. I'm Nico.” He stuck his hand out, offering it to the brunet.

The guy scrunched his lips, tapping his finger to them. Nico raised an eyebrow at him. This guy really seemed to get lost in his thoughts. He finally blinked and shook Nico's hand with a light chuckle. “Sorry about that. I have a tendency to drift off sometimes. I'm Daedalus,” the boy finally said.

Nico nodded and smiled. “Well, thanks again for helping me pick my things up.”

Daedalus nodded. He studied Nico for a few seconds. “Are you sure we haven't met? I’m certain I know you from somewhere.”

Nico shrugged. “I've been attending school here, so it's possible you've seen me around.”

Daedalus grabbed his chin, his face returning to another thoughtful expression. “Perhaps, but I don't think that is it.” He let out a sigh. “Oh well. If it comes to me, I'll let you know.”

Nico nodded. He turned and watched the boy walk off, shaking his head at the retreating brunet. That was odd. He didn't think he had ever laid eyes on that boy before in his life. The boy was unique, so Nico figured he would have stuck out to him. With a shrug, Nico headed for the parking lot once again.

He slid into Clarisse's car upon his arrival. The brunette didn't even bother waiting for him to buckle up before she zoomed out of the parking lot, her usual scowl on her face. Nico clutched at his seat as he quickly buckled his seatbelt. He had to remember to request that Clarisse never pick him up from school again.

“Good afternoon to you too, Clarisse,” he grumbled when he was done buckling up. He sat back with a sigh.

“I had wanted to enjoy my afternoon off, but then I got asked to pick you up,” she complained.

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well I'm sorry, but I don't have a car yet.”

He would need to start saving up for one. He had never expected his dad to buy him one. Since Bianca was only a year older than him, he had been forced to rely on her for rides to anywhere he wanted to go. He wasn't really sure what his father intended to do the following year when Bianca was off at college, and now, he would never find out.

Thinking about all of that made him a little depressed for Christmas, which was right around the corner, followed by his birthday. He supposed he wasn't going to be looking forward to those Christmas mornings of waking up to presents under a tree. Not that he had ever gotten much anyways. Bianca and his mother were really the only ones that contributed to making those days special for him, out of his family anyways. He had been a disappointment to his father even before coming out, and the man had definitely made that clear to Nico.

“So, we heard you're going to be back at work this weekend,” Clarisse voiced, probably uncomfortable with the silence.

Nico nodded. “Yeah, Percy told me this morning.”

Clarisse nodded back, a frown on her face. “Lucky you.”

Nico frowned at her. What was her problem? “I guess, but I figure the others will just go back to treating me how they did before.”

“I guess we'll find out,” she sighed.

The car fell silent after that, making Nico slightly uncomfortable. Leo and Rachel were right it seemed, there was a divide amongst the Lost Kids, and Nico was starting to see it better now. Something else that Nico found curious was the girls' living arrangements. The divide was obvious amongst the boys, with Leo and Ethan rooming together. However, Clarisse and Rachel did not room together. Rachel shared a suite with Piper, while Clarisse shared one with Silena. It was a small detail, but it still stuck out to him.

He figured Rachel was probably the best person to ask about that. Clarisse just gave off an aggressive aura, and Nico wasn't sure how the girl would react to being prodded about her life. Which probably meant that Nico wouldn't be finding out the girl's past any time soon.

The car ride passed relatively quickly, but to Nico, it felt like an awkward eternity. He was going to go out on a limb and guess that all of the Lost Kids, including Percy, had these odd mood swings. Yesterday, Clarisse had been relatively social with him, and today, it felt like she wanted to be far away from him. Perhaps that whole issue the Lost Kids had with him wasn’t exclusive to the ones that got on stage.

Clarisse got out of the car with a grunt. Nico sighed and followed after her. Was he always going to have a problem with someone around the hotel? Were they just going to rotate with him? Perhaps that was a benefit of being friends with all of them now. If he had an issue with the security workers, he could just go to the performers or the secretaries.

The two rode up the elevator together in silence. When the doors slid open, he found Percy in the hall with Octavian and Luke, frowns on all faces. Clarisse grunted and walked past the trio, noticing the looks on their faces, and choosing to stay out of it. Percy sighed and flicked his eyes over to Nico, silencing him with a look when he noticed the smaller boy about to open his mouth.

“Again, don't you think this is a little childish?” Percy asked Octavian, rubbing his temple.

“No, he's being a jerk,” Octavian huffed.

Luke sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “And you're being a brat. You're just being paranoid.”

“Bullshit!”

“Look, I don't want any more problems with all of you right now. I had enough last weekend to last me several months. So, can we all try and get along for a while?” Percy growled with an icy glare.

“And you wouldn't understand! It's bad enough that I feel like shit about myself whenever I look at Nico, but now he's going to make it worse with this,” Octavian argued.

“You're being ridiculous,” Luke sighed. He finally noticed Nico and narrowed his eyes.

Octavian spun around and leered at Nico. Nico pursed his lips and fidgeted where he stood. What was all of that about? Percy shook his head and waved his hand off down the hall, signaling Nico to go.

“I have to deal with cleaning up the mess all of you caused last weekend, so if you'll excuse me,” Percy announced.

“Whatever,” Octavian grunted, spinning around and heading for the elevator, bumping his shoulder into Nico's in the process.

Nico frowned and rubbed his shoulder, looking between Luke and Percy. “What was that about?” Nico asked once the elevator had shut.

“Nothing,” Luke mumbled.

“Just cool off for a little while,” Percy told him. “I'll text one of the others to make sure Octavian does the same.” Percy's expression turned grim. “As I said, I don't want any more conflict amongst all of you for the time being. You all had your fun, now keep it civil. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Percy,” Luke grumbled.

Percy turned to Nico. “And if I see any more fighting, out of any of you, there will be harsher punishments dealt. I don't give a damn what goes on in private, but I will not tolerate any childish behavior in public.”

“Yes, sir,” Luke and Nico replied.

Percy clutched the back of Luke's hair and put his other arm around Luke's waist. “And I want you and your brother to have made up by tomorrow. If you do, perhaps I will lift the punishment I put on all of you.”

Luke swallowed, nodding his head. Percy's expression softened once again, a smile creeping onto his lips. He nuzzled his cheek against the slightly shorter blond's hair, holding Luke closer to his body. “Now get some rest. I have to work with Nico,” Percy chuckled.

Luke nodded. His eyes flickered to Nico a final time, making Nico feel uneasy under the blond's dark gaze. Percy cleared his throat and Luke grunted before turning and walking to his room. Nico and Percy walked down the hall, Nico pulling out his card and sliding it into his door slot. Percy pulled his phone out and sent off a text before sliding the phone back into his pocket.

“What was all of that about?” Nico asked once they were inside.

Percy sighed. “Not your concern,” he replied.

Nico nodded his head. He had learned by now when to not press something. Around here, it probably meant it was something he wouldn't like. “Well, what was that about punishment? I don't recall getting an extra punishment.”

“Because it didn't apply to you,” Percy sighed.

“Well, what was it?”

Percy frowned at Nico for a few seconds before sitting down onto the couch with a grunt. “Since last weekend was a group effort, I took away the Lost Kids' method of negotiating hours,” Percy explained.

Nico furrowed his eyebrows. Was that why they were being nice to him? Was it because they were trying to get that ability back? Percy rolled his eyes at Nico and stood up to yank Nico down onto the couch, next to him.

“I'm not sure what is going on in that head of yours right now, but you think too much,” Percy chuckled. “It doesn't seem to be helping you figure things out, either.”

Nico frowned. That was sort of true. “It's just that the others have been oddly nice to me lately, and I can't help but feel that your punishment is the reason for it,” Nico mumbled.

“Well, from what Chiron told me, they started doing it Saturday afternoon, and I didn't let them know about the punishment until later that night. So, I'm going to assume that is not it.”

“Then why?”

Percy shrugged. “You'll have to find out on your own.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “You know, don't you?”

Percy smirked at him. “Perhaps.” He chuckled and stood up. “But we are wasting time. I need to begin working with you on your stage fright.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Nico squirmed under Percy on the couch. The green-eyed young man smirked down at him as he settled between Nico's legs, lightly pressing his pelvis against Nico's crotch. “Wh-what is the point of this again?” Nico asked as Percy pinned his wrists to the arm of the couch.

“You have to get more comfortable with your body,” Percy whispered in his ear. “Not to mention that on occasion, some of the other boys will be doing stuff like this to you on stage.” Percy ran his free hand down Nico's bare torso, letting his fingers ghost across Nico's soft skin. “And I don't need you blushing at the smallest thing.” He bit down on Nico's collarbone, making the pale boy gasp. “While it is cute and adorable when you blush, I need it toned down slightly. A faint blush is fine, but your entire face sometimes turns red, and I don't need that.”

Nico yelped as Percy sat up, tugging Nico into his lap to straddle his waist. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. “So, you're going to work with me like this until I can get more comfortable?” Nico asked, a smirk on his lips. “I think I'll need extra help.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Very funny.” He grabbed Nico's hips and thrusted up. Nico's mouth fell open as he clung to Percy. “I don't think you're quite ready to dive into that territory yet, Nico.”

“Why not?” Nico panted.

Percy's hand slid down Nico's body until they settled on his hips. “Let's not get into that, shall we? I'm hoping you choose not to go down that road, Nico. There's a lot that you don't understand, things that I'm actually trying to shield you from, but you make it hard on me sometimes.”

Nico frowned at him. “Like what?”

Percy's eyes ran down Nico's body before returning to his brown eyes. “Like I said, I can't give you special treatment. Don't put me in a situation that neither of us want to see happen.”

Nico sighed. However, Percy pulled him out of his mopey state by squeezing his ass. “You're such a jerk,” Nico grumbled.

Percy smirked. “Hey, I gave you what you wanted just the other day.”

“And you said it probably wouldn't happen again.”

Percy shrugged. “I did say probably, which implies that there is a chance that it might.” He ran a hand through Nico's black hair. “We'll just have to see. Maybe if you're not too naughty, I'll make an exception for Christmas.”

“Are you sure I shouldn't be naughty to get that present?” Nico asked smugly, leaning in to kiss Percy.

Percy turned his head, Nico's lips landing on his jaw. “I only kiss during sex,” Percy said, setting Nico off his lap.

Nico groaned, letting his head hit the arm of the chair. “You're such a tease.”

Percy shrugged. “If you prefer, I don't have to even consider doing that to you again.”

Nico's eyes widened. “I-I didn't mean it.”

Percy chuckled and pulled out his phone. “Well, I think that is all for today,” he sighed.

They both stood up, and Nico walked him over to the door, opening it for the taller young man. They both were surprised to find Apollo standing outside, his fist up to knock on the door. His eyes flickered between Percy and Nico, eyeing Nico's bare torso.

Nico blinked as Percy slid his arm around Nico's waist. “What are you doing here?” Percy asked.

Apollo frowned when Percy rested his cheek on Nico's head. Nico noticed the blond's lip twitch. “I wanted to talk to Nico,” the blond mumbled.

“A civil conversation?” Percy slid his other arm around Nico's waist, pulling the smaller boy back against his chest.

Apollo pursed his lips and inhaled sharply. Nico noticed the blond's eyes darken. He felt a little lost at what was happening at the moment, but he figured it was better if he stayed quiet.

“Of course,” Apollo ground out with a fake smile on his face. “So, what were you two doing?”

Percy smiled, humming as he hugged Nico tighter. “I was just giving Nico a lesson in stage fright.”

Apollo clicked his tongue, his eyes flashing venomously at Nico. “Sounds like fun.” He paused to look back up at Percy, something unspoken traveling between the two tall young men. “I mean, it sure looks like you two had fun.”

Percy's hands roamed Nico's torso. “It was very fun. Just like we had fun Friday night, after he was done with work,” Percy said with a smirk.

Apollo's face paled. “You mean, you...and him?” Apollo said, his eyes wide in surprise.

Percy shrugged. Nico tried to squirm away. He didn't like the uncomfortable feeling that was coursing through the room at the moment. He really didn't want to be involved with whatever was going on. But Percy pulled him back against his chest, this time so that Nico was facing him.

Apollo's fists clenched. “I thought he wasn't being treated special?” Apollo ground out between his teeth.

Percy's eyes became solemn. “It was just oral, and besides, you can just blame yourself for it happening. He was only up in my room in the first place because of what you and the others did,” Percy responded calmly. “I'm not going to give him special treatment. As I said, if it were to really happen, I would not treat him any differently than the rest of you.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. What were they talking about? He didn't like the sound of it, whatever it was. Nico tried flailing his arms from within Percy's grasp. “Hold on a second, can someone explain to me what you're both talking about?” He asked.

Apollo blinked at Percy. “You haven't even told him what will happen to him?” The blond deadpanned.

“Because I trust him to be smarter than to actually come to me and ask for it,” Percy replied. He clicked his tongue, his eyes turning snake-like as they stared at Apollo. “Although, with all of you roaming about, perhaps I should warn him of the consequences.” Percy smiled coldly. “Oh wait, I think you all ruined your chances at achieving your goal with your little stunt.”

Apollo's mouth fell open in shock. Nico blinked at the two of them. He felt like he was missing something between them. He was more concerned with how they were acting at the moment than what they were actually talking about.

“Well, I need to get going. I have to get some work done, and you two need to talk.” He smirked and groped Nico's ass. “I'll see you later, Nico,” he said seductively.

Percy patted Apollo's shoulder as he walked out the door. The blond just stood there, shell shocked. Nico fidgeted in front of him, even though the blond's eyes weren't necessarily on him. Whatever had just happened hadn't been anything good, or at least that was how Nico felt.

“So, uh, you wanted to talk to me?” Nico asked, walking over and picking his shirt off the ground. He was going to assume what had just happened was to explain for his lack of wanting to punch the blond again. Perhaps it was because they had known Percy longer, but it seemed like he had a strong effect on them with his actions.

Apollo blinked and shook his head. “Uh, oh, yeah,” the blond replied. His cheek still had a small trace of a bruise on it, and his neck was still healing from the scratch Nico had given him, though it was much smaller than it had been on Saturday night.

Nico eyed him cautiously. Just because he didn't have the current desire to punch Apollo again, didn't mean he was going to go running back into the blond's arms. “What about?”

Apollo rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, wanted to come by and apologize.” He sighed. “I don't think that was the right way for you to find out how we felt.”

Nico stared at him coldly. “No, it wasn't.”

Apollo nodded. “And I'm sorry about that.” When Nico didn't answer, Apollo took a step closer. “So, are we cool?”

Nico shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “I don't know if I can forgive you. Perhaps in the future I will, but for now, I'm still hurt by what you did. I thought I could trust you. And now, I just feel used.”

Apollo sighed. “We handled it wrong. We wanted you to fit in with the rest of us. We wanted to make it so that we didn't hate ourselves every time we looked at you,” Apollo explained.

“So, you try having sex with me, and humiliating me?”

Apollo mumbled something under his breath.

Nico raised a brow. “What was that?” He asked.

“I don't really want to talk about it, Nico,” Apollo whispered, looking up at Nico with sad eyes. “It's just that some of us don't let go of our feelings while working here.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “I don't understand.”

Apollo shook his head, his curls flying about in the process. “It doesn't matter. Some of us got jealous, myself included.” He pursed his lips and looked Nico over. “That's really all you need to know for right now.”

Nico nodded, though he was still confused. “Alright.” He studied the blond for a moment. “What exactly was that that you and Percy were talking about?”

Apollo pursed his lips. “Something that apparently Percy thinks he doesn't have to worry about, but the rest of us feel it is inevitable,” the blond answered.

“Which is?”

“Becoming one of us completely.”

Nico arched a brow. “And how is that supposed to happen?” He asked.

Apollo shrugged. “That's for you and Percy to talk about.” His lips fell into a frown and his eyes darkened. “You think you're not being treated differently, but you are.”

“How so?”

Apollo let his head tilt to the side. “What was it Percy made clear when you first got to join our ranks?” He smirked and snapped his fingers. “Oh yes, he said you weren't going to sell your body.” The smile dropped from his face. “Tell me, how exactly is he treating you like us?”

Nico pursed his lips, his eyes softening. He hadn't really thought about that. He let his head fall with a sigh.

Apollo nodded his head. “That's what I thought. Don't say Percy never did anything for you. And now you see why we weren't really happy about that. Does it really seem fair that he actually allowed you to strip, but decided that you couldn't be a prostitute?” Apollo smirked at him. “Doesn't really seem like he's letting you make the choices, now does it?”

Nico's eyes looked broken. But Percy had said he was getting to make all of the choices for himself. “Why is he doing it?” Nico asked.

Apollo shrugged. “That's sort of what we want to know. How do you think we're supposed to feel when our boss, who has never shown an interest like this in anyone, suddenly takes an interest in the new kid?”

Nico's eyes widened. Was that it? Did Percy have an interest in him? Did he like Nico? Was he really getting special treatment because of it? It didn't feel like it sometimes, and Percy had even made it clear that he couldn't give Nico special treatment.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked back at Apollo. “If that's true, then why doesn't he actually have sex with me? Why doesn't he kiss me? You're probably over-thinking all of this,” Nico reasoned.

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Are you really so blind? Percy doesn't want to touch you because he sees you like we do, and he himself is tainted and corrupted. He doesn't want all of that ‘infecting’ you. He wants you to stay all pure and shit, since that seems to be what drew his attention in the first place.” Apollo crossed his arms. “Tell me, when you two did have oral sex, did he let you do anything to him?”

Nico opened his mouth several times. Why hadn't Percy let him do anything to him? He quickly shook his head, casting his eyes to the floor.

Apollo shrugged. “That's what I figured,” he sighed. “He didn't want you to because him doing something to you and you doing something to him are different in his mind. You weren't the one doing the sexual act, he was.” He ran a hand through his curly hair. “And you don't even have to negotiate hours. So, can you begin to see why we might not be that happy with how he treats you?”

Nico chewed on his bottom lip. He was actually starting to see where they would actually be irritated with him. “I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

“Don't worry about it. We'll work on being more civil with how we react to stuff like that.” Apollo sighed and turned around to leave. He looked back at Nico as he was about to close the door. “Again, I'm sorry. Maybe in the future, you can forgive me.”

Nico pursed his lips. He wrapped his arms around himself. “I don't know, Apollo. You all made me feel unwelcome, like you don't want me here,” he mumbled.

Apollo's eyebrows furrowed as his frown increased. “Nico, no matter what you think, you're always going to be a part of this family.”

Before Nico could say anything else, Apollo shut the door. Nico stared down at the floor. Why did it seem like things were getting more complicated? Last weekend he thought he had things figured out, but now he wasn't so sure.

\-------------------------------------

Nico was relieved when the lunch bell rang. He had nearly overslept, and hadn't had time to eat breakfast, so his stomach was hungry. He nearly shot out his desk and into the hall. He smiled as he thought about the food that was soon going to be in his stomach. He had let himself relax at school ever since Annabeth had given him a shield from his bullies. So, that was why he didn't see it coming when he was practically thrown into a locker.

He winced as he rubbed the back of his head, looking up at Cal and Zethes. “What do you two want?” Nico grumbled as he climbed back onto his feet.

“We saw your new girlfriend,” Zethes chuckled. “Quite an improvement over the blonde.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. What were they talking about? “What?” He asked.

“The girl that picked you up yesterday,” Cal snorted. “She's quite the looker.”

Nico's eyes widened. Oh, that was it. They had seen him with Clarisse, and now they wanted to go back to tormenting him. That was just great, just what he needed to make his week better.

“She's not my girlfriend,” Nico tried defending himself.

“Yeah, right,” Zethes laughed, shoving Nico back into the lockers.

Nico scowled. “I'm not lying.”

Cal snorted. “You lied to us, faggot,” he sneered.

“That wasn't very nice,” Zethes added.

“Now we just feel stupid.”

“I don't see how that's my fault,” Nico interrupted him.

Cal glared at the pale boy. He grabbed Nico's collar and yanked him off the ground. “Watch your mouth,” he growled.

Zethes shook his head. “We can't believe we fell for that. How could someone like you get a girl that pretty? So, when we saw you yesterday with that girl, we knew.”

“Well, we knew you had a boar for a girlfriend, or you were best friends with some dyke.”

Nico clenched his fists at his sides. He didn't like that they were dragging Clarisse into this. All three of them were surprised when they heard a throat clear. Zethes and Cal turned to find Daedalus behind them with an eyebrow quirked.

“Is there a problem here?” The brunet asked.

“Stay out of this, Daedalus,” Cal growled.

“Yeah, this doesn't concern you,” Zethes sneered.

Daedalus tilted his head to the side. “Well, actually, it does. You see, I was just looking for Nico here. I had asked him to eat lunch with me, and it seems you two are detaining him,” the brunet retorted. Nico sent him a thankful look.

Cal snorted. “You hang out with this loser?” The bully asked in disbelief. “Well, if you are looking for a rep killer, be our guest.”

Daedalus blinked at them with a blank expression and pulled Nico away from them. “And yet, he will probably amount to more in life than either of you two ever could dream.”

Nico's eyes widened as he was yanked away from the two fuming bullies. He couldn't believe Daedalus had actually said that. He frowned after a few seconds of the shock wearing off. Was Daedalus popular?

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled.

Daedalus shrugged and let go of Nico's arm. “I'm not a fan of bullying,” he replied.

Nico nodded. “Well, I think I need to get some lunch. Thanks again.”

Daedalus chuckled. “Well, you could actually eat lunch with me.”

Nico blinked in surprise. He hadn't really made friends with anyone at school yet, so he had been eating alone every day. He quickly nodded. “That would be great,” he said with a smile.

Daedalus nodded back, and the two walked into the cafeteria. They quickly went through the lunch line, where Daedalus waited for Nico before he led the black haired boy to an empty table. Nico frowned as they sat down. Hadn't Cal said that Daedalus was popular? He quickly shrugged that thought off.

“So, did you ever figure out why I seem familiar?” Nico asked, trying to break the ice.

Daedalus smiled as he took a sip of his drink. “Not quite yet, but I always figure things out,” he replied.

Nico nodded as he took a bite of his burger. “So, are you a jock?”

Daedalus chuckled and nodded. “Sort of. I'm the captain of the basketball team.”

Nico stared down at his tray, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. “Oh, that's cool,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, but I'm also the president of the science club.”

Nico raised an eyebrow at the grey-eyed boy. “Seriously? Do you just try and break stereotypes, or something?”

Daedalus snorted as he sat his drink down. “Something like that, I suppose. I'm not a very big fan of stereotypes. Why should one be restricted from something just because they like something else?”

Nico nodded. That made sense. It would explain why he hadn't felt uneasy around the boy when they had met yesterday. He sighed as he picked at his mashed potatoes. Maybe he had finally found a friend at this school. Though, he doubted he would ever be able to have the boy over to hang out at the hotel. If he did, he would have a lot of explaining to do about why he lived there without parents, and then that would just lead into what Nico did for a job.

Lunch quickly went by, the two boys making some small talk from time to time. Even when they were being quiet, it didn't appear like Daedalus was bothered by their lack of talking. When the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, the two boys walked through the hall, Nico just listening to the taller boy talk. Nico quickly learned why he was the president of the science club, the boy had to border on genius level.

The rest of the school day crept by, and Nico made himself as unnoticeable as possible. Even when school finally ended, Nico did his best to blend with the crowd as they walked outside. When he finally got to the parking lot, he was relieved to see Octavian already there, waiting in his car.

He jumped in, finally letting out a breath. Octavian rolled his eyes at Nico and cranked the car. Nico frowned at the blond as he pulled out of the parking lot. It seemed like he just couldn't be at peace with all of the Lost Kids at the same time.

“Did I do something wrong?” Nico blurted out.

Octavian glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “What would make you think that?” He asked snidely.

“It's just that yesterday, you seemed like you were annoyed with me. And now today you still seem annoyed with me. Is this about the same thing as last weekend?”

“And what exactly happened last weekend?” Octavian asked innocently.

Nico frowned. “Cut the crap. I know all of that really happened. I don't know why all of you are trying to act like it didn't.”

Octavian smirked. “What, you can't figure it out for yourself?”

“No, that's why I'm asking.”

Octavian shrugged, slipping some sunglasses onto his eyes. “Well, I don't really feel like explaining it, so you can go fuck yourself.”

Nico glared at the blond. “And what was all of that in the hallway yesterday?” Nico snapped.

“None of your business,” Octavian sneered.

“You were talking about me!”

“Only indirectly. But all of that was between me and my brother.”

“You're such an ass.”

“And you're a brat,” the blond retorted.

Nico huffed and turned to look out his window. He felt this was a little unfair. The others never told him what their problem was. They just found some way to make him miserable. Some family, Nico thought.

The rest of the car ride was spent in an awkward silence. Octavian had turned on some music to near deafening levels. He was so thankful when they pulled into the parking garage and he was able to get out. He felt like he was about to punch another blond in the face.

He was surprised to find Leo in the parking garage, waiting on them. “Hey there, Nico. How was school?” The Latino boy greeted him.

“Fine,” Nico mumbled. Octavian grunted and shoved past them to board the elevator.

Leo raised an eyebrow at Nico as the two of them joined the blond. “So, Percy wanted me to come bring you to his office.”

“What for?” Nico asked.

“He's a little busy at the moment, so you'll have to wait for him to finish.”

Nico nodded. They rode up in silence. Octavian didn't even bother to look at either of them. Whatever had happened yesterday had apparently put him in a bad mood. Even though the blond had said it didn't concern him, he couldn't help but feel like it did.

The elevator stopped at the Lost Kids' floor first, letting Octavian off, who didn't even bother acknowledging them as he left. “What's up his butt today?” Leo asked as the doors slid shut.

Nico shrugged. “Beats me. He won't tell me anything,” he mumbled.

Leo sighed as the elevator arrived at Percy's floor. He gave Nico a sympathetic smile as they headed towards the office. Upon stepping inside, Nico immediately picked up on some shouting from Percy's office. The door was open, and Nico could see a man standing up in front of Percy's desk, shouting at an irritated looking Percy.

Percy's eyes flickered to Nico. He glanced to his side and nodded towards the door. Rachel soon appeared in the doorway. She stepped outside and shut the door behind her, her lips pursed.

“What's going on?” Nico asked as he sat down.

“One of Zeus's associates came to talk to Percy,” Leo answered.

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “That guy that he was talking about a while back? The club owner?”

Rachel nodded. “Yes, and he apparently thinks that Gaea and Percy are getting in the way of his business,” the red headed girl responded, looking at Leo and rolling her eyes.

Leo snorted as he sat down at his desk. “He's making it out like he was here first,” the Latino chuckled.

“The guy isn't very bright either.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Why is that?” He asked.

Rachel sat down, raising a brow at Nico. “Because he’s in there threatening Percy.”

Leo gave a low whistle. “Ouch. I mean, I figured Zeus wasn't very smart, but is he really that stupid? I mean, he might as well insult Gaea to her face,” Leo stated.

Rachel nodded. “I know. I can't wait to hear what she thinks about this.”

“You could call her,” Leo suggested, slinging his arms behind his head. Nico perked up. Would he actually get to hear or see the infamous Gaea?

Rachel eyed Percy's door nervously. “Um, I think it would be better if we let Percy tell her. Besides, if I called her, she would probably just turn around and call Percy while he was talking with the guy.”

Leo nodded. “Good point,” he mumbled.

“What's going to happen?” Nico asked.

The two of them looked at each other and then at Nico. “Well,” Leo began. Nico's eyes widened as he heard the man yell, followed by a loud thud. Percy's shouting soon filled the air.

“He's going to make it clear not to mess with him,” Rachel whispered.

Percy's door flew open, and the man hobbled out, holding his nose, which looked broken and was now gushing blood. Nico gulped as he watched the man walk out. Percy came to the doorway and leaned against the frame as he watched the man leave, his eyes snake-like.

When the door slammed shut, Percy's eyes immediately flashed back to their warm sea green color. He threw on a smile for Nico and nodded to his office. “Rachel, would you mind getting a paper towel to clean up this mess?” Percy asked.

Rachel nodded and walked over to the counter beside Nico. She grabbed a roll of paper towels and scampered into Percy's office, Nico following behind her. He watched as she tore off some paper towels to wipe up some blood that had gotten onto Percy's desk. Nico's eyes widened at the tall black haired young man. He had figured Percy had punched the guy, but it looked more like he had slammed the man's head onto his desk. He was beginning to see why the other Lost Kids were so afraid of Percy.

\-------------------------------------------------

Nico laughed as Daedalus talked about an accident in his science class at the beginning of the year, which had seared some of Zethes's hair off his arm. Thursday had finally rolled around, which meant Nico had one final day to prepare for the weekend. Though, Percy had him scheduled to work the stage on Saturday, which he claimed to be good for Nico, something about him getting to meet an old friend of Percy's that was going to be staying Friday night at the Lotus. He didn't know anything beyond that. Percy had just seemed relatively happy with whoever the friend was visiting. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, though. Should he be happy or jealous?

It just sounded stupid to feel jealous, though, when Percy wasn't his. He wanted to feel excited and happy, because he was getting to meet someone from Percy's younger years at the Lotus. He was going to assume that this person knew Percy before any of the Lost Kids even did. He was a little curious at who it was. Maybe it was the black haired boy in that photo Percy had.

Cal and Zethes were still giving him a hard time, and his ribs were now sore from getting kicked by Cal. Piper had noticed him clutching his ribs when she had picked him up yesterday, and had asked Nico to go to Percy about it. But after Nico had seen what Percy had done to that man, Nico had said no and begged her not to tell Percy. Cal and Zethes might have been jerks, but he didn't want them to be beaten to an inch of their lives.

“So, you got any plans this weekend?” Daedalus asked.

“Oh, uh, just work,” Nico replied, wincing as soon as the words had left his mouth. He shouldn't have divulged that. Now, Daedalus would probably ask where he worked.

But to Nico's relief, the brunet just nodded. “That sucks, I guess.”

Nico nodded. “What about you?”

The taller boy smiled. “I've got a date.”

Nico nodded again. “You have a girlfriend?” He asked.

“Yeah. We just started seeing each other a few weeks ago.” Daedalus took a bite of his roll. “What about you?”

“Oh, uh, I don't have anyone.”

Daedalus scrunched his lips. “That sucks, dude.”

Nico shrugged. “I'm working on it,” he mumbled. Again, he needed to watch what he said. Although, it was partly true. He was trying to get Percy, but he also knew he would probably never succeed.

“I'm sure it will work out,” the brunet said with a smile. “So, what's his name?”

Nico nearly choked taking a sip of his drink. “Wh-What makes you think it's a guy?” Nico asked nervously.

Daedalus smiled at him. “I sort of figured it out, Nico. And, I'm assuming it's not me. So, what's his name?” Daedalus asked again.

Nico took a bite of food as he contemplated the best choice for this. Should he divulge this information? He finally swallowed his food and spoke. “Percy.” He glanced back down at his tray. He figured it wouldn't hurt anything. Chances were that Daedalus and Percy would never meet, so what was the harm in it.

The jock nodded. “Well, I'm sure he will come around,” he tried assuring Nico.

Nico gave a lopsided smile. “Thanks,” he said sheepishly.

The rest of the school day slowly crept by for Nico. He knew what would come when school let out, and he wanted to avoid those two bullies at all costs. And it didn't help matters when Cal sat behind Nico in his last class.

When the bell finally did ring to signal the end of school, Nico shot out of his desk and bolted out the door. He sprinted to his locker to quickly drop off and pick books. After that, he fell into a crowd and made his way outside, where he found Luke's car waiting him on the other side of some buses, relatively out of the sight of the school building.

Nico made a break for it and ran away from the crowd of students. But, unfortunately, it didn't matter. When he got to the other side of the buses, he found Cal and Zethes waiting for him with smirks. “And where do you think you're going?” Cal asked.

“I don't see your Frankenstein girlfriend anywhere today,” Zethes chuckled.

Nico's eyes flashed from them to Luke's car, weighing his chances of reaching it. Luke was watching him from inside the car, his cheek resting on his fist. He raised an eyebrow at Nico. Nico's shirt was grabbed by Cal, who shoved him up against the bus.

“Don't ignore me, fag,” Cal snarled.

“I wish I could ignore your breath,” Nico replied, making a face of disgust.

Cal growled and pulled his fist back to punch Nico. Nico squeezed his eyes shut in preparation of the blow, but it never came. He slowly opened his eye when he heard Zethes yelp.

He blinked in surprise when he found Luke with his foot on Zethes's chest, and his hand grabbing Cal's wrist. “Who the fuck are you?” Cal growled, yanking his arm free of Luke's grasp.

“You his boyfriend?” Zethes grunted as he picked himself up.

Luke crossed his arms, taking a step in front of Nico. “I'm not. But so what if I was? Do you have a problem with it?” Luke growled.

Cal narrowed his eyes. “Back off, dude,” he warned.

“Are these the two idiots I've been hearing about?” Luke asked Nico.

Nico blinked. He swallowed and nodded. Luke nodded his head, keeping his eyes on Nico. In one swift motion, Luke drew his fist back and punched Cal in the face. Nico and Zethes's eyes widened in utter shock. Cal collapsed onto his back, clutching his now bloody nose, which looked broken.

Luke grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him towards the car. He opened his door and shoved the raven haired boy inside. Nico's eyes were still wide when Luke got into the car. He turned his head to look back at Cal and Zethes as they pulled out of the parking lot, watching as Zethes freaked out over a panicked Cal.

“You-you hit him,” Nico voiced.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Oh, I didn't think you noticed. I mean, you were standing right there, I figured you didn't see,” Luke said sarcastically.

“But I thought we weren't supposed to use violence?”

Luke's eyebrow rose. “Why do you think I parked behind the buses? No one saw anything.” He took his right hand off the wheel and flexed his fingers.

“This is exactly why I didn't want Piper to tell Percy.”

Luke shrugged. “You should have been more specific. I don't recall hearing that you said anything about us not getting involved.”

“But why?” Nico asked.

Luke ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth as he looked at Nico. “Why the fuck did I decide to pick you up?” Luke grumbled. “I don't want to be the one to have this talk with you, kid.”

“What talk? And why not?”

“I hate mushy shit. I don't want you fucking crying on my shoulder, unless it involves me actually fucking you.”

“You're such a romantic,” Nico mumbled, bringing a smirk to Luke's lips.

The blond shook his head, his smirk turning to a frown. “Look, go ask one of the others. Let them tell you.” His eyes darted from side to side. “No, wait, then they might tell you some fabricated story that I actually care about you.”

“Do you?”

Luke narrowed his eyes at Nico. He ran his sore hand through his short blond hair. “Look, kid, even though we have our issues with you, you're still one of us. You're still a Lost Kid. We bicker and fight with each other from time to time, but we protect our own when it comes from an outside source.”

Nico stared at him curiously. That had not really been what he had been expecting. Had he misjudged them? Or was this just another ploy to lure him into a false sense of security?

Luke blew out a breath. “I get that you probably think we don't want you here,” Luke continued, “but that's not true. We'd never wish someone back on the streets. Sure, we can be cold and cruel, but we aren't heartless.” He looked out his window, mumbling his next sentence under his breath. “Not even me.”

“So, what, you feel bad about what happened?” Nico asked, raising a brow.

Luke's face darkened. “I don't. I don't know about the others, but I know I don't. You deserved it. You're too fucking perfect, and a fall was what you needed.”

Nico's face fell. “Oh, I just thought that maybe that was why all of you were trying to be nice to me and act like nothing was wrong,” he mumbled.

Luke snorted. “No, we were nice to you because it was our way of saying that you were still family.”

“Well, Apollo came to apologize last night.”

Luke smirked. “Did he?” The blond shrugged. “I figured the jealous bastard would end up tucking his tail between his legs and go running to apologize.”

Nico's head tilted to the side with a frown. “Jealous?” He asked curiously. “What do you mean 'jealous'?”

Luke chuckled. “Oh, he didn't tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

Luke began laughing as he parked the car. He sighed as placed his hands behind his headrest. “Do you remember what I said about falling until you saw how messed up we really were?” Luke asked. Nico nodded his head. “Guess what?” Luke got out of the car.

Nico got out as well and looked at the blond over the roof. “What?”

“You're falling again.”


	19. She is Loco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I believe this is the first time I've actually addressed my readers on here. I ramble in every single post I do on FF.net, but I just haven't really felt the need to do so on here. But I had to for this and the next chapter. But before I get on with that, I do want to announce that I will be uploading a few of my other stories over here after I've caught up with Children of Loss on this site. And if you're not aware, there are 38 total chapters currently written. That being said, I need to give a disclaimer for this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters borrowed in this chapter, they are from an anime called Jormungand.
> 
> And if I had one regret so far with this fic, it might have been including them in this. But I'm too lazy to go back and take them out. Plus, they actually serve a purpose with how similar Jonah is to Nico in comparison to Koko being similar to Percy, if that makes any sense. Anyways, I've never really said that to anyone before, but now you guys know. Also, the title is a reference to a song from the anime.

Nico watched as Percy moved his body sinfully to help Nico work out a routine for Saturday night. Why couldn't Percy still be allowed to perform like this? Or at least for Nico. He was beginning to see why the others had said he used to be the best. There was simply no flaw in his form. His body never shook, he never slipped during a move, and his eyes held a constant look of lust. He smirked at Nico when he finished, watching as Nico's eyes followed a trail of sweat down his torso.

“You look happy.”

Nico's eyes widened as he was pulled out of yesterday’s memory. His face turned red as he sat under Daedalus’s amused gaze. “Sorry. Did you say something?” Nico mumbled, averting his eyes to the ground.

Daedalus chuckled. “I said that I hope you have a good weekend. Hopefully, you don't get worked too hard,” the brunet said. Nico let out a long breath. Daedalus made a noise and dug into his pocket to pull out his phone. “That reminds me, we haven't exchanged numbers yet.”

Nico's eyebrows rose slightly as he dug his own phone out of his pocket. He and Daedalus swapped phones, quickly exchanging numbers. The brunet smiled at him as he handed Nico back his phone. “Thanks,” Nico mumbled.

Daedalus nodded. “I'll text you later. It'll come in handy if I ever want to hang out with you.”

Nico smiled and nodded. He looked up at the sound of a car horn blowing. His eyes soon landed on Zoë's black car. “Oh, it looks like my ride is here,” Nico said, grabbing his backpack and standing up from the bench that he and Daedalus were sitting on.

Daedalus gave a nod as he looked down at his phone, probably texting the girlfriend that he had mentioned. Nico smiled to himself as he walked over to Zoë's car. As he slid inside, she raised a brow at him. “Who was that?” The raven haired girl asked.

Nico blinked and turned his head back to Daedalus for a second before glancing back at the Lost Girl. “Him? He's just a friend I made at school. His name is Daedalus.”

Zoë nodded. She stepped on the throttle, and the car pulled away from the school. “So, how have things been? I haven't really seen you the past few days.”

Nico blew out a breath. “The same, I guess. Although, I felt like a lot of you didn't really want to see me after last weekend.”

Zoë pursed her lips. She glanced at Nico from the corner of her eye, giving the steering wheel a squeeze in the process. “Don't take it to heart. It's complicated, shorty.”

Nico smirked out the window. “We're the same height,” he chuckled.

He noticed Zoë glare at him in the window's reflection. “Anyways,” she sighed, “as you've probably seen, we sort of feel bad for how it was handled. You're supposed to be family, and we didn't really act like it.” The car fell into a brief silence while Zoë stared intensely at the road. “You're just hard to be around sometimes.”

“Sorry,” Nico whispered, his eyes falling to his lap.

The driver shook her head. “No, it's not your fault. It's just how you make us feel, and how you remind us of what we used to be.” She let out a long sigh. “And of what we can never get back.”

Nico nodded, but still kept his eyes in his lap. “I guess it was just a relief to find out that you guys didn't hate me.”

Zoë gave a lopsided smirk. “Not yet we don't. Just watch yourself.” She winked at Nico, who smiled back at her.

Nico opened and closed his mouth a few times. He had something he wanted to ask, but he felt awkward by asking it. Zoë seemed to notice this, and she raised her eyebrow at him. Nico bit down on his bottom lip, casting his eyes forward.

“Can I ask why you guys were watching me? What were you expecting from me?” The brown-eyed boy finally asked.

Zoë let out a sigh. She removed one hand from the wheel to grab her long black hair and draped it over the front of her right shoulder. “Waiting to see if you would end up like us. Or perhaps just waiting to see if you would force Percy's hand in his agreement.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. Apollo had talked about something similar a few days ago. What was it that he didn't know? And why hadn't Percy already told him about this? Nico thought that Percy was going to let him make his own decisions, but he couldn't be expected to do so if he didn't know what the situation was. Percy had just said that it wasn't important, that he wouldn't actually ask Percy for whatever it was, so there was no point in talking about it.

“What was the agreement?” Nico asked, digging his fingers into his jeans.

Zoë blinked over at him. “Oh that's right. Apollo said Percy hadn't spoken to you about it yet.”

“What is it?” Nico asked again, frowning at the black haired young woman.

Zoë let out a heavy sigh as she pulled into the hotel's garage. She found a place to park and cut off the engine. She sat there for a few seconds, just staring at the steering wheel, before she responded. “That, if you have sex with him, or any of us, he will put you to work as a full-fledged Lost Kid.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What does that mean?” He asked, though he already had a sinking suspicion of what it meant.

“He won't deny customers anymore when they...request your services.”

Nico swallowed hard as his head started to spin. Shouldn't this have been something that he should have already been told? Why had Percy felt this wasn't important? He knew the Lost Kids were trying to seduce Nico. He knew that Nico had a crush on him. So, why had he neglected to talk to Nico about this?

“Are you alright?” Zoë asked, already out of the car and at Nico's side.

Nico nodded. “Yeah, it just took me by surprise.”

She frowned at him. “Don't be mad at him.”

He quickly shook his head, which did not help his stomach. “I'm not, well, not really. It just would have been nice to know, that's all.”

Zoë pursed her lips as they walked to the elevator. Once they had boarded, she pulled out her keycard and slid it into the slot. She quickly hit the button for the sixty-seventh floor. “He would have told you if he felt he needed to,” she assured him. “You said no to the Lost Boys, so Percy just didn't think you needed to be aware of the issue.”

Nico nodded. It wasn't really what he had been expecting, but it explained Percy and Apollo's conversation. “Where are you working tonight?” Nico asked, wanting to change the subject.

“Working the stage,” she replied with a small smile. “I would say thankfully, but I know some of our guests will be up there visiting.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Guests? But we always have guests.”

The raven haired girl smiled at him, patting him on the head. “Yes, but these are some special guests of Percy's,” she replied. Nico's eyes widened. That was right, that friend of Percy's was visiting tonight. “But I'm not sure I want to be in the bar tonight, so it's all good.”

Nico raised a dark brow at the girl. “What are you talking about?”

The girl rubbed her mouth, glancing up at the floors as they ascended. “Something's going down tonight, we all know it, but we just don't know what.”

“Wh-”

“Percy arranged the schedules to put Apollo at the bar tonight, and it just didn't sit right. So, we're all wondering at what he's got planned,” Zoë explained. 

The elevator finally came to a stop. The Lost Girl placed her hand on Nico's shoulder as she walked out. She glanced down the boys' hall, waving at someone. Nico's eyebrows furrowed as he stepped out of the elevator. He turned down his hall to find Percy leaning against his doorframe, his phone pressed to his ear. His eyes were shining in amusement, and there was a wide smile on Percy's face. It made Nico's stomach do a flip. He loved it when Percy smiled like that. It wasn't a forced, fake, or knowing smile, it was genuine.

“Yes, I had Rachel pick them up about an hour ago. I was just about to go greet her. I just needed to check in on Ni-” Percy's eyes finally landed on Nico, his smile growing. “Yes, him. So, you can let Floyd know that his children are safe in our care. I'll make sure that their stay here is pleasant.” He paused, chuckling softly at something that was said on the phone. “No, you know I love her.” Nico's heart stopped for a split second. “Yes, Gaea. No, I'm not going to agree to it if she asks. No, I know she just lost R, but I know where I belong.” Percy rolled his eyes in amusement. “Yes, I know. Now, go enjoy the rest of your night.” Percy's smile slid off his face. “No, I still plan on taking care of that. Alright, I'll talk to you tomorrow.”

Percy pulled the phone away from his ear, slipping it into his pocket. Nico walked over to stand in front of him. “What was that all about?” He asked.

Percy shook his head. “Nothing. Don't worry about it.” He reached up and ran a hand through his black hair. “The boss just wanted to make sure I'm taking care of our special guests.” Nico nodded. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I'll be busy until our guests leave on Sunday. So, I thought I'd check in on you now, just in case I didn't get the chance to tomorrow.”

Nico let out a long breath. “As ready as I'll ever be, I guess.”

Percy's smile returned, once again making Nico's stomach do a flip. “Good. Oh yes, and you'll be working my friends' table tonight. You haven't met either of them yet, and I wanted you to get the chance.”

Nico quirked an eyebrow. “I thought there was only the one?” Nico asked.

Percy smiled. “Their father informed Gaea that he would be sending both of his children to the expo this weekend.”

“Expo?”

Percy waved off the question. “I have faith that you'll figure it out on your own. I don't get to see them much, so I'll probably be at the bar the entire night.”

Percy's smile turned into a smirk as Nico's face lit up. “Oh, that's good. I'll do my best then,” he assured his boss.

Percy nodded his head. Nico's eyes drifted over Percy's shoulder as he noticed movement. Travis and Connor had silently exited their room, cans of silly string in their hands. They raised a finger to their lips as they approached from behind Percy.

Percy's smile slowly grew. He closed his eyes. “Don't even think about it,” he said.

Travis and Connor pouted, letting the cans drop to their sides. “That's not fair at all,” Connor whined.

“We will get the jump on you one day,” Travis added.

Percy chuckled and shook his head, letting the twins slide under his arms. “Do try and behave, you two. And don't go destroying my hotel. I know it's almost Halloween, but I don't want this place covered in silly string. So, please try containing it to this floor,” Percy whispered into Connor's ear, making the shorter twin shudder. Percy smirked and turned his head to speak into Travis's ear, “And I look forward to the performance you two have planned for tomorrow night.”

The twins grinned at each other before wrapping their arms tightly around Percy, who rested his head on top of Connor's. “It would be better if you were to join us,” they said seductively.

Percy smirked again, running his hand down to grab Travis's ass. “If you're asking for some negotiation time, I have tomorrow night free after you two get off.”

The twins smirked, untangling themselves from Percy. They laced their fingers together and walked off down the hall to Thalia and Annabeth's room, where they knocked on the door before they were let inside. Nico turned back to Percy with a frown.

“I thought they were on punishment?” Nico asked.

Percy shrugged. “I lifted it. They've been on good behavior, so I figured it was alright.”

Nico scrunched his lips. He pulled out his card and slid it into his door slot. He pushed open his door and threw his backpack inside. He turned around to stare at Percy from the doorway. “So, Zoë told me about your agreement with the other Lost Kids,” Nico said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Percy raised a brow. He raised a hand to rub at his chin. “Really? Well, I was actually going to talk to you about it, but I suppose she saved me the trouble.” The green-eyed young man shrugged. “You don't look mad. I figured you would at least be upset.”

Nico opened his mouth a few times before sighing, letting his arms drop back to his side. “Well, I'm not exactly angry, but I'm not thrilled about it,” he replied. “I'm upset you didn't already tell me, but I can understand what you were trying to do.” Percy nodded at him. “I guess I should say thank you, but I'm not sure that's entirely appropriate. I thought you said everything would be my choice.”

Nico watched as Percy's eyes shifted to a darker shade of green. His face, however, remained neutral. “You would have made the same choice. I just made it for you. If you had objected to what I had done, you aren't the boy I think you are, thus I wouldn't have done what I did,” Percy explained. Percy blew at his bangs with a look of exasperation. “How do I explain this? I guess I just wanted to protect you, or rather, what you represent.” Percy glanced down the hall. “But, I had to make an agreement with the others, to make it fair. If I hadn't, you would have been able just do as you please with no consequences.”

“Like having sex with you?” Nico asked quietly.

Percy stared down at Nico for a moment, his gaze nearly burning a hole through the pale boy. “Yes.” Percy leaned on his arm against the doorframe, studying Nico's face. “I suppose, since we're being honest, it's not that I didn't particularly want to do it, it's just that I knew that it might be better if we didn't. Things are complicated, Nico.” Percy's phone suddenly rang. Percy blinked down at his pocket before pulling the device out, smiling at it when he saw the name. “Well hello there. Yes, I missed you too.” Percy chuckled. “Alright, I'll be right there. I just got a little distracted.” Percy hung up the phone and smiled at Nico. “I have to get going, but I'll see you tonight.”

Nico nodded. “Alright, I'll see you then,” he said, waving at Percy as he walked off.

He frowned as the door down the hall opened, and Luke and Octavian leaned against their doorframe to watch as Percy walked by. Octavian smirked and reached out to grope Percy's crotch, who just chuckled and shook his head. “Not tonight,” Percy announced, causing the blond to frown.

Luke crossed his arms, tossing his eyes over to Nico, who was glaring at Octavian. Octavian's smirk returned once Percy had boarded the elevator. The younger blond also turned his eyes upon Nico, smirking in satisfaction at the response he got. Luke frowned and whispered something to Octavian. The younger brother narrowed his eyes up at Luke before returning inside their suite.

Luke arched an eyebrow at Nico. “Don't fall on your face tonight, kid,” Luke said before starting to retreat into the room as well.

“I'm not a kid,” Nico grumbled.

Luke stopped to smirk at Nico before shutting the door. Nico narrowed his eyes at the spot Luke had just been standing for a few moments before walking into his own suite. He stopped in the middle of the room when he heard a door close from within the suite.

He arched an eyebrow at Leo as he came around the corner. Leo stopped, his eyes widening slightly at Nico. He quickly coughed and masked his surprise. “Hey there, Nico,” the Latino boy greeted him.

“Um, Leo, what were you doing in the spare room?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Leo glanced behind him. “Just looking it over, nothing to worry about.”

Nico gave Leo an odd look. What was this really about? “Um, I feel I have the right to know why you came into my suite unannounced. Not to mention the fact that you've apparently been back there for at least ten minutes.” He crossed his arms.

Leo opened his mouth before closing it. He stared up at his forehead in thought. “Percy just asked me to do a thorough inspection of it today.”

Nico's lips tilted down. “What for?” He inquired.

Leo lifted his hands in a shrug. “I plead the fifth?” Leo chuckled.

Nico rolled his eyes, stepping aside to allow the Latino to pass. Today was certainly turning out to be interesting. He closed the door behind Leo, pinching the bridge of his nose. He glanced over at the clock on the wall. He needed to do a quick practice of his routines for tomorrow night before he ate and got ready for work. He was actually eager to find out who Percy's guests were.

\------------------------------------------

“Aww. Does Nico have a boyfriend now?” Thalia teased him as they rode up in the elevator. Nico stared blankly at the elevator door. He had his phone in his hand, and was in the middle of trying to write a reply to Daedalus, but the others had decided to take an interest in his new friend.

Calypso reached over and pinched his cheek. Will had his head resting on top of Nico's, and Nico could feel the blond grinning as he stared at the boy's phone. “Is he cute?” Silena asked, trying to pluck the phone out of Nico's hand.

The youngest Lost Boy fumbled with his phone, finally managing to slide it into his pocket. He turned around to glare at the others, who all grinned back at him. The only one who didn't seem to be enjoying torturing Nico was Apollo, who stood off to the side. The blond looked a little lost in thought.

“Oh, we should have Percy look into this Daedalus kid,” Calypso suggested.

Thalia snapped her fingers and winked at the caramel haired girl. “I like the way you think,” the black haired girl agreed. Apollo's lips finally tilted up into a smirk as he cut his eyes toward the girl.

Nico's eyes widened. He began waving his hands wildly. “No! Don't do that! Can't I just have a friend outside of the hotel?” He pleaded.

Will pouted at him. “Don't you love us, Nicky?” the blond teased him.

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Don't call me that. I'm not a girl.”

“Oh don't worry, Percy and Apollo both assured us of that,” Thalia cackled.

Apollo's smile widened as he slung an arm around Will's shoulders. “We're just not enough for him it seems,” the blond joined in.

Silena shook her head. “Way to get around, Nico,” she said with a wink.

Nico continued to glare at them. “We're just friends. He's straight and has a girlfriend,” he pointed out.

They all nodded their heads. “Doesn't seem to stop people, in our experience,” Calypso retorted.

Nico rolled his eyes. The elevator finally opened, much to his relief. Apollo and Calypso pushed past him, the blond ruffling his hair on the way out. Nico let out a sigh and followed after them, receiving waves from Thalia, Silena, and Will as the doors closed once again.

Nico groaned as he took in the crowded bar. Yet again, it seemed like it was a busy weekend. So, why was it different than the last one? It didn't take him long to spot Percy's friends' table, as several tables had been pushed together to accommodate everyone.

Percy sat at the head of the table, a glass of alcohol already in hand. He was dressed in a black dress shirt and black pants, with a dark blue tie hanging from his neck. A silver ring sat on his right ring finger. It bore a dark blue stone and an inscription, but Nico couldn't make it out. He was laughing at something that had been said at the table, but it didn't make Nico's stomach do a flip like earlier. This one made his stomach sink. It was a crooked smile, matched equally matched by the gleam of mischievousness in his dark green eyes.

Nico let out a breath as he walked over to the bar to retrieve his apron. Chiron handed it to him with a smile. “Ah, there you are, Nico,” the bartender greeted him. “Percy's table needs tending to, if you would get started with that.”

Nico nodded and turned back around to head over to it. He wrung his hands as he crept closer to it, feeling slightly uneasy about some of the people at the table. “I can't believe you bombed the Iraqi desert, just to deal with a single woman,” Percy chuckled, downing what was left of his alcohol.

“If you remember, my sister doesn't know what the word overkill means,” a blond man on Percy's left chuckled.

Nico finally took in the two blonds sitting on Percy's left and right. They looked similar, and from what the man had just said, Nico was going to assume they were siblings. The man was dressed in a dark grey suit with a red tie. He sat very casually in his chair, waving his glass of alcohol in his hand. He had platinum blond hair, that Nico would have probably mistaken it for a silvery white. He had it styled to look tousled and spiky, parting it off to the right. His eyes were a striking shade of icy blue that made Nico shift a little just looking at them. Like Nico, he had flawlessly pale skin, though the man radiated an intimidating aura of power.

The girl across from him, his sister, had long blonde hair that matched the color of her brother's. She also had a pair of matching icy blue eyes and an identical skin tone to that of her brother. Also like her brother, she made Nico feel uneasy. She seemed warm enough, but her eyes and smile practically screamed dangerous to Nico. She was dressed entirely the opposite of Percy. She had on a white dress shirt and matching white skirt, with a light blue tie with black stripes around her neck. Her posture was also entirely different from that of her brother. She sat very properly, with her right leg crossed over her left and her hands laced together in her lap.

Percy set down his glass and waved Nico over when he noticed the pale boy. “This is my new Lost Kid,” he said, nearly pulling the raven haired boy into his lap. The blonde girl lifted a glass of wine up to her lips and looked Nico over, which made Nico even more uncomfortable. “Nico, I'd like you to meet two of my oldest friends. These are Kasper and Koko Hekmatyar.”

Was it just Nico, or did the room fall silent at the mention of their names? He glanced around to notice that most of the patrons were glancing over at them. Nico blushed, trying to pull himself away from Percy. The blonde's lips tilted up slightly.

“Could we get some more wine for my sister? I don't think she's had enough,” Kasper asked, smiling charmingly at Nico.

“You just want me to embarrass myself in front of Percy!” Koko shot back, pointing an accusing finger at her brother.

Kasper shrugged. “If you recall, he was the one who bought you your first two glasses, not me.”

Percy grinned and rested his elbow on the table, dropping his chin onto his palm. “Hey, I don't get to see you very much, and I wanted to enjoy your inability to hold your alcohol,” he chuckled.

Koko waved her hand off in Percy's direction. “Whatever,” she replied. “Just don't let Jonah drink.” She raised a finger and pointed down the table. Nico followed her finger to a boy that sat a few chairs down on the other side of the table.

The kid was short, and appeared to be several years younger than Nico. What was a kid doing up in a place like this? His appearance was startling, though. He had silvery white hair and a pair of red eyes that were set in a blank stare. He had dark skin, though it was not as dark as the man a few chairs down. A small scar ran diagonally underneath his left eye. His lips were set into a thin line. He was not dressed nearly as nice as the others at the table, wearing a dark grey sweatshirt and a pair of shorts. His posture was slouched, and he had both of his hands tucked into his sweatshirt, while his eyes roamed around the room.

Percy chuckled. “Yes, I remember your request,” the hotel manager replied. He glanced down at a blond down at the other end of the table. “Oh, Lutz, some of the girls asked if you were going to come up and visit.”

The blond looked down at Percy, a huge grin spreading across his face. He had fair skin, but bore a small scar above his left eyebrow. He had short, spiky light blond hair. His eyes were small and dark blue. Besides Kasper, Nico decided that he was probably the most attractive guy at the table, not counting Percy. Something about him reminded Nico of the Stoll twins.

“Of course, Perce. The guys and I were talking about seeing the girls the entire plane ride over here,” Lutz replied, gesturing to the the guys around him.

Percy's eyebrows rose as he looked back to Nico. “Oh yes, I forgot to introduce you to everyone else.”

“And after all we've been through, Perseus,” a woman seated beside Kasper joked. “I'm so hurt, especially after teaching you everything you know about knives.”

Percy closed his eyes and smiled, running his fingertips through his hair. “Sorry,” he apologized. “This is Chiquita, the head of Kasper's bodyguard team.”

Chiquita was a thin woman, with pale skin. She had short black hair, with her bangs parting over her left eye. Her calm eyes were a shade of dark green. Unlike some of the others at the table, she radiated a sense of calmness. Her lips were tilted up into a lazy smile as she watched Percy.

Percy cleared his throat. “Anyways, the rest of our guests are Lehm, who I've known for as long as I have Koko and Kasper, Valmet, Mao, Tojo, Ugo, and Wiley,” he said, gesturing to each of them when he said their name.”

Lehm was a mountain of a man. He looked to be taller than even Percy and Beckendorf, and more muscular than both Butch and Beckendorf. He was relatively tan, with short grey hair and a hint of stubble. Like Chiquita, who sat beside him, he also radiated a calm demeanor. He also wore a constant toothy grin, which helped ease Nico's nerves a little. He had a lighter in his right hand, and was flicking it open and closed every few seconds.

When Nico's eyes landed on Valmet, he felt his cheeks darken. Now, while he was gay, he couldn't help but feel awkward looking at the woman. Her breasts were so big that she could probably put all of the Lost Girls to shame. Her skin nearly matched Nico's. She also had black hair that hung down to her shoulders. She also had a white eyepatch over her right eye. Her left eye was a striking shade of hazel, which nearly passed for yellow.

Valmet seemed to notice Nico's embarrassed state and smirked. “See, I think there's hope that Jonah will be interested in girls yet, Koko,” she commented, only causing Nico's cheeks to darken further.

Jonah didn't seem to acknowledge the comment, though. And Nico himself didn't particularly understand what the woman meant, besides that the kid was young and was going to hit puberty soon. Percy and Koko, however, had faint frowns on their faces. Nico cleared his throat and went down to the other end of the table to begin to take drink orders from the rest of the group, though he was conscious of how Percy and Koko's eyes were now studying him intently. As they all began giving him their orders, Nico took a second to study the remainder of the group.

Mao was clearly of some Asian descent, though Nico couldn't place the exact location. He was relatively fit and tall, but managed to remain thin. He had medium dark skin and short black hair. His eyes were the shade of tree bark.

Tojo was also of Asian descent, with shaggy black hair. He wore a pair of glasses over his light brown eyes. Like Lehm and Chiquita, he was fairly calm and relaxed. Though, he bore Percy's ability to give off an emotionless vibe.

Ugo reminded Nico of Butch from his appearance. He was relatively tan and muscular. He was also very tall, even taller than Lehm. He spoke with an Italian accent, which reminded Nico of his grandparents. He had a pair of beady hazel eyes and a strong jawline.

Wiley reminded Nico a lot of Beckendorf. He was dark skinned of African descent, though from the way he spoke, Nico assumed he was American. He had black close-cropped hair with two identical streaks above each of his ears. Like Tojo, he wore a pair of glasses. Five earrings sat in his ears; three hoops in his left ear and two studs in his right one. He also had a pair of warm brown eyes, though they tended to be hidden behind the reflection of his glasses.

Nico finally walked away from the table to deliver the order that he had been given. He groaned as he handed the slip of paper to Chiron. Why did he have to be the only one waiting on that table? He shouldn't complain, though. It only meant that he got more time with Percy.

He steadied the tray once it was filled with all of their drinks, and Nico carried it back over to the table. “So, how do you know Percy?” Nico decided to ask upon arrival at the table.

Koko blinked at him for a few seconds before her lips tilted up into a creepy smile. “Our father is a close personal friend of Gaea's, so once Percy was taken in by her, we were practically got raised together,” the girl answered. She took her glass of wine from Nico and began drinking eagerly from it, her cheeks beginning to flush.

“But Percy moved back here to America when he turned seventeen,” added Kasper, “so we weren't able to get him onto our teams.”

Nico tilted his head, glancing over at Percy. “I thought you were always here,” Nico mumbled.

Percy shook his head, swirling his drink around in his hand. He chuckled lightly. “If I was raised by Gaea, shouldn't that have implied otherwise?” The green-eyed young man pointed out. Nico blushed under Percy's stare, which did not go unnoticed by Koko.

“No, Percy was raised in Germany after he was taken in by Gaea,” Kasper continued.

“Thankfully, you didn't turn out like your brother,” mumbled Koko around her glass.

Nico frowned at her. Percy rolled his eyes. “Kronos isn't that bad,” he said. Nico was about to open his mouth when Percy looked back at him. “And before you ask, Kronos isn't my biological brother. He's Gaea's actual son.”

Nico nodded. “So, why did you come back here?” Nico asked.

Percy took a swig of his alcohol, licking his lips once he was done. The action managed to draw Nico's attention, and consequently, turn Nico's cheeks darker. “Well, she's never admitted to it, but I think Gaea was setting me up to take over this branch.”

Koko frowned at Percy, clutching his hand. “But she wouldn't let me have you,” the girl whined. Percy just grinned back at her. “You know, Percy, I do have an opening on my team, and my offer still stands.”

Nico felt his heart stop upon hearing the woman's words. So that's what Percy meant earlier. Percy raised Koko's hand up to his lips and kissed it, and Nico noticed Valmet's eye twitch. “As I've said the hundreds of other times that you've asked me, my place is here, or wherever Gaea asks me to be.”

Koko let out a sigh. “Such dedication. It's a shame that I can't have it.” She tapped her finger against the table for a moment. “So, I hear you are having issues around here.”

Percy's lips thinned. He cleared his throat. “It's nothing to be concerned with. I'll be taking care of it personally.” Koko and Percy shared a look, something dangerous appearing in both of their eyes. He took a sip of his drink before making a noise. “Oh, with the present that Lehm got me for my birthday last year, actually.”

Lehm chuckled and held his glass out towards Percy before taking a drink. “Glad you could find some use for it,” the man said.

Percy flashed a dangerous smirk. “Oh, I've found several uses for it since then.” He looked over at Koko. “I told you I found out I had a half-brother, right?” Koko nodded. “Yeah, well, he decided to come knocking at my door about a year ago, demanding some money.”

Koko snorted and burst out laughing. Kasper's smirk turned devious, while everyone else at the table had dangerous looks in their eyes. All except Jonah, who kept his blank look.

Valmet pouted at Percy and jutted her chest out towards him. “What about my present?” She asked.

“I keep it in the drawer beside my bed.” He raised his glass and clinked it against Valmet's. “Came in handy, too, I might add,” he chuckled. Percy smirked when he noticed that Nico was just standing there listening to them. “That will be all for now. I'll wave you over if we need anything.”

Nico nodded and began walking off to another table, passing Valmet and Mao, who were whispering to each other. “I'm not the only one who's noticing the similarity here, am I?” The large breasted woman asked.

Mao shrugged. “I'm not sure I follow,” he whispered back.

Valmet discreetly pointed her finger towards Jonah. “Doesn't the new Lost Kid remind you of someone we know?”

The man shrugged again. “They don't really look alike.”

Tojo sighed and leaned around behind Mao. “She means with Koko and Percy. And yes, I see what you're talking about,” the man whispered.

Nico raised an eyebrow, trying his hardest not to look at them as he walked by. He was about to reach a new table, when he heard something shatter. He looked over to find Apollo wide eyed and frozen in place. He followed the blond's line of sight to find a man sitting down close to where Nico stood. Nico frowned and glanced back at the blond, who was now helping Calypso pick up the drinks he had dropped.

The man looked vaguely familiar to Nico, somehow. He wanted to say he had seen the man in the news before, but couldn't place why. He had neatly styled blond hair. His eyes were green, but not as spectacular to look at as Percy's. He was very handsome and fit. He was maybe an inch taller than Apollo. He wasn't anywhere near as tan as the blond Lost Boy, though. His skin was fair, somewhere between Nico and Apollo's skin.

Nico finally stepped up to the table he had been about to reach. He greeted the brunette that sat at the table, though she didn't seem that interested in talking to him. He didn't mind, though. His attention was focused on Apollo, who seemed to be avoiding the mysterious blond like the plague. However, the blond's attention was completely locked on Apollo's form, studying his every move.

When neither Calypso or Apollo went to take the man's order, Nico let out a sigh and headed over. Apollo froze when he saw Nico walking towards the man's table. The man turned his head to look up at Nico's face briefly, but soon trailed his gaze down Nico's body. Nico shifted his weight onto his other foot, glancing around at his co-workers, who were staring at him intently. He looked over to Percy, who was watching the situation with interest. Koko and Kasper also seemed to be watching the situation, though Nico didn't know why they would be interested. Hell, he didn't even know why Percy would be interested.

“Hello there, handsome,” Nico greeted him, biting down onto his lip like he had been trained to do.

“You must be new. I don't think I've seen you around here before,” the man replied.

Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “I've been here about a month.”

The blond nodded. “May I inquire as to your name?”

Nico smiled brightly at the man, resting his hands on the table. “Nico.”

The man smiled charmingly back at him. “You can call me Robert, or Rob for short,” the man said, leaning closer to Nico.

Nico found himself being yanked backwards, and soon found a tall blond standing in front of him. Apollo glared down at the man. “What are you doing here?” He hissed.

Robert grinned at him. “I was wondering when you were going to come over, Apollo.”

Apollo narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nico, go take care of another table.”

Nico was about to walk off, but Robert grabbed his wrist. “Now hold on, I think I'd rather have him as my waiter.”

Apollo's eyes darkened so much that they were nearly black. “Why are you even down here? You usually lurk around upstairs,” the blond Lost Boy hissed.

Robert shrugged. “I got wind that the Hekmatyar siblings were going to be in town this weekend, and wanted to see if I could get a word with them. When I got here, that secretary boy directed me down here.” Robert glanced over at Nico. “And now I think I know why.”

Nico watched as Apollo fought to swallow. His lips were tightly pursed, and his hands were visibly shaking at his side. His eyes flickered over to Percy for a split second, who was watching them over the top of his alcohol glass. Percy's eyes had turned a deep shade of green that chilled Nico to his core. He felt a chill run over his body as he finally realized who this blond man was. And he couldn't help but begin to wonder at how cruel Percy could actually be. A snake wasn't the right analogy. Percy made a snake look like a harmless worm. Maybe Nico should have compared him to a dragon.

“So, if that will be all, Apollo, I think I'd like to be left alone with my real waiter now,” Robert said with a grin.

Apollo's eyes finally cracked. They lightened and took on a devastated look. He took a step back, looking back at Percy, his mouth opening a few times. Nico finally was beginning to understand what Apollo had meant the other day. He still cared about Percy, and to be betrayed like that, had really hurt him. What was Percy doing? Wasn't he supposed to be the loving boss that everyone could turn to when they needed him? Was he going to punish and hurt Apollo to the same degree that Apollo had hurt Nico?

Apollo walked off, only to be stopped by Calypso on his way into the break room. The girl led him into the back room, hiding them from Nico's sight. Percy, Koko, and Kasper all finally went back to their own conversations, though Koko pulled Percy closer to whisper in his ear.

Nico cleared his throat. “So, what can I get you?” Nico asked.

Robert tapped his fingers against the table before looking up at Nico. “I take it you've figured out who I am by this point?” The man asked.

Nico swallowed and nodded timidly. “Apollo might have mentioned you once or twice.”

Robert nodded. “I'll have some Scotch.”

Nico nodded and quickly hurried off to the bar to drop off the order. Chiron had his lips pursed the entire time, but his eyes kept glancing up at Robert on occasion. “Be careful with that man, Nico,” the bartender instructed.

“Don't worry, I know who he is,” Nico assured him. “What does he do now?”

Chiron let out a sigh. “Well, I'm sure you've heard he's married.” Nico nodded. “He's a congressman now. Apollo hates the man to his very core because of a lot of his political stances.”

“Like what?”

“Well, he's anti-gay marriage.”

Nico frowned. “After his relationship with Apollo? Really?”

Chiron nodded. “Yes, you would be surprised at some of his leanings.” He nodded over to Percy's table. “But Percy's friends over there don't mind him because of his stance on international trade.”

Nico glanced over at the brother and sister before looking back at Chiron. “What do they do exactly?” He asked.

Chiron picked up a bottle of Scotch and began pouring it into an empty glass. “Their father is Floyd Hekmatyar, the head of HCLI, and one of the most powerful men in the world. He's also one of our main owner's closest friends.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. He had heard of that company somewhere before. “HCLI...I've heard that name before. What is it?”

Chiron let out a sigh, glancing over at the two Hekmatyars. “I suppose I can give you the public details for them. They are a global company involved with shipping, logistics,” Chiron lowered his voice, “and the arms trade. Floyd's two children over there both became leaders of the company at young ages, and fall second in the ladder of control over the company. Kasper heads Asian division, while Koko heads the European and African divisions.”

“And she wanted to recruit Percy for her team?” Nico asked.

Chiron nodded. “When she got assigned to the European division, he was the first person she went looking for, not counting Lehm, who was assigned to her team by her father. Unfortunately for her, Percy had been moved back here to America by Gaea. Though, I sometimes wonder if she suspected the girl's actions, and had launched a preemptive strike to keep Koko from acquiring Percy.”

“They seem close,” Nico pointed out, looking between Percy and Koko.

“They are,” Chiron agreed with a smile. “She visits when she can, and she often vacationed in Germany when she was younger, so that she could spend time with him.”

Nico nodded and took Robert's drink order. He headed back to the man's table and dropped it off, but was thankfully saved by Percy, who waved him over. He let out a sigh as he reached the table, mouthing a thank you to the green-eyed manager. Percy smiled at him, melting away Nico's earlier uneasiness about the young man.

“Do you guys want anything before you head up?” He asked Lutz.

The blond young man shook his head. “Nah, that's alright. We'll just get something up there,” Lutz replied. He, Tojo, and Wiley stood up. Lutz grinned at Jonah. “You want to go?”

Koko sat her wine glass down rather harshly. “You're not taking him up there to stare at naked women!” She barked.

Lutz held his hands up defensively. “I was just joking, Princess.” Tojo and Wiley chuckled as they slapped him on the back, leading the blond towards the elevator.

Nico looked back at Percy and Koko, who were whispering to each other. He frowned as he studied the two of them, finally taking a moment to take in the similarities between the two. Their posture was very similar, and Percy tended to be proper and relaxed while Koko appeared to be the same. As he had noticed earlier, their clothing was opposite one another. But it now clicked in Nico's brain that he usually saw Percy in the same four colors: black, white, dark blue, and grey. Their eyes even held the same feel. They changed a lot, even in the depth of their color, to reflect the mood of each of them.

Their eyes could be warm and friendly one moment, and then flash to a dangerous look the next. Their smiles even had a similar feel to them. Like Percy's, Koko's smile could make Nico feel relaxed and calm at times, but others it would shake him to his core. They both definitely radiated a sense of power. And it was also starting to become obvious to Nico that they both wore similar masks to hide their true emotions. He could see why they would be best friends.

“So, I was in the Middle East a few weeks ago,” Kasper voiced, sitting his drink onto the table.

Percy smirked. “Let me guess, you had a visit with Kronos?” Percy chuckled.

Koko stuck her tongue out and made a face of disgust. Kasper gave a charming smile. “I did. He was looking forward to the Lotus meeting and getting to come see you.”

Percy nodded. “Yeah, Gaea wanted to host it here this year.” He shrugged. “The Lost Kids are eager to have her visit.”

Nico froze when he heard this. Gaea was going to be coming to their hotel in the possibly near future? “D-do you want another refill?” Nico asked. He cleared his throat, and tried to hide the fact that his cheeks had darkened. One little piece of information and he couldn't even control his voice.

Percy smiled and handed Nico his empty glass. “That would be great. Thank you, Nico,” he said, bringing a fresh blush to Nico's cheeks. Nico walked off, quickly getting the drink refilled by Chiron. When Nico returned, Percy smiled warmly at Nico again, resting a hand on Nico's waist.

Koko's lips tilted up into that creepy smile of hers. “He's adorable, Percy. I'm sure he gets a lot of attention. He'll probably find himself scooped up by someone,” she said, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on them as she watched Percy.

Percy blinked at her before shrugging. “I suppose.”

Koko's smile dropped. She studied Percy for a moment, who stared blankly back at her. She quirked a single perfect eyebrow at the green-eyed young man. “I'm also glad to see that you seem relatively happy.” She glanced around the bar with a sigh. “And there are so many lovely sights around the hotel.”

Percy raised his own eyebrow. “It's pretty much the same as the last time you were here.”

Koko lifted her hands in a shrug. “I don't know about that. I think I found some new interesting sights.”

Percy rolled his eyes, his hand dropping from Nico's waist. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he sighed.

That smirk of hers returned. “Well, I thought I saw you staring at the sights a lot tonight.”

Before Percy could open his mouth, the elevator door opened. Ethan dragged a shouting man into the bar. Nico's eyes widened as he noticed blood on several parts of the man's body. His nose was bleeding, he had a bullet wound in his leg, and the fingers on his right hand had been bent into a sickening angle. The room quieted down as Ethan slammed the man's head down onto the table between Percy and Kasper.

Nico glanced around at everyone at the table, but found that they were all still relaxed. Jonah had been the only one to even make a move, adjusting his sweatshirt so the pocket now bulged oddly. Kasper sat back in his chair with an amused look. Percy let out a sigh, resting his elbow on the table next to the man's face.

“I found him trying to sneak into the hotel. Found a gun and two knives on him,” Ethan reported.

Percy shook his head, chuckling lightly. “Why is it that this stuff seems to follow you around?” He mumbled.

The brother and sister smirked at him. “It's a talent,” Kasper joked.

Nico stared at them in bewilderment. How could they be so calm when someone was apparently trying to kill them? Nico glanced over his shoulder. Everyone in the bar seemed to be glancing at their table, some being more discreet than others. Some of them just rolled their eyes, while other shook their heads.

“What should I do with him?” Ethan growled, twisting the man's wrist.

Koko waved her hand absentmindedly. “Throw him off the roof,” she mumbled, picking up her glass of wine to take a sip.

Percy gave her a lopsided smile. “I'd rather not have the news looking into a death that occurred outside my hotel,” Percy chuckled.

“It's not like you don't have the police and district attorney under your thumb,” Chiquita stated.

Percy shrugged. “I'd rather not get them involved. I'm going to have to write them a check soon anyways.”

“Take him down to the shooting range and let me show you some of our merchandise,” Kasper suggested.

Percy tapped his finger on the table's surface, apparently contemplating the offer. “Well, I would like to have a look at those new guns before the expo tomorrow, but I think I'll have to decline.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Ethan asked.

Percy stared down at the man for a moment. He looked back up at Ethan, his eyebrows raising. He lifted his drink to his lips. When he was done taking his drink, he rested his elbows on the table and held his drink between his hands. He fiddled with the silver ring on his finger before sighing and sitting his drink back onto the table.

Ethan nodded and grabbed the man by the back of his hair, jerking him off the table. Nico raised an eyebrow. Percy let out another sigh, looking up at Nico. “Would you mind cleaning this up?” He asked politely.

Nico nodded slowly, pulling out a cloth in his apron. He began wiping up the blood that had gotten on the table, while staring at Percy in confusion. Kasper rested his elbow on the table, dropping his chin into his palm. He let out a long sigh. “You never let me have any fun,” he said.

Percy smirked and took another drink. “Sorry, but unlike you and your sister, I prefer to be discreet,” he chuckled.

Koko stood up and pointed to the ceiling. “Alright, I'm getting bored. Let's go find something else to do,” she announced. Before anyone could answer, she was marching off towards the elevators. Valmet called after her before chasing after the girl. Lehm chuckled and rose as well, followed by Jonah and Ugo.

“Well, you can go have fun with my sister, but I think I'm going to retire for the night,” Kasper announced, rising as well. Chiquita let her lazy smile spread across her face as she followed him towards the elevators.

Percy finished off his drink and stood as well. He ruffled Nico's hair before resting his hand on the back of Nico's neck. “Like I said earlier, I'll probably be busy tomorrow, and probably won't be able to see you. That will also mean I won't be upstairs tomorrow night,” he said.

Nico frowned. That would mean Percy would miss his performances. “Oh,” Nico mumbled. “Why is that?”

Percy shrugged. “Koko doesn't really go up there, so I'm just going to tag along with her until she leaves.” Nico nodded with a frown. Percy smiled down at him. “I just wanted to go ahead and wish you good luck, and, hopefully, this time won't be as bad as the last.” He moved his hand to rest on Nico's cheek, giving it a gentle pat. “But she'll leave on Sunday, so I'll be upstairs while you work the floor.”

Nico nodded. Percy removed his hand from Nico's face and slid both of them into his pockets. With a final smile, he turned around and walked off to join the others at the elevators. Nico scrunched his lips as the blonde girl tossed her arms around Percy's neck. He didn't find himself jealous of her, just nervous that she could take Percy away forever. He had the sinking suspicion he hadn't seen the last of the girl that practically mirrored Percy just yet.


	20. Surrounded by Vipers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I don't own Jormungand. Although, I found out they dubbed the anime. Koko sounds better in Japanese.

Nico frowned down at his phone for the tenth time since Percy's text had come in half an hour ago. Apparently, his boss had something important he needed to ask Nico, and wanted him to come up to his suite. So, Nico now stood on an elevator as it rose to Percy's private floor. When the elevator finally came to a stop, Nico stepped off and turned down the right hall.

He knocked on Percy's door and waited for the green-eyed young man to come to the door. He slid his phone into his pocket as the door opened. He looked up and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

Apollo stood in front of him, soaking wet and clad only in a black towel. The blond had a second towel resting on his dripping wet curls as he stared down at Nico. One of Apollo's eyebrows rose at him as he raised his hands to dry his hair off.

“Um, Percy wanted to see me,” Nico said.

Apollo nodded. “He's still in the shower, but he should be about done,” he replied.

Nico cleared his throat as he tore his eyes away from Apollo's dripping wet chest and entered the suite. Apollo chuckled at him and shut the door behind him. As if on cue, the sound of running water shut off. Apollo walked over to Percy's couch and sat down, not even caring how much of his thigh he was exposing.

Nico turned his head when he heard the bathroom door open, and he froze on the spot. Percy walked out of the room completely naked. He did have a towel, but it was currently in his hands and was being used to dry off his dripping body.

He blinked up at Nico when he noticed him standing there, and Nico's cheeks heated up. Percy smirked at him and walked into the living room, not even bothering to put the towel around his waist. “A-aren't you going to put that on?” Nico asked.

Percy raised an eyebrow at him as he walked by Nico. “Why? Would you like me to put it on?” He purred in Nico's ear.

Nico followed the tall young man's movements as he walked into the kitchen, his eyes solely trained on Percy's perfect ass. “You, uh, wanted to talk to me?”

Percy opened his refrigerator and bent over, causing Nico's eyes to widen further. “I did.”

“Oh, don't mind me, I'll just sit over here,” Apollo mumbled.

Percy chuckled as he pulled a bottle of water from his fridge. “Haven't had your fill yet?”

“Does it matter? Everyone knows you'll just focus on Nico,” the blond said bitterly.

Percy's eyes grew icy as he stared at Apollo from across the room. “Why don't you wait in my room for a moment, Nico. It seems I have some business that needs to be cleared up,” Percy ordered.

“But-” Nico began, but Percy cut him off.

“Now.”

Nico pursed his lips and tossed Apollo a final look before walking back to Percy's room. He frowned as he entered the room and went to shut the door, but kept it cracked. He peered out, managing to catch sight of Percy, who finally decided to wrap his towel around his waist.

“What is your problem?” Percy hissed.

“The same problem we all have. You have it as well, so I don't know why you're playing dumb,” Apollo snapped back, coming to stand close to Percy.

Percy's eyes flashed dangerously. “My dear Apollo, are you calling me dumb?”

Apollo swallowed and shook his head. “N-no.”

Percy smiled coldly at the blond and patted his cheek. “Good. I've known you such a long time, and I'd hate to have our history be tossed away like that.” He let out a sigh. “You were one of my first Lost Kids, so why are you getting miffed by the new one?”

“You're not the same,” Apollo mumbled.

Percy frowned at the slightly shorter blond. “I don't think that's true.”

“You pay him so much attention. And don't think we haven't seen you watching him. You look at him, a lot. You treat him differently. None of us had the choice he did. You refuse to have sex with him, but I'm starting to wonder if it's actually a bad thing that you won't.”

Percy's lips thinned and he crossed his arms over his bare chest. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said firmly. “None of you have acted like this about a Lost Kid before, and I'm not sure I like it.”

“Like I said, you act different, too. Do you even know how you feel about him? You know, we originally thought you were just as conflicted as us, but, now, we're starting to wonder. I thought you didn't develop feelings for your employees.”

Percy stared at Apollo for several long seconds before raising an eyebrow. “Apollo, I've never been in love, and I don't expect to start now. I care about all of you, Gaea, and a few others. I don't do the romantic thing. I believe we've been over this, several times.”

Apollo shook his head. “Are you really going to lie to me? I thought you were an honest person,” Apollo whispered.

Percy sighed. “I'm not lying. I think you're still upset about last night.”

Apollo's eyes instantly darkened. “I am, but that's different. You hurt me, Percy. I know you had Robert come to the bar. I don't know how you managed it, but you got him there.”

Percy shrugged. “If you want honesty, fine. Yes, I did have him show up last night. I let it slip that Koko and Kasper were going to be at the Lotus, knowing he would want to speak with them. Then, I just left it up to Leo to act on his own sore spot to direct Robert to the bar.”

Apollo's eyes glistened as if he might start crying. “Did you really have to punish me like that?” He whispered.

Percy wrapped his arms around Apollo's waist and pulled him closer. “I thought I made up for it last night? Well, it's over, so you don't have to see him again for a while.”

Apollo nodded while refusing to look up at Percy. “Okay,” he whispered. His breath hitched as Percy slid his hand down the back of Apollo's towel, though he made no move to catch it as it fell from his waist. “I, uh, need to go get ready for work.”

Percy smirked and removed his hand. But before Apollo could move away, the black haired young man leaned in and licked a droplet of water from Apollo's neck. The blond shuddered and smirked up at Percy before pushing him away and walking towards Percy's bedroom.

Nico's eyes widened as he shot away from the door and sat down on the bed. A moment later, Apollo walked into the room. He glanced at Nico for a second before walking over to his discarded clothing, which lay scattered across the floor. Without any concern for Nico's presence, he bent over, giving Nico a very good view of his ass.

Nico averted his eyes when he heard Percy clear his throat. The green-eyed young man had himself propped up against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. “Enjoying the sights today, Nico?” He chuckled.

Nico scowled at him, though the effect was lost due to his red face. Apollo chuckled at him as well as he slid himself into his jeans. He tossed his shirt onto his shoulder and walked past Nico, ruffling his black hair along the way. “Play nice,” the blond chuckled on his way out. He slid a perfectly manicured hand down Percy's bare chest before disappearing out the door.

“Enjoy the show out there?” Percy asked, stepping into the room.

Nico swallowed as Percy unfastened the towel from around his waist. He bit down on his lip as he watched Percy find some clothes in his closet. “I, uh, don't know what you're talking about,” Nico replied.

Percy smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. “I know you were listening. You're predictable, Nico. You're curious, so I knew you would want to listen in. But it didn't bother me.”

Nico's breathing picked up as Percy walked over to him. He straddled Nico's legs and grabbed the brown-eyed boy's pale hands. Nico watched with wide eyes as the tall young man before him placed Nico's hands on his ass. Percy grabbed his face and forced him to look up at him.

“But, I needed to talk to you,” Percy continued.

“W-what about?” Nico croaked out.

“So, you remember we have that expo today, right?”

Nico nodded. While he couldn't tear his eyes away from Percy's eyes, he was very much enjoying his hand placement. He was also very aware of what was right in front of his face, just along the edge of his peripheral vision.

“Well, we are a bit short staffed, so I thought some of the Lost Kids could help out. And when I mentioned it to Koko and Kasper, they asked for you to work it.”

Nico blinked up at him. “They did?” He asked curiously. “So, what do I need to do?”

Percy smirked and pushed him back on the bed. He pinned Nico's arms above his head and crawled on top of him. He spread Nico's legs apart and placed himself in between them, pressing his pelvis against Nico's clothed ass.

Percy leaned down and licked Nico's earlobe. “I need you to do what the Lost Kids do best, entertain the guests and gather information,” he whispered into Nico's ear.

“Uh, what?”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Remember, the Lost Kids also have another job when they are in those back rooms. They are there to entertain the guests, but they are also getting information from the clients. Gaea values information, as do I. And today in particular, I want to know all that I can.” Percy's eyes took on a dangerous look. “Big things are happening, Nico, and I need to know what some of those people are planning.”

Nico moaned when Percy thrust his hips into Nico's. “O-okay. Anything in particular?”

Percy smirked down at him. “Just listen. However, make sure that you keep your nose out of their business.” Percy's eyes became even more frightening as they seemed to change to a deep emerald green. “Oh, and one more thing. I want to make this very clear, Nico. Do not go poking into anything between Koko and myself when we talk together, do you understand?”

Nico shakily nodded his head. “Yes, but-”

Percy shook his head. “No buts. You either get it or I won't let you in that room.” He grabbed Nico's jaw and made sure the boy held his gaze. “Nico, I'm being dead serious. Do not listen to anything that she and I talk about. I will not protect you from the consequences if you do.”

Holding Nico's gaze, Percy climbed off the shaking boy. He grabbed a pair of boxers and slid himself into them, while Nico continued to lay there on the bed trying to process what had just happened. Percy glanced back down at him as he slid a pair of black pants on.

“Are you scared of me now, Nico?” Percy asked as he picked up his shirt.

Nico's eyes locked onto Percy's. He blinked a few times at the Adonis in front of him. Was he scared of Percy? He had seen how cold and cruel Percy could be. He had also seen how intimidating and terrifying the young man could get. “No,” Nico finally whispered, sitting up on the bed.

Percy's lips tilted down. “Really? And why is that?”

Nico pursed his lips as he glanced up at Percy's intimidating green eyes. “Be-because I don't think you would ever hurt me, not physically anyways. You can be cruel and hurtful, but like my punishment, I don't think you are always doing it to hurt us.”

A faint smirk creeped onto Percy's lips. “You're smarter than I thought, Nico.” He shrugged his shoulders before sliding himself into a dark blue button up shirt. “Well, I do like to kill two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.”

“But why Apollo's ex?” Nico asked. Percy tilted his head and frowned down at him. “It's something I can't figure out. What was the purpose of hurting him like that?”

Percy sighed and walked over to his closet and retrieved a black tie. “Apollo still has some unresolved feelings for Robert. And they aren't going to get resolved until he confronts his problem. So, while I was punishing him in a way similar to how he hurt you, I also did him some good.”

Nico frowned. “I doubt he's going to thank you for it,” he mumbled.

Percy chuckled and tied the tie around his neck. “I wasn't expecting him to. I don't tell them these things, and I expect you to keep it to yourself. They do know that I care about them, and have their best interest at heart.” Percy held out his hand and Nico placed his hand into Percy's palm. With a smile, Percy pulled Nico off of his bed. “Now then, I believe you need to get changed and get down to the expo.”

\-----------------------------------------------

Nico pushed his way out of the Lotus's conference room, his empty tray pressed tightly to his chest. “Busy crowd out there, eh, Nico?” Dionysus greeted him.

Nico smiled and nodded as he walked over to the chubby bartender. He quickly listed off several drink orders, and Dionysus got busy. “So, this is an expo for arms dealers? That's what I've gathered,” Nico asked.

Dionysus grinned at him while mixing one of the drinks. Nico stared at the man for a few seconds, admiring the man's bright smile. For someone that could sometimes creep him out, the man had a nice smile. Though, it somehow reminded him of how some of the other Lost Kids would smile at him. “Smart boy. And you would be right. Well, that and Kasper will be going over his big announcement again...but that's more to rub it in their faces.”

Nico arched a brow. “What do you mean?”

“Ah, no, you wouldn't have seen his announcement in the Philippines. Well, you'll get a watered down version today, don't worry.”

“Isn't he an arms dealer, though?” Nico asked.

Dionysus nodded as he got to work on the final drink. “Yes, they are. But you'll see what I mean when he gets up to talk.”

Nico frowned and took his loaded tray from Dionysus. He pushed his way back out the door and entered the crowded room once again. He moved around and started handing out drinks, while doing his best to listen to the people around him.

He walked up to an Asian man dressed in military attire and an Arabic man dressed in an expensive business suit. Nico glanced down at their name tags as they took two drinks off of his tray. The Asian man had Wang written on his, while the Arabic man had Ajam on his.

“So, our neighbors are purchasing some American SAMs in response. We'll have to make due with some outdated equipment for now; cost efficiency and all that,” Mr. Wang informed the other man.

“I could have some associates of mine have that shipment of theirs go missing, for the right price,” Mr. Ajam responded.

Nico blinked at them for a brief second before averting his eyes and taking his tray of drinks away from them. Sure he had dealt with hearing this stuff up in the bar, but he felt a little more nervous knowing that he was in a room full of arms dealers and foreign dignitaries.

“And they think we are unaware that they are planning on moving their troops across our borders.” Nico stopped and eyed the man who was speaking's name tag. “We've already readied a retaliation force to be waiting for them,” a Mr. Diederich continued.

Nico bit down on his lip as he stared at the man. He finally tore his eyes away when someone took one of the last drinks from his tray. He smiled warmly at the woman before heading over to where he knew Percy was seated.

Sure enough, he found the green-eyed manager seated in a VIP lounge that only he, Koko, and her bodyguard team occupied. Percy smiled at him as he approached, and he held out his hand for a drink. Nico picked one off of his tray just as he was swarmed by Lutz, Ugo, and Valmet, who took the other three remaining drinks.

Nico handed Percy the drink and leaned in to whisper in his ear about the things he had overheard. When he pulled back, Percy's eyes were closed. He had a faint smirk on his lips as he took a sip of the alcohol. “Thank you, Nico,” he said.

Nico's eyes widened slightly as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. “Percy, he's so cute,” Koko whined in Nico's ear.

Percy smiled at Nico before waving the girl over to him. “Sit before you fall over,” he chuckled as the girl sat down beside him. “Now, I know you came here for something other than to hear your brother talk.”

Koko's lips tilted up into a crooked smile. “Percy, Percy, you know me too well,” she replied, placing her hands in her lap.

Nico pursed his lips and turned his back on them. Something about what Percy said earlier made him afraid to find out what would happen if he were caught eavesdropping. So, he walked to the rope that cutting off the lounge from the rest of the room.

“Does this have anything to do with that kidnapping you instigated,” Percy asked, though his voice had lowered.

“Perhaps,” Koko replied nonchalantly. “I also wanted to see you.”

“And it's not to recruit me?”

Nico could practically see the smile that he knew was creeping onto Koko's face. “No. I've come to accept you're more valuable to me where you're at. But you promise to keep your word with Gaea?”

Nico turned his head so he could see the two of them out of the corner of his eye. Percy gave a single nod. “I'll talk to her, don't worry. How's Dr. Miami and her part coming along?”

There was something about the way the two of them looked at each other that made Nico shudder. Their eyes were so dangerous and calculating, like if they were playing chess, they would be able to stay five moves ahead of their opponent.

“All is going well. Bookman is on to us. He stopped us at the airport,” Koko said with another crooked smile.

Percy's lips formed a thin line. “Do you want me to find him some other pressing issues to deal with?”

Koko's smile tilted until it formed a wide shaped 'V'. “No, that won't be necessary. It's too late for him to stop what we've been planning.” Koko's eyes closed and her lips thinned out. “I just worry about if Gaea will go along with this.”

Percy smiled at his friend. “I said I'll talk to her. She'll listen to me, don't worry. And I won't tell her until you get that final piece, which is why I'm assuming you're really here in America.”

Koko smiled and nodded. “Yes, I'll be dealing with that after I leave here,” she replied.

Nico looked away when Percy's eyes flickered over to him. He stared out at all of the other guests in order to make himself look preoccupied. He let out a quiet yelp when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. “What did I say about eavesdropping on us,” Percy whispered into his ear.

Normally, it would have aroused Nico, but at the moment, all he could feel was fear. “S-sorry. I didn't hear anything important, I promise. I don't even know what you two were talking about,” he stuttered.

He felt Percy smile against his cheek. “Good. Now, feel free to watch Kasper's speech,” the green-eyed manager whispered before pulling away from Nico.

Nico looked up at the ceiling as the lights dimmed. He pressed his empty tray against his chest and stared at the stage when a spotlight turned on, illuminating the podium on stage. Everyone in the room fell silent and turned towards the stage as Kasper walked out onto the stage. He was dressed similar to how he had been last night, but now wore a dark blue business suit with a grey tie.

He tapped the microphone twice before flashing his brilliant smile at the room. “Good afternoon to all of you arms dealers, mercenaries, and military officials,” he began. He chuckled lightly as the room remained silent. Nico looked around and found that Kasper was receiving several angry looks.

Not many people seemed to be amused by him. In fact, the only people he could see smiling were the other Lost Kids working the expo, Percy, Koko, Chiquita, and Koko's team. But none of that seemed to bother Kasper, whose smile never faltered.

“Now, keep in mind that I am only the spokesperson for this. If you have any questions, please refer to the pamphlets have been handed out, or call our company directly,” the platinum blond man continued. Kasper cleared his throat before setting his smile back on his face. “For any of you that missed our previous announcement, let me reiterate what we are selling. The Hekmatyar Global Grid is a civilian-run supply, resource management and, command and communications package consisting of a global naval container shipping web constructed by HCLI and one hundred twenty-five satellites supporting the Global Position System. Since ancient times, armies have been like dogs leashed to the chain of their supply lines.”

Nico felt himself swallow unintentionally. During his speech, Kasper's eyes had shifted from looking happy to a look that matched Percy and Koko's eyes. His eyes were cunning and cold, yet the smile never once fell from his lips. And now, he was getting even more angry looks than he had before. The air in the room practically radiated tension, yet it didn't seem to bother Kasper at all.

“Let's get rid of this uneconomy that results in either mountains of excess supplies or hungry soldiers,” the man continued. “The Hekmatyar Global Grid provides supplies and communications scaled to the conflict in question-just what you need, just when you need it.” Kasper's icy blue eyes now added another emotion to them. His eyes were challenging, as if daring someone to say anything about what he was saying. “With Hek-GG, any army can improve their chances of deployment abroad for cheap. Even if your country already has the capability to deploy forces overseas, Hek-GG will greatly reduce your cost.

“We wish only to serve as pioneers for this new market born from privatizing military infrastructure. Optimization. I must say that armies will never be able to compete with civilians in matters of finance,” Kasper finally finished. He stared out at the room in silence, his eyes chilling every bone in Nico's body. The room remained quiet, though. “Thank you for your time.” Kasper gave a wave to the audience before walking off the stage.

Nico just stood there, his jaw hanging open slightly. “Holy shit,” he whispered under his breath. What kind of man had the balls to actually stand up in a room full of arms dealers and tell them that they were about to become obsolete? And it hadn't even bothered Kasper that the entire room could have probably killed him. Not only that, but Chiquita was on the other side of the room from Kasper. It was as if the blond wasn't bothered by life-threatening situations in the least.

Nico glanced at Percy from the corner of his eye. If Kasper was a close friend of Percy's, what did that say about Percy himself? Percy had never shown even a glimpse of fear in the time that Nico had known him. He even housed and did business with some of the most dangerous people on the planet. And to go one step farther, whatever Koko was planning, she wanted Percy in on it. If the girl wanted Percy and Gaea to go along with her plan, what did it say about how dangerous and powerful Percy and Gaea were?

His eyes then traveled over to where the young boy on Koko's squad, Jonah, sat. He sat on Koko's other side, his normal blank expression on his face. Nico frowned down at him. He sort of felt sorry for the kid, having to be involved with an arms dealer.

He put on a smile and walked over to him. “So, Jonah, can I get you something?” He asked. He cleared his throat when Koko shot him a look. “Non-alcoholic of course.” Koko relaxed and went back to her conversation with Percy.

Jonah's eerie red eyes tore away from Nico when Kasper walked into the lounge area. “I'm fine,” the kid mumbled.

Nico nodded while glancing over at the blond man that sat down across from Percy. “Alright, well, let me know if you need anything.” He scrunched his lips as he returned his eyes to the kid. “What's a kid like you doing involved in stuff like this?”

Jonah frowned as he looked back at Nico. Kasper chuckled. “Ah, I found young Jonah here in the mountains where I was in the process of building a road. Killed all of my men, that one did,” the man answered. Nico looked back at the kid with surprise. “But he's proven to be a valuable asset to my sister's team.”

Koko frowned at her brother. “You left out the part where you locked him in a shipping container for several days,” she grumbled.

Lehm, who sat on Jonah's other side, patted the kid on his shoulder. “Don't worry about this one, he can take care of himself,” the man chuckled.

Nico looked up from the kid in front of him when Leo came into the lounge area. He cleared his throat and glanced at Percy. “A few people were waiting to talk to you and the Hekmatyar siblings,” the Latino boy announced.

Percy smiled and stood up, extending his hand to help Koko to her feet. Nico watched as Koko enveloped Jonah in her arms as they walked off, calling his name playfully in his ear. It eased him to see the young woman like that. It was as if his presence had a calming effect on the girl. Kasper stood up as well, and turned to look at Nico again. He studied Nico for a moment before flashing his smile and walking off after his sister and Percy. As he watched the group go, he wondered if he would ever see them again. They definitely brought out an interesting side of Percy.

\------------------------------------------------------

Nico sat backstage with the twins and Octavian, though the later had yet to acknowledge his presence. The twins were busy stretching themselves for their performance, as they would be going on first. Octavian would go on after them, and Nico would after he was finished. After that, they would do group numbers and more solo routines to fill the entire night with entertainment for their guests.

“Hey, you don't look so nervous tonight,” Travis said as the two brothers stood up and slung their arms around each other's shoulders, their normal Cheshire cat grins on their faces.

“Just got my mind elsewhere,” Nico mumbled. Which was true, he did. While he probably wouldn't see either of the Hekmatyar siblings again, or not for a while anyways, they had managed to leave an impact on his life, especially Koko.

“Well, maybe you won't embarrass yourself tonight,” sneered Octavian. “But if you do, don't expect me to jump to your rescue like my brother did.”

Nico frowned at him. “Good, I wouldn't want you to have to strain yourself on my part.”

The twins grinned at them before winking at each other. “Well, you two play nice,” Connor began.

“And, Nico,” Travis added. Nico quirked an eyebrow at him. “Feel free to watch our performance.”

Nico tilted his head to the side and gave them an odd look as they turned around and walked towards the stage. He frowned as the music began with a thumping noise. What kind of song was this? It wasn't the Lost Kids' usual dance music.

His eyes widened as the lyrics to Nine Inch Nails' “Closer” began playing. “Oh dear god,” Nico whispered as he got up from the couch to go watch. What sort of dancing were the twins going to do to this song?

He watched as Travis walked around Connor and bent him over, grabbing the smaller twin's hair roughly. Travis slid his shirt off before sliding his fingers under Connor's shirt and slipping it over the shorter brunet's head. Travis spun Connor around and the younger twin jumped up to straddle his brother's waist. Travis lowered them to the ground where he spread Connor's legs as wide as they would go. Connor rolled his head back to wink and grin at the audience playfully while his fingers worked to remove his brother's pants.

When Travis had rid his brother of his own pants, the older twin smirked and began rolling his hips into his brother. Nico's mouth fell open as he watched Travis descend to claim his brother's mouth with his own. Until he had met the twins, he had never given the idea of incest, let alone twincest, any thought. But now, watching the two of them, it was extremely hot.

Travis then pulled Connor into his lap, where the smaller of the two began rolling his hips. Travis tossed his head back into a moan before smirking at the audience. He dug his nails into his brother's back as Connor leaned down and their lips met again.

And the crowd seemed to think so too, seeing how a lot of money was being placed on the stage. Travis finally dragged Connor off the ground and pushed him against the stripper pole. Connor jutted his ass out, and Travis hooked his fingers into his brother's speedo, sliding it down to reveal his relatively tan buttocks. If he ever did end up breaking that agreement Percy had made, he knew the first two people he wanted to go to now that he had seen this. Well, the first person would be Percy, so they would technically be the second.

Travis pressed himself against Connor's exposed ass and ground his brother into the pole. Connor pushed his brother away so that he could turn around. Travis moved back in and bit down on his brother's shoulder, while holstering Connor's legs up around his waist. He proceeded to fake fuck his brother up against the pole, while Connor used his feet to expose Travis's ass to the audience.

As Connor lowered himself back to the ground, he was forced to turn around by Travis. The slightly taller twin yanked Connor's butt out towards him and yanked the back of the speedo down again. He then proceeded to spank his brother several times before leaning forward and licking down Connor's spine until he reached his brother's ass. And then, to Nico's surprise, Travis spread Connor's ass and dove his tongue in for a brief second just as the song ended.

When the twins returned they smirked at Nico, who still stood in place with his jaw hanging open. “I take it you liked it?” Travis asked, trailing his finger along the bottom of Nico's chin as they walked past.

“We'd be glad to put you in the middle sometime, Nico,” Connor purred in his ear as he followed his brother to the couch.

Nico cleared his throat and turned around. “That was...interesting,” he said, his voice cracking. He thought he had gotten used to some of their antics, but somehow, that had just been really hot for him to watch. And in the back of his mind, Nico found himself actually wanting to know what it was like to watch the two of them have sex.

As Octavian made his way onto the stage, Nico began stretching, while watching the twins out of the corner of his eye. Luckily for him, they had yet to put their clothing back on. He slowly reached down to touch his toes, and ended up receiving whistles from the twins. He tossed them a glare as he tried to go back to his stretches.

He let out a yelp when Travis suddenly appeared behind him and smacked him on the ass. “You know, Nico, you have a really nice ass,” the older twin pointed out.

“Off limits,” Nico mumbled.

Both of the twins pouted at him. “Pity,” they chimed in unison.

All too soon, Octavian's performance was over. Nico stood at the edge of the stage and took a few deep breaths. He just needed to remember not to focus directly on the audience. Just tune them out and have fun, he kept telling himself.

Ciara's “Promise” began playing and Nico made his way out on stage slowly. Percy had said that a slow song would probably be better for his first try, so he had gone with it. Well, technically it was his second try, but who was counting? Nico pushed his nerves down as he slid his hands down his thighs, while simultaneously biting down on his bottom lip. He made slow and precise pops with his hips as the song went on.

He slowly got onto his hands and knees and crawled on the stage, arching his back and butt with the beat of the music. He sat down on the stage and slapped the floor before stretching his hand out to touch his left foot. He then preceded to lift that leg up and lay on his side. The girls had, thankfully, put a little stage makeup on him to lessen his blushing. And he was thankful for this because he knew his face was turning red. Even with all the training, actually doing such provocative things on stage still embarrassed him.

He got back to his feet and slowly slid the hem of his shirt up. Surprisingly, the other Lost Boys that were working the floor had actually taken a moment to watch him. More than likely, though, they were probably watching to report to Percy about how Nico did. Nico's hair had apparently decided to love him tonight, as it fell down into his face perfectly.

He finally pulled the shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor. He kept swaying and popping his hips as the music played on. Adding to the look his hair gave him, he decided to pull out a few tricks the Lost Boys had given him during their lessons. He shot the audience a look of lust and seduction, while simultaneously biting on his lower lip.

The problem, that he knew would happen, finally came when he tried to get himself out of his pants. He stumbled, but managed to catch himself before actually falling on his face. And surprisingly, the Lost Boys had held their breath. They really were confusing sometimes. They wanted him to mess up, but they also apparently didn't want him to. He supposed it had to do with that whole confusing “he bothers them, but he's still family” thing.

While he was finally standing there in his red speedo, he attempted to seductively run his hands through his hair. He wasn't sure if it was sexy, but it was too late to change it now. As the song began to come to an end, he moved to the edge of the stage and laid himself down on his back. He used his elbows to prop himself up as he rolled his hips.

At this point, a few people ended up coming towards the stage to give him some money. He continued to roll his stomach and hips as several patrons slid some dollar bills into the waistband of his speedo. Nico couldn't bring himself to look any of them in the eye, though. It was taking all of his concentration just to keep from shuddering and running off the stage as he felt them touch his skin. He felt a little sick with himself at the moment, and he was beginning to regret his decision to go down this path.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the song faded and the audience gave him a round of applause. He threw them a fake smile and waved at them before walking off the stage with his clothes. Once backstage, he hunched over and started breathing heavily.

“Are you alright there, dude?” Connor asked.

“How do you guys stand those people touching you?” Nico said breathlessly.

Travis shrugged. “You get used to it,” he answered.

“More like you learn to put it in the back of your mind,” Octavian corrected him. He eyed Nico with a frown. “We've all been there. You have to learn to ignore them.”

Connor nodded. “It gets easier with time, Neeks. Don't sweat it, though,” the younger twin assured him.

Nico let out a long breath and nodded. Maybe they were right. He hoped they were anyways. Part of him didn't want to go back out of there, but part of him didn't want to disappoint Percy. He also had the desire to be part of the Lost Kids, be a part of their family. And all of that meant he had to do this.

\-----------------------------------------------------

“I call cheats on that game,” Nico grumbled as he and several other Lost Kids exited the laser tag arena in the hotel. “The twins ganged up on me.”

Travis and Connor smirked at him. They closed their eyes and crossed their arms over their chests while wagging a finger at him. “Now, Nico,” they both began, “there's no need to be a sore loser.”

Nico scowled at them. It also managed to weird him out, once again, with how they could speak simultaneously like that. Luke chuckled and walked past Nico, ruffling Nico's hair on the way. “Don't be mad because my team beat you, kid,” he teased.

“You covered your sensor plates!” Thalia snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at the blond.

Luke crossed his eyes to stare at the finger in front of his face before smirking. “Tell it to your captain.”

“She did,” Apollo grumbled.

Luke shrugged. “All's fair in love and war,” he sighed. Apollo rolled his eyes.

Beckendorf smirked and clamped a hand down on Luke's shoulder. “We just strategized better,” the muscular young man chuckled.

Thalia chuckled as she saw Juniper sit down and hang up her equipment. “Not to mention we were handicapped. You didn't have to play, Juniper,” she said teasingly.

Juniper smiled at the raven haired girl. “Sorry, I'm just not much for shooting things,” she apologized.

Apollo waved her off. “No worries,” he reassured her.

Luke slung his arm around Apollo's neck. “Yeah, besides, this means he lost our bet,” the blond practically growled into Apollo's ear.

“Fine, whatever, I'll come to your room later tonight,” the slightly taller blond mumbled.

Luke smirked and leaned in closer. “Don't get butt-hurt, Apollo. Well, not yet anyways.”

Apollo rolled his eyes and smacked Luke's arm off of his shoulder. Nico arched an eyebrow as he watched the two blonds. He wasn't really that surprised that bets among the Lost Kids involved sex at this point. Saturday night had ended up going by sort of smoothly for Nico. Most of his routines had involved group numbers, though they weren't as physical or graphic as the twins' opening number.

And the next day, Nico had woken up to find all seven of these Lost Kids banging on his door. Since they all had the afternoon off, they had decided to head to the game area, which had an entire floor to itself. Even though they had lost, Nico had had a really good time. It had helped take his mind off things. He supposed that was why they did things like this sometimes; anything to help cope with what they had to do.

“I guess we should get something before work,” Thalia suggested. The others nodded their agreement, and they headed towards the elevators. They rode up in mild silence, the twins occasionally saying something childish.

Once they got to their floor, they all ended up going to their rooms to change clothes. Nico was in the process of slipping on some black pants, when there was a knock at his door. He opened the door to find a shirtless Luke standing in the hallway. Nico's eyes unconsciously slid down Luke's bare chest. This was the first time that he had actually gotten to admire it up close, and it was definitely not disappointing.

He wasn't as buff as Butch or Beckendorf, but he had slightly more muscle on him Apollo did. Where Apollo had the body of a surfer, Luke looked more like a baseball player or a football quarterback. He was slim, yet muscular. He also had a very nice skin tone. He wasn't as tan as Will or Apollo, but he definitely wasn't pale like Nico.

“If you don't stop ogling my chest, I'm going to fuck you right there on your floor, kid,” Luke said as he slid his shirt over his head.

“Uh, sorry,” Nico apologized, rubbing the back of his neck.

Luke shrugged with a smirk. “I'd stare at me too, don't worry.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “What did you want?”

Luke cracked his neck, which made Nico wince. “How do you feel about going out and getting food? We thought we'd enjoy some of the pre-Halloween environment, since we won't be able to have any of it on Wednesday.”

Nico shrugged. “Sure. It doesn't bother me any,” he replied casually.

Luke nodded his head. Nico's eyes traveled over to the scar that sat on the right side of his face. Luke was still a mystery to him, but he also knew there were certain Lost Kids that would take him longer to crack, and Luke was high on that list. The blond frowned at him when he noticed Nico staring. His bright blue eyes turned a few shades darker as he turned around, hiding his scar from Nico's eyes.

“We'll be waiting by the elevators then,” the blond mumbled before exiting Nico's suite.

Nico scrunched his lips and walked back to his bedroom. He needed to get to know Luke better. There were several Lost Kids that he wanted to get to know better, but there was something about Luke that was intriguing to him. He definitely wanted to know how Luke had gotten his scar. He stopped in the middle of his doorway, a frowning forming on his lips.

When Nico had first gotten to the Lotus, Apollo had told him who the original Lost Kids were, and he didn't recall the blond mention Octavian's name on that list. So, was there something missing there, or was it just a mistake on Apollo's part? It was definitely being added to the list of things he wanted to know about Luke.

He blinked when his phone began ringing. He walked over to his bed and plucked the device off of it. He arched an eyebrow at the name on the screen before raising it to his ear. “Hello?” He asked.

“Hey, Nico,” greeted Percy.

Nico smiled and slid his shirt over his head. “Hey, Percy. What is it?”

“Koko is about to take off, but she said she had something she wanted to tell you.”

“And you can't take the message for her?” Nico asked with a chuckle.

“Well, she said she wanted to give it to you directly.”

Nico let out a sigh. “Alright, but I was about to go eat with the others.”

“Oh, that's alright. You can eat with me instead,” Percy said.

Nico instantly brightened. “Alright! I'll be right down then.”

While he couldn't see Percy, he knew the green-eyed young man was smirking. Without saying anything else, Percy hung up the phone. Nico smiled as he grabbed his wallet and keys. He headed out the door to his suite, where he instantly came to a stop.

All of the Lost Kids that he was supposed to go eat with were standing out in the hall with Leo. Well, Apollo technically had the Latino boy cornered by the elevators and was glaring down at him. “I can't believe you did that, asshole,” Apollo growled.

“Like what you did was any better,” Leo huffed back, glaring back at the blond defiantly.

Apollo rolled his eyes with a sneer. “Are you seriously still upset about that? Get over it. Look where we live. Now I know the real reason Percy didn't put you to work with the rest of us, you couldn't have handled it.”

Thalia placed a hand on Apollo's shoulder. “Alright, boys, I think that's enough right now,” she tried soothing them.

Apollo wasn't having any of it, though. “You went too far, Leo. You sent my ex down to the bar, knowing full well I was there. You know how I feel about him!”

Nico walked up to Luke, who had his arms crossed over his chest. “Hey, twerp,” Luke mumbled.

“What's going on?” Nico asked, eyeing the two fighting Lost Boys.

Luke shrugged. “Just some drama.” He glanced over at Nico. “Don't tell Percy.”

Nico nodded. He meant that, too. He didn't want to risk bringing down the wrath of the Lost Kids on himself right now. “I, uh, won't be going to eat with you guys. Koko apparently wants to talk to me before she leaves, and Percy asked me to eat with him.”

Luke glanced at Nico with a frown for a few more seconds before looking back at the arguing Lost Boys. He shrugged. “Fine by me,” he mumbled. “See you at work.”

Nico nodded and inched his way past Apollo and Leo. The twins were in the process of pulling Apollo away from the Latino boy. Apollo narrowed his eyes before letting Leo go to his room. Nico frowned to himself as the elevator doors slid closed. Why did it seem like there was always something new to learn around this hotel?

When the elevator arrived in the lobby, Koko and her squad were waiting there. He didn't see Kasper or Chiquita anywhere, so he assumed they were already gone. Koko stood behind Jonah, with her arms draping over the front of the boy. This action didn't seem to please Valmet, who had a large frown on her face as she watched her boss and the boy.

“There you are,” Percy said as Nico approached them.

“Ah, one second, Nico, I need to talk to your boss for just a second,” Koko stated. She smirked and gently shoved Jonah away. Percy waved his hand at Nico, signaling they wanted some privacy. The others all put some distance between the two young adults, so Nico decided to follow their leads. He sat down next to Jonah in a chair.

Percy and Koko conversed in hushed voices, though their topic of discussion didn't seem to be anything pleasant. Their eyes, once again, adopted an icy cold look. Percy nodded his head at something Koko said. He fished a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Koko. While he couldn't make out everything that was being said, he did manage to decipher the words “Cuba” and “Bookman” from Percy's lips.

Koko smirked at him before patting Percy on the shoulder. Her head tilted slightly to the side as she began speaking to Percy. Nico glanced over at Jonah. “So, Jonah, how do you like traveling with Koko?” He decided to ask.

Jonah didn't look at him, he just kept watching Koko and Percy. “Traveling with Koko is never dull,” the kid replied.

Nico nodded. “I know that feeling. She seems to like having you around, though.”

Jonah's lips tilted down. “Koko is confusing, and I feel I don't understand her sometimes. It's like she's so far away, and I'll never be able to touch her.”

Nico glanced back up just as Koko leaned up to kiss Percy on the cheek. Percy smirked back at her before turning and waving Nico over. “Believe me, I know how you feel,” he said as he stood up and walked over to the two young adults.

Koko narrowed her eyes at Percy, who held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I'll let you talk to him in private,” Percy chuckled. He ruffled Nico's hair before walking over to talk to Lehm and Valmet.

Koko watched Percy walk off for a moment before turning her intimidatingly blank gaze on Nico. He swallowed hard as he stared up at her. Like the other times he had seen her, she had dressed herself in all white today. “You, uh, wanted to talk to me?” Nico asked nervously.

“I did,” she replied, her gaze unwavering as it studied Nico's face.

Nico's heart began pounding in his chest as he fought the urge to squirm. How could people like her and Percy make him so nervous and manage to intimidate him with just a single look? He supposed it came with their personalities, and was needed for their positions.

“I wanted you to watch out for Percy for me,” she continued.

Nico raised an eyebrow. “I think he can take care of himself,” he chuckled, but she didn't seem amused by his joke. He quickly pursed his lips.

“Don't push him too much.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. He didn't understand where she was going with all of this. “Um, okay?”

She finally smiled and pulled Nico into a hug. “I also wanted to wish you luck for when you meet Gaea,” she whispered darkly into his ear. She pulled back, flashing him a dangerous look. “Believe me, you're going to need it when she sees what I've seen.”

Nico was left standing in the middle of the lobby, completely dumfounded by what had just happened. Percy came up beside him and waved at Koko as she disappeared out of the hotel. “I take it she had something interesting to tell you?” He asked, placing an arm around Nico's waist.

Nico gulped and nodded. He began chewing on his lip nervously. Suddenly, he didn't feel so eager to meet the infamous Gaea anymore. “She, uh, just wanted to tell me how much she enjoyed meeting me,” Nico lied with a smile.

Percy eyed him with a small frown. Nico shifted under Percy's gaze. He suddenly felt stupid for lying to Percy. The green-eyed young man seemed to know everything that went on within his hotel. He knew how to read people, so he probably could easily tell that Nico was lying to him.

But Percy shrugged and pushed Nico towards the hotel's restaurant. “I'm going to miss her,” Percy finally said.

“You two seemed close.”

Percy nodded. “She's one of the few people I call a friend.”

Nico frowned at Percy as they sat down at a table. “What about the Lost Kids? Your employees? Gaea?”

Percy chuckled at him. “They are more like family,” he answered. He smirked across the table at Nico.

Nico scrunched his lips up. He wasn't sure he wanted to be thought of as family by Percy. They fell quiet after that. The waiter came by and took their order, and they made small talk while their food was being prepared. They were in the middle of eating, when Percy decided to say something that made Nico freeze.

“So, the others tell me you made a new friend,” Percy began. Nico frowned at him as he took another bite of his pasta. “Be careful what you get into.”

Nico froze and dropped his fork. His eyebrows furrowed. “Why do you say that?” Nico asked a little harshly.

Percy's eyes were blank of emotion as they stared at Nico. He silently tapped his finger on the table before replying. “I just think you should watch your step.”

Nico glared at Percy. “He's my only friend outside of this hotel. He's also a nice guy. I don't want to stop talking to him, and it's really none of your business.”

Percy's eyebrows rose as he sat back in his seat. He chuckled before falling silent. Nico continued to glare at him until he found that Percy wasn't going to look at him anymore. Who was he to say such things to Nico? He had no right. It wasn't like Nico was his boyfriend. Was this because of jealousy? It would be strange if it were. Percy never seemed to have an issue when the Lost Kids made passes at him. So, why Daedalus?

They continued the rest of their meal in silence, Percy finishing his before Nico. Although he was finished, he didn't leave. He just sat there and stared at Nico from time to time, which made Nico slightly uncomfortable. When Nico was finally finished, without saying a word, Percy rose from his seat and walked towards the exit. Nico frowned and followed after his boss.

Percy didn't stop or look at him, only kept walking. They boarded the elevator in silence and Percy slid his card into the slot before hitting the button to the seventieth floor. The air was awkward, now that they were in such close quarters and still not talking.

When the elevator finally stopped, Percy placed a hand on Nico's chest to prevent him from leaving. “I meant what I said, Nico,” he said, fixing Nico with a stare.

Before Nico could respond, Percy removed his hand and walked out of the elevator. Nico frowned and followed after him, but Percy went down the girls' hall, preventing Nico from continuing the conversation. Nico frowned as he stood in the middle of the hall, watching as Percy disappeared up the stairs.

He finally rubbed his forehead and turned around. He hurried up his set of stairs and went to the backroom. Dionysus was there, relaxing in his chair. Luke, Hazel, Drew, Will, and Thalia were also there, doing their best to ignore the chubby bartender. Dionysus flashed him a dazzling smile upon noticing Nico's presence, once again sticking out as odd to the boy.

“Ah, there you are, Nico. I had missed having you around,” Dionysus greeted him.

Nico threw on a smile and nodded. Luke tossed the chubby man a glare before turning to Nico. “Yeah, well, I don't want to baby you like Apollo did. So, just keep in mind everything we've told you,” he said, giving Dionysus another glance.

It seemed a little odd to Nico. This part of a job wasn't hard for him. He was used to it by now. It was getting on the stage that still made his skin crawl. Will smirked and stood up. He walked behind Nico and slid his arms around the black haired boy's waist. “Don't mind him, Nico. He's just being overprotective,” Will chuckled.

“I am not,” Luke growled.

Thalia rolled her eyes. “Oh please, dude, you're like one of those dogs that tries to bark like it's all big and bad, but is just a big softie,” the short girl teased him. Luke tossed her a glare. Thalia held her hands up defensively. “Well, when you want to be.” Luke continued to glare at her. “I was just joking.”

Luke rolled his eyes and sat back against the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. Will chuckled in Nico's ear. “He is a softie, but it's usually towards his brother,” the blond whispered.

Nico turned his head to find Will studying him. “What?” Nico asked, wiping at his face.

Will shook his head. “Nothing. It's nothing.” He flashed Nico a bright smile. Will squeezed Nico before removing his arms from around the shorter boy's waist.

Drew grunted and stood up before walking out the door. Hazel frowned at the girl's back as she left. “Well, I guess we should get to work,” she mumbled.

They all separated out their respective doors, leaving Nico standing in the room with Dionysus. Yet again, he found himself puzzled by something else concerning Luke. “Penny for your thoughts?” Dionysus asked, waving a drink in front of his face.

Nico blinked at it before taking a step back and shaking his head. “No thanks, I don't drink,” he replied.

“You poor child,” Dionysus chuckled.

“It's just that everything seems to be getting more confusing around here.”

“Ah yes, this place does have that effect on new people. It's all better when you get to the bottom of the rabbit hole.” He patted his pockets, frowning to himself. “Of course, I'm sure there are some ways to smooth out the process for you.” He let out a sigh. “Damn, I'll have to order more.”

Nico frowned, while eyeing Dionysus suspiciously. “I, uh, think I need to get to work,” he mumbled as he slipped himself out of his clothes.

The bartender smiled at him again before he turned around and walked over to start getting drink orders ready. Nico walked out the door, shaking his head lightly. Things were starting to feel a little overwhelming for him, and he didn't know what to do about it.

As the first performance began, Nico had to stop and stare up at the stage in confusion. It was slow, and if his memory served him correct, it was Secret Garden's “Nocturne”, which didn't really make sense for a stripping song. As the lights came on the stage, he found Apollo on the floor.

The blond was dressed in a pair of light blue Arabian baggy pants. The only other thing covering his body was a gauzy matching transparent scarf wrapped around his body. He started by rolling across the stage, while throwing his legs up in the air. When he sat back up, he swayed his body slowly back and forth to the soothing music.

A layer of the scarf was removed from his left shoulder, exposing his tan shoulder to the audience. Apollo slowly climbed to his feet, where he slowly slid the rest of the scarf from his body. Nico found that his eyes had a hard time looking away as Apollo revealed every inch of his perfect torso. It was also like no one else was around, just Nico and Apollo. Perhaps that was how the blond meant for it to come across; a more intimate performance.

Apollo moved across the stage, letting the scarf drag on the ground behind him. His left leg shot into the air, as the blond pulled off an aerial kick. After that, the blond slowly leaned back, placing his hands gracefully on the stage. Nico's eyes slowly widened as the blond's feet came off the ground as Apollo pulled off a perfect handstand. He marveled at the blond's back muscles as the blond gracefully balanced himself on his hands.

Apollo's feet finally moved down, though he chose not to go the same route as he got in that position. He slid onto his knees and twisted his arm and wrist above his head. He then moved both of his hands down to cup his crotch before rolling over onto his stomach. He bent his knees so that his feet nearly came up to touch his head before continuing his roll, ending up in a crouched position.

The blond slowly rose back into a standing position, while slowly lowering his baggy pants. Nico felt himself bite down on his lower lip when he realized that all Apollo was wearing underneath those pants was a semi-transparent black man thong, that did very little to hide his crotch.

Nico cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from the stage as the blond began to wrap up his performance. That had definitely been interesting to watch, he thought. He walked over to a table, where a red headed woman sat, practically drooling at the practically naked Apollo. “Good evening, beautiful,” he greeted the woman. “What can I get for you?”

“How about him?” The woman chuckled, pointing a well-manicured finger at Apollo.

Nico forced a smile onto his face as he felt his stomach clench a little. Sure he knew what the others' job was, but after experienced being touched last night, he couldn't help but feel a little sick about it all. These people were paying money to have sex with the Lost Kids, who probably found some of their customers to be disgusting.

“I'm sure that can be arranged,” he said sweetly.

She finally looked at Nico as Apollo walked off the stage. “Well, why don't we just get me a margarita, sweetie?”

Nico nodded and slipped his pen and pad into his speedo. He walked back to the backroom, where he found Percy seated in Dionysus's usual chair. He cocked his head to the side and gave Nico a sly smirk as the brown eyed boy entered the room.

“What are you doing back here?” Nico asked Percy before turning to Dionysus. “I need a margarita.”

“Coming right up,” Dionysus replied. He then nodded his head over to Percy. “I asked him to run and get something from my room, so he was just bringing me what I needed.” Percy smiled up at Nico, making the boy frown.

“Are you not talking to me now?”

“Oh, you want me to talk to you?” Percy said innocently. He raised his hands in a shrug. “It seemed like you didn't want to talk to me back at dinner.”

Nico scowled at the young man. He was so frustrating sometimes. Percy whistled and Dionysus turned around just in time for Percy to toss him a small clear bag. Dionysus smiled and raised the object up to his forehead, making the motion of tipping a hat. Dionysus finished the drink he was working on and handed it to Percy, who proceeded to take a long drink from it as he watched Nico.

“Don't you have something better to do than stare at me?” Nico mumbled.

“I thought you liked it when I stared at you?” Percy replied with a smirk. He then shrugged. “Well, if you prefer, I won't stare at you at all.” As if to prove his point, he planted his cheek on his palm and glanced off to the side.

Nico pursed his lips, already disliking how his words were being used against him. “That's not what I meant, and you know it.”

Percy's smirk returned as he turned his eyes back on Nico. “I know. I was just poking fun at you.” He rose from the chair and made to brush past Nico, but ended up circling around behind the boy. He leaned in and whispered in Nico's ear, “And it's a little hard not to stare at your ass anyways.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He heard Percy chuckle behind him before pulling away and walking out the boys' door. He frowned to himself as he realized he wouldn't be able to get to Percy's table now before the others, since he had to wait on Dionysus to finish his drink order.

“So, little Nico, we haven't really gotten to speak since last weekend,” Dionysus said, breaking the silence.

Nico blinked for a few seconds before focusing his attention on the man. “Oh, yeah, I guess not. I don't really like thinking about last weekend,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess you were wrong about how the Lost Kids would handle things.”

Dionysus arched one of his eyebrows as he made the margarita. “Oh, I wouldn't say that.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “But you said-”

“I said that I was certain they would handle the situation on their own, and they did.” He reached over and poked Nico's forehead as he emphasized every word of his next statement. “It's important to pay attention to detail around here, Nico.”

Nico frowned as he stared up at the man's finger, which was still pressing against his forehead. “Well, you could have been more specific,” he mumbled.

Dionysus wagged a finger in front of Nico's face. “Ah, but then you wouldn't have learned anything.” He smiled brightly at Nico. “I was just helping you along the path to finding out what the problem was.” His eyes flashed with something unreadable for a brief second. “And now you can fix the problem, just like you said.”

Nico scrunched his lips up and his eyebrows furrowed. “I don't know how to fix it.”

Dionysus's grin grew until it started to creep Nico out. “Sure you do. The answer is right in front of you,” he said, handing Nico the drink.

Nico frowned, but took the drink from the bartender. He would need to pay attention to the way the man spoke, since he apparently spoke in riddles. Why couldn't there just be simple and obvious answers to his problems lying around. In one weekend, he sort of felt like his list of questions had managed to double. It was a little frustrating, if he were being honest.

All in all, it was starting to give Nico a headache. This place was obviously not meant to be simple, and he knew that every question that he was raising in his mind would not have a simple answer to it. He knew right then and there that Luke had been right about Nico falling deeper into the hole that was the Lotus Hotel, and, honestly, Nico wasn't sure if he was going to like what was waiting for him at the bottom.


	21. Just a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Nico slowly made his way towards the cafeteria, where he was supposed to meet Daedalus. He smirked when he received a glare from Cal. He needed to remember to thank Luke for alleviating his bullying problem. Ever since the blond had broken the brute's nose, his life at school had become much easier. And, currently, it was his own haven from the chaotic environment that was the Lotus Hotel.

Something just felt...off at the Lotus. Percy had barely shown himself for the past two days, and the one or two occasions that Nico had gotten to see the young man, he always seemed to be busy. Leo and Apollo were still bickering, which Nico was doing his best to stay out of. Leo and Rachel also seemed to be busy, but they would never tell Nico what they were doing. And it was getting to the point where any time that Luke even glanced in Nico's direction, Octavian got upset.

As he neared the cafeteria, he came to a stop. There was a tall blond talking to Daedalus that Nico had never seen before. His features were striking, and he looked like he could have a future as a model. It was like he had been sculpted to near perfection, and in that regard, he reminded Nico of Percy and Apollo. He had electric blue eyes that would make any girl or gay guy melt. He had tidy short blond hair, which spiked out at the tips of his bangs. There was a small scar on his lip, which seemed to only add to his allure. He was decently tanned, and looked relatively muscular, though his arms were hidden behind the sleeves of his blue jacket. Nico would estimate that he stood about six foot one, but he couldn't be sure.

The blond was laughing at something Daedalus was saying. He held out a fist and Daedalus bumped his fist against the blond's. It was the blond that noticed Nico's approach first. He elbowed the brunet in front of him and nodded over to Nico. “There's the kid you've been hanging out with,” he said.

Daedalus smiled and waved Nico over. “There you are, Nico,” the brunet greeted him.

The blond frowned at Nico as he finished approaching them. His eyes ran over Nico's body a single time before raising them back up to meet Nico's. He threw a smirk back on and held out his hand. “Hi. I don't believe we've met before. I'm Jason Grace.”

Nico smiled and took the blond's hand. He shifted slightly as Jason's piercing blue eyes stared into his. “I'm Nico,” he finally managed to get out.

“Jason's the captain of the football team,” Daedalus informed Nico.

Nico nodded, fighting the urge to groan. What was it with him and apparently attracting attention from the popular kids? But it figured that the blond was a jock, considering his physical appearance. Jason smirked as Nico let go of his hand.

Two girls walked by, giggling and waving at Jason. The blond grinned, winked, and waved at them. Nico's lips tilted down into a minute frown. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something about the blond felt off to Nico. It wasn't a bad thing, more like a familiar one. It had been something in the way the blond had smiled at those girls.

Nico quickly shook his head and turned to Daedalus. “Well, I'm starving,” he announced.

Daedalus chuckled and gestured towards the cafeteria door. “I was just thinking the same,” the smart jock replied. He raised an eyebrow at Jason. “Care to join us?”

Jason glanced back over to Nico, studying the shorter boy for a moment. He slowly nodded his head and looked back at Daedalus. “Yeah, count me in,” he said with a grin.

The entire time they were getting their lunches, Nico kept catching Jason staring at him. Well, he wasn't exactly innocent of stealing looks at Jason, either. There was just something off about the blond, and Nico wanted to figure out what it was. As they made their way to their table, Nico's eyes drifted down to Jason's ass and hips. While the blond did have a very nice ass, that wasn't the reason he was staring at it. Something about the way the blond walked also stuck out to Nico. But he still couldn't quite place his finger on what it was that bothered Nico about this jock.

“So, why didn't you dress up?” Nico asked Daedalus, finally taking note of his casual appearance.

Daedalus shrugged. “I'm just not big on the holiday. Besides, I could ask you the same question. And I'd also like to point out that Jason isn't dressed up either,” the brunet replied.

Jason chuckled as he scarfed down a few fries. “I got work tonight, man,” he said

Nico nodded. “Same here,” the raven haired boy added.

“Well, I was going to ask both of you if you wanted to go to a haunted house with me, but I guess it's pointless,” Daedalus mumbled.

“The old ball and chain dragging you?” Jason inquired.

Daedalus nodded. “Yep. Apparently, her school is putting one on, and I thought I'd drag both of you along with me.” Daedalus sighed and shrugged. “She's into the holiday, I guess. Her father is a big horror movie buff, and I guess it rubbed off on her.”

Nico grinned. “My house was always the same way,” he chuckled. “Dad loved Halloween and the Day of the Dead.”

Daedalus arched an eyebrow at him. “I think that's the first time you've said anything about your family.”

Nico bit his tongue, fighting the urge to wince. He needed to be more careful with what he said. “Nothing to say, really,” Nico mumbled with a shrug.

A group of kids exited the lunch line, and from the looks of them, Nico had a sinking suspicion as to where they were headed. There were five of them in total, two guys and three girls. Nico recognized two of the girls. They were cheerleaders that were in his English class.

Daedalus eyed them carefully as they sat down at their table, while Jason grinned and bumped fists with the black haired boy, who reminded Nico of Superman because of his hair style. The two cheerleaders gave Nico a look of disdain as they sat down next to him.

“Daedalus, I feel like you don't want to sit with us anymore,” the brunette cheerleader sighed.

She did nothing but remind Nico of the preppy stereotype that was set forth for high school kids. She was a pretty girl of African descent, with curly brown hair that reminded Nico of snakes. She was just a little taller than Nico, which made him a little depressed. He had always been a little on the short side, something his sister had always teased him about. She had sharp brown eyes that would probably frighten little children.

Daedalus shrugged. “Sorry, Kelli, but you knew where I was,” he replied with a smile.

Kelli huffed and sneered over at Nico. “Yes, don't remind me.”

Daedalus frowned. He frowned and turned his attention over to Nico. “I suppose introductions are in order. Just ignore Kelli, she can be a little offensive.” Kelli scoffed at this. “Anyways, this is Dylan, Tammi, Austin, and Katie.”

The Superman look-alike, or Dylan, as Daedalus called him, arched an eyebrow at Nico. He finally ended up smiling, which nearly blinded Nico. He was also good-looking, with his perfectly styled black hair and perfect teeth. He probably had some wealthy parents, and would end up becoming nothing but a tool as he got older. He wore the school football team's jersey, and even had an expensive looking watch hanging on his wrist. His eyes were electric blue like Jason's, except his carried none of the warmth that Jason's did.

Tammi only reminded Nico of her cheerleading best friend next to her. She was pretty, but wore a lot of makeup. She had long blond hair that hung down just past her shoulders. Her icy blue eyes looked like they could freeze anyone with a single glance.

Austin didn't look as stuck up as Tammi, Dylan, or Kelli, though he did still give off the jock vibe. He was tall, so Nico was going to guess that he was on the basketball team with Daedalus. He had dirty blond hair and bright green eyes. There was a small mole on his left cheekbone. He also smelt of the scent of cigarettes, which made Nico wrinkle his nose.

Finally, there was Katie, who gave off a feel similar to Austin. She didn't radiate a malicious vibe, like the two cheerleaders were doing, but she was still very pretty. She had wheat colored hair and warm brown eyes. She was probably the shortest out of everyone at the table. Unlike all of the others that had joined them at the table, she was the only one that gave Nico a real smile.

“He's adorable,” Katie decided as she looked Nico over.

Dylan sighed and took a large bite of his burger. “Still working on the pet project, I see?” He said around a mouthful of food.

Daedalus rolled his eyes at the dark haired jock. “I told you, he's not my project,” the brunet mumbled.

“Careful, you don't want to let him drag you down,” Tammi sneered.

Daedalus sighed again and leaned over to whisper to Nico. “This is why I've never brought you to my table of friends.”

Nico smiled. “And here I thought you were ashamed of me,” he joked.

Daedalus smirked back at him. “No, more like the other way around.”

The rest of the school day dragged by slowly for Nico. He just wished that Halloween had fallen on the weekend, instead of the middle of the week. He knew he was going to be up later than usual tonight, and it only made him miserable thinking about it. When he got out to the parking lot after school let out, he found Will waiting for him.

The blond grinned at him as he slid into the car. “Happy Halloween, Nico,” Will greeted him. Nico just groaned and slumped into his seat. Will chuckled and pulled out of the parking lot. “What's got your pretty little head so distraught?”

“School. It does not mix well with my job,” Nico mumbled.

Will nodded. “That's true. I just graduated from high school, myself, back in May.” He patted Nico's thigh. “Unfortunately for you, you still have another year after this one. Not counting college.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at the blond. Will grinned back at him before turning his eyes to the road. Nico rolled his eyes, but kept staring at the blond. Will was one of the few Lost Kids that seemed a little different to Nico. Hazel and Juniper were also on that list. He couldn't quite place it, though. There was just something different about them. Will seemed to carry an air of innocence about him, even though he acted just like the others. He had still stabbed Nico in the back, though.

And Nico had to admit that the blond was attractive. All of the Lost Kids were. And while he had originally thought of the boy as a younger double of Apollo, Nico was beginning to see the distinctions in their appearances. The most obvious was the hair, which Nico had noticed upon first meeting the blond. Will had straight hair, which hung just above his eyes, and in the light, had more of a glow to it than Apollo's. And since meeting the blond, he also noticed that Will had lighter blue eyes than Apollo.

Will also had just a hint of more muscle than Apollo. And if Nico had seen him running around a high school, he would definitely fit the bill of the popular pretty boy jock. Nico's gaze had unintentionally drifted down to Will's lips. They were soft and pink, and nearly screamed to be kissed. 

Nico cleared his throat and looked away. He really didn't need to be thinking like that about someone who had betrayed him. Nico cleared his throat a second time and looked back at the blond. “You know, I'm closer to you than some of the other Lost Kids, yet I don't feel like I know you that well. What brought you to the Lotus?” He finally broke the silence.

Will frowned as he stared at the road ahead of him. His entire demeanor seemed to shift in the blink of an eye. His shoulders had slumped, his lips pursed, and his eyes carried a sense of pain in them. He quickly shook his head. “I, uh, really would rather just not talk about it,” Will whispered. He rubbed his arm and glanced at Nico. “Do you mind if we talk about something else?”

Nico frowned at the blond as he stared at him with concern. He guessed he could add Will to the list of Lost Kids that didn't want to talk about their pasts. What could have happened to them that they don't want to even think about the events that had gotten them to the Lotus?

“Sure,” Nico quickly said. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up.”

Will shook his head. “No, you're fine. It's just not something I want to really think about anymore.” He sighed and ran a hand into his blond hair. “So, uh, are you excited about tonight?”

Nico forced a smile onto his face and shrugged. “I guess. I'm working the stage tonight. What about you?”

“Bar.” Will turned to pout at Nico. “It's such a shame that I won't get to see you in that costume of yours.” He grinned as he ran a hand up Nico's leg.

Nico narrowed his eyes at Will and removed the blond's hand. “Yes, well, you saw it when I picked it out,” he mumbled.

Will chuckled as he pulled into the garage. “That's true,” the blond replied, parking the car. He turned the car off and leaned across the arm rest, bringing his face very close to Nico's. Nico stared at him in surprise for a second before moving his head back. “But I would much rather enjoy taking it off of you.”

Nico glared at him as they both got out. “Not a chance.”

Will frowned as they walked to the elevator. He slipped his arm around Nico's shoulder. “That's such a shame.” He leaned in close so that he could whisper in Nico's ear. “I'd give you plenty of reasons to scream on this Halloween.”

Nico shuddered as Will hit the button to their floor. “I'm sure,” he mumbled.

Will smirked and squeezed his shoulder. “Oh, that reminds me, Apollo and Octavian set you up for an appointment with Circe.”

Nico arched a brow. “What for?” He asked.

“Just to make you look better for tonight.” The elevator came to a stop and they both stepped out of the metal box. “We've all got to go down at some point today, so it's not like you're the only one.” He let out a chuckle as Nico came to his door. “Poor Hazel and Juniper have been in there practically all day.”

Nico nodded and slid his card into the door before opening it. “Does she know what I'm dressing as?”

Will nodded. “Apollo showed her a picture.”

Nico nodded again. “What are you going as?”

Will grinned at him and opened his own door. “That's a secret, Nico,” he chuckled. “Oh, and Percy usually picks the costume he likes the best.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Is there a prize?”

Will's grin only grew. “Only a night you'll never forget.” He chuckled again as he stepped into his suite.

Nico sighed and walked into his own suite. He chunked his backpack onto the couch before walking back to his room. If he was going to be stuck in the spa for a few hours, he at least wanted to be comfortable. He walked to his closet and stripped himself of his pants. He picked out a pair of red track shorts to go with his black shirt. He quickly slipped the shorts on and made his way back to the front door.

When he emerged from his room, he found Travis and Connor heading towards their room. Connor had his arms crossed over his chest, while Travis rolled his eyes at something his brother must have just said. “I'm just saying that I think Leo is overreacting a little,” Travis grumbled.

“Why?” Connor snapped back, turning around to glare at his brother. “It's stupid to be upset at what happened?”

Travis gave his brother an incredulous look. “Um, yes? Have you forgotten where we work? Those types of emotions and feelings don't exactly go well with our environment. I mean, this isn't really the place for love.”

Connor's eyes flashed dangerously at his brother. His jaw tightened and his nostrils flared. “Is that so? Oh, well, that's good to know then.”

Travis's eyes opened wide and he followed after his twin as Connor spun around to walk to their room. Travis fumbled with his mouth for a few seconds before finding the right words. “I-I didn't mean it like that. Just that he just knew what he was getting into.”

Connor huffed as he came to a stop in front of their door. He turned an icy glare onto his brother. “And what about Beckendorf and Silena? They seem to work just fine. So, since they love each other, they should just break up? You know, since those types of feelings don't belong here.”

Travis bit down on his lip as he watched his brother slam his key into the door. “I didn't mean it like that, Connor.”

Connor turned around in the doorway and growled at his older twin, “Sleep in your own bed tonight.”

Travis jumped back as the door was slammed in his face. He sighed and let his head fall back with a groan. His eyes flickered over to Nico. “Everything all right?” Nico asked.

Travis sighed again. “Just my brother overreacting a little,” he mumbled.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Travis shook his head. “Not really.”

Nico arched a brow. “Well, why don't you go in there and talk to him? It's your suite, too.”

Travis chuckled and shook his head. “I'd rather not. I'll just let him cool off,” the brunet said. He rubbed at his face and walked across the hall to Apollo and Will's door. He waved at Nico before knocking on the door. Nico let out a sigh and headed down towards the elevator.

That had been rather odd. He had never really seen the twins fight before. He didn't even think it was possible for them to fight; they had always gotten along rather well. He traveled down to the lobby in complete silence. When it finally ended up coming to a stop, Nico headed towards the spa.

When he arrived, he found several hotel guests sitting in Circe's lobby. The woman herself was standing behind her counter, batting her eyelashes at a man in front of her. She was dressed in a black and green dress, with dark makeup on her face. Her dress slightly reminded Nico of Morgana from that BBC show Merlin.

“Have no fear, your daughter will be transformed into the epitome of beauty and radiance,” Circe said with a flirtatious smile. She slid her hand across the counter to brush her fingers along the father's hand. “My personal touch works marvelous wonders.”

The man cleared his throat and handed Circe his credit card. “That sounds good, very good,” he said, his cheeks turning red.

Nico tilted his head to the side as he watched the woman bite down on her lip as she rang the man up. It was strange, he thought. The action seemed odd and very familiar to him. Mainly because it looked like the way the Lost Kids handled hotel guests. It was like how Dionysus's smile had stuck out to him the other day.

She handed the card back to the man and turned her attention on Nico. “Ah, there you are. I've been expecting you,” Circe said. She stepped out from behind the counter and snapped her fingers, beckoning Nico to follow her towards the back.

She ended up leading him to the room he had been in after his waxing, and he even found a few of the Lost Kids seated in the room. He cracked a smile when he saw Hazel. The girl was painted completely gold and clad only in a gold bikini. She gave him a small smile and a wave when she noticed him.

“Well, you look...interesting,” Nico said as he took a seat across from her.

Hazel sent him a glare. “Shut it. I've been stuck in here all day,” she sighed.

Juniper sat next to Nico, and a girl was working on styling her face. She had a mixture of green and black eye shadow, a faint hint of shiny lip gloss, and a light green blush with glitter on her cheeks. Another girl was applying some fake pointed ears onto the Juniper.

“What are you supposed to be?” Nico asked.

Juniper smiled at him. “A fairy,” the amber haired girl replied.

Nico turned an eyebrow up at Hazel. “And you?”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “Haven't you ever seen Gold Finger?” She grumbled.

Nico chuckled and shook his head. “Nope, can't say that I have.”

Luke, Piper, Zoë, Calypso, and Silena were also there, and were being seen to by some of Circe's girls. Luke didn't seem to be having much done to him. It just looked like a girl was making his face appear artistically dirty. Piper was having hair extensions put in; a long brown braid that hung down to her lower back. Zoë was having dark eyeliner put on, and a dark shade of lipstick applied to her lips. Calypso was actually having makeup applied to her, which felt odd for Nico, since he rarely saw the young woman with any form of makeup on. Her hair was also being straightened and looked shinier than usual. Finally, Silena had her hair put up in two pigtails, with a blue bow in each one.

Circe took a seat next to Nico and turned on a curling iron. Nico's eyes widened slightly at the object. “Um, what's that for?” He asked.

“I'm going to give you curls,” the woman replied plainly. “It enhances the appearance of your costume.”

Nico sighed and nodded his head reluctantly. “Aw, Nico, you're going to look so cute,” Silena teased him.

Nico stuck his tongue out at her. “What are you supposed to be, Zoë? Since I'm not going to see you tonight,” he asked.

The girl made a face as her hair was tucked under a short haired wig. “Catwoman,” she mumbled. “The Halle Berry one.”

Nico stiffened as he felt Circe take a portion of his black hair into her hands. His hair was twisted around the object, while Nico did his best not to squirm. “I saw the twins arguing earlier,” Nico said, trying to distract himself.

Piper shrugged. “They fight from time to time, but they usually keep it behind closed doors. They'd never argue in public,” she said. She narrowed her eyes over at Luke. “Unlike some people.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “I don't argue with my brother,” he mumbled.

“Then what would you call it?” Hazel asked.

“He argues with me.”

Piper shrugged. “Well, that's true.”

A frown appeared on Silena's face. “Speaking of your brother, I need to talk to you,” Silena said.

Luke gave her an odd look. “Okay? Um, I guess after we're done,” he replied. The two stared at each other for a moment, something unspoken traveling between them. Luke sighed and nodded his head. The girl fixing him up informed him that he was done, but he didn't get up.

Five minutes later, the girl working on Silena also finished. Silena now wore a light shade of blush and had on blood red lipstick. Luke got up and the two of them walked out of the room, whispering to each other. Circe finally finished up on his hair. She spun him around so that he could get a look at himself.

His mouth hung open for about ten seconds before Circe actually reached out and shut it for him. “I like to think I'm good at what I do,” she said with a proud smirk.

“You look so cute, Nico!” Hazel exclaimed.

His hair was curled just right. There was even a curl that hung down slightly into his face. He had never thought that he would like his hair curled, but he had to admit that Circe really did a good job. Though he would probably only do it again for special occasions.

Circe spun him back around and tilted his chin up. “Now then, I'm going to apply a little makeup,” she said. Nico made a face at her. “Relax, it's only to cover up your blush, by Percy and Apollo's request. Percy said you blush too much, and Apollo said it would be good for your costume.” Nico let out a sigh and nodded his head. “I'm also going to give you a faint hint of a blush, to add to the quality of the costume.”

“I thought my blushing was a problem?” Nico mumbled.

Circe smirked at him. “Yes, but this isn't going to be a blush that makes your entire face red.”

Nico glared up at the woman as she got out the makeup she wanted to put on him. Hazel giggled at him while Circe went about fixing up his face. Piper got up while Circe was working on him. She came to stand in front of Nico and smirked at him. “Sucks that you're going to lose tonight,” she said.

Nico glared at her. “Dream on,” he grumbled. The girl only laughed and walked out of the room.

Circe finally spun him back around, once again amazing Nico. While she had done what she told him she was going to do, she had also given his face a faint glow. He wanted to reach up and touch his face, but Circe smacked his hand away. “No touching my masterpiece,” the woman snapped at him. “Now then, I want you to be very careful when you take your clothes off and put your costume on, understand?”

Nico nodded his head. She spun him back around and let him stand up. Nico was in the process of stretching when Percy stepped into the room, Rachel in tow behind him. The red headed girl was dressed like a flapper. She had on a short black skirt, with a long necklace of what were probably real pearls. She had on a small matching black hat and black heels. She held out her phone for Percy to take a look at. The young man nodded and smiled at her.

He chuckled when he saw Hazel. “I feel bad for you, Hazel. There's no telling how long you've been in here,” Percy joked.

Hazel groaned. “You don't want to know,” she mumbled.

Percy smiled and turned to look at Juniper. “Looking as lovely as ever.”

The girl's cheeks tinted pink. She smiled and bit down on her bottom lip. “Thank you, Percy,” Juniper replied.

Zoë stood up and Percy turned to her. She smiled as he took her hand and kissed it with a wink. “So, I don't suppose I could come talk to you tonight, could I?” She asked.

Percy smiled at her, placing his other hand on her waist. “I would say yes, but I'm afraid I can't tonight,” he answered. Zoë sighed, but nodded her head reluctantly.

Rachel smiled at Nico. “You look so cute, Nico. I just want to pinch your cheeks,” Rachel chuckled.

Circe sent her a warning glare. “I'll take your hand off,” she threatened.

Percy finally turned his attention to Nico. He smiled and walked up to the boy, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Well, well, and what are you supposed to be?” He asked.

Nico smiled up at him. “You'll have to wait and find out,” the brown-eyed boy said, running a finger down Percy's chest.

Percy smirked back at him. “I'm sure I won't be disappointed.” His eyes roamed down Nico's body a single time before returning his gaze to Nico's eyes. He raised both of his eyebrows a single time. He grabbed Nico's hand and walked around the boy. He rested his chin on Nico's shoulder and whispered in his ear. “Did you have a good time at lunch today?” He smirked against Nico's ear and squeezed the shorter boy's hand before pulling away.

Nico shuddered and looked at Percy in confusion. He quickly narrowed his eyes at the green-eyed young man, realizing that he probably meant Daedalus. Was he really going to be jealous? If he couldn't make his mind up about Nico, he really didn't have any say on the matter. And it wasn't like there was anything going on between Nico and Daedalus.

Nico glanced around at the others, who were all giving him calculating looks. Percy ran a hand through his hair and tilted his head to the side. “Anyways, I needed to ask you to get in contact with that friend of yours,” he continued, turning his head to look at Circe.

“Oh,” the woman said. She smiled and nodded her head eagerly. “Of course, sir.”

Percy smiled. “I told you not to call me that. You've been here longer than I have. So, just have him make sure stuff goes missing.”

Circe looked at him in confusion. “What stuff?”

Percy's eyes turned cold. “He'll know it when he sees it. Tell him I'll have an incentive for him waiting for him on my desk if what I want winds up disappearing.”

Circe swallowed, and biting down on her lip, she nodded her head. Nico frowned at Percy. What was going on? He wasn't quite sure, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it. The look in Percy's eyes chilled him, just as it had while Koko had been around.

Percy cut his eyes over to Nico. He smiled and nodded his head over to the door. “Walk with me to the elevator?” He asked.

Nico forced himself to smile. He nodded his head and walked out beside Percy, Rachel on Percy's other side. “Can I ask what that was about?” Nico asked.

Percy's eyes flickered over to Nico, shooting him a look that warned Nico to drop the issue. Nico pursed his lips and turned his attention ahead of them. When they were stepping out of the spa, Percy's phone went off in his pocket. He slipped it out and checked the screen, smiling at the name. Rachel had the opposite reaction, her face paling slightly as she read the screen. Nico tilted his head to the side in confusion. He leaned over and read the name himself, a chill running down his spine as he saw who was calling. Gaea.

Percy clicked the accept button and held the phone up to his ear. “Hello? Yes, I'm fine. No, go ahead,” he addressed the woman. He clicked his tongue as they boarded the elevator. “Yes. No, I have Koko and Dr. Miami keeping an eye on his whereabouts for me. Yes, I'm dealing with it tonight.” Percy's lips tilted down into a frown. “I'd rather not say. No, I was going to talk to you about it when everything was in order.” He let out a sigh. “No, you won't hate it. I think you'll love it, actually. Just...give it a little more time?”

Percy fell quiet as Gaea spoke to him on the other side of the phone. Nico watched as Percy's eyes became distant and void of emotion. His lips set themselves firmly in a thin line. The young man let out a sigh and ran a hand up into his hair.

“All right, I understand. Yes, it's all been taken care of. I have everyone dealing with the situation,” Percy sighed. He grunted into the phone. “I'll talk to you later then.” He chuckled. “You worry too much.” With that he hung up the phone with a smile.

The elevator came to a stop and Percy shoved Nico out by his shoulders. Nico turned to frown at him just as the elevator doors were closing. He rolled his eyes and proceeded down his hall, where he found Silena, Luke, and Beckendorf standing in front of Luke's suite.

“I really don't feel like dealing with this stupid shit right now, Beckendorf,” Luke growled.

“Oh, it's stupid, is it?” The buff man barked back.

Luke's eyes narrowed dangerously at the other Lost Boy. “Charlie, calm down,” Silena said soothingly. “You're overreacting.”

Beckendorf placed an arm onto Luke's doorframe, separating the blond from Silena. “You want to talk stupid and pathetic? How about you and Nico? How's it feel having to look at him? How's it feel seeing everything he has?” Luke growled and grabbed Beckendorf by the throat. He slammed the taller young man's head into the doorframe. Beckendorf just chuckled at him. “It's all gone, and he's not getting it back. And it's your fault.”

Luke's nostrils flared. “I'll fucking kill you,” he growled.

Silena pried Luke's hand off of Beckendorf and pushed the two of them apart. “Both of you, calm down!” She shrieked. “All I wanted to do was get Luke to talk to his brother.”

Beckendorf removed himself from his girlfriend's grasp. “I told you, nothing's going on,” Beckendorf growled as he glared at Luke.

“Well, I guess we'll find out when I talk to my brother,” Luke hissed.

Ethan and Leo's door was flung open, the former of the two roommates appearing in the hall. “What the hell is going on out here?” The Asian Lost Boy snapped. He was in a partial state of undress, with only his lower half covered by clothing. Nico really couldn't tell what he was going to be, but it looked to be something oriental. Ethan's chest was pretty well-defined. He had a nice set of abs, which had a scar running diagonally across the right side of his torso. Though, Nico found it a little odd that Clarisse was the more muscular of the two Lost Kids in charge of security.

“This fucker needs to shut his mouth,” Luke growled, pointing an accusatory finger at Beckendorf.

“And you need to stay away from my girlfriend,” Beckendorf retorted.

Luke smirked. “I knew her first, so fuck off.”

“I don't really give a shit what everyone's problem is, just shut the hell up!” Ethan yelled. “Just back the fuck off of each other. We have enough going on right now, so don't cause more problems. I already have enough issues with having to hear about Leo's problems!”

Beckendorf and Luke grumbled, but remained quiet. Beckendorf sent Luke a final glare before walking off to his room. Luke rolled his eyes and walked into his suite, slamming the door behind him. Silena smiled at Ethan and placed a hand on his shoulders. “Thanks,” she said.

Ethan frowned at her hand, shifting slightly. “Don't mention it,” he mumbled, removing her hand from his body.

Silena pursed her lips, but didn't say anything further. She turned around and started to walk towards her hall, freezing when she noticed Nico standing there. She bit on her lip as she quickly walked past the raven haired boy. Nico arched an eyebrow after her before looking at Ethan.

“I love my family, but dammit, they bicker too much,” Ethan grumbled. “So much fucking drama.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico mumbled.

Ethan shook his head. “You're not so bad. You're just the center of a lot of their issues, but at least you don't try to cause problems.” He frowned as he looked at Nico. His hand slowly reached up and felt his eye patch, shifting on his feet once before walking back into his suite.

\---------------------------------

Nico stood in front of his bed in nothing but a black speedo. The box that held his costume from Aphrodite's Boutique sat on the bed. He slowly opened the lid and pulled out the black toga. He slipped the fabric over his head, making sure not to mess up his hair. He pulled out a golden laurel wreath and sat it on the bed. After that, he pulled out the golden belt and wrapped it around his waist. He pulled out the black bangles and slipped them onto his arms. He finally pulled out a pair of black angel wings, which he held out in front of him. He smiled as he slipped them onto his back. He picked up the golden laurel and carefully placed it on his head, making sure not to destroy Circe's work.

He stepped in front of his full-body mirror, admiring the completed costume. He had to admit, Aphrodite had been right about going with the dark angel costume. It fit him, he supposed. A good mixture of darkness and innocence. 

He spun around and chuckled. It was nice. Perhaps he could have some fun tonight after all. He just hoped that everything went smoothly for him during his performances, especially his solos. Unlike the last time, Percy would be there to watch.

Nico walked out of his room and grabbed his wallet. He promptly let out a groan, realizing that he had no pockets. He sighed and walked out of his suite before heading for the elevator. He bounced on his heels as he rode the elevator up to the top floor.

When he emerged into the dimly lit hallway, he found Clarisse and Ethan sitting behind their podiums. Clarisse was dressed like a medieval knight, a literal one. Unlike most people, who wore fake armor, she actually had real plate armor on, and even had a sword and scabbard strapped to her side and a shield beside her podium. She did look like a true warrior, though. Nico had to give her that. Ethan had dressed himself as a samurai, also with completely authentic armor. And there was even a samurai sword strapped to his side, though Nico wasn't sure if it was actually real. But considering who he was talking about, it probably was.

He made his way past the two with a nod of his head. Clarisse arched an eyebrow at him. “Way to not look gay,” she cackled.

Ethan chuckled and shook his head. “Don't mind her,” he apologized.

Nico made his way up the stairs, finding the wall, once again, removed. Leo and Rachel were already there, sitting in Percy's usual booth on the boys' side. Leo wore a jaguar skin on top of his head, and like Ethan's sword, Nico wasn't sure if it was real or not. And besides a pair of ragged pants, Leo had nothing else on. His body was slim, like Nico's. He had the faint outline of abs, and his torso matched the rest of his skin. 

Nico smiled and walked up to them. “Hey, guys,” he greeted them.

They both smiled back. “Hey, Nico,” they both replied.

“I like the costume,” Leo added. “It fits you.”

Nico smiled. “Thanks,” he mumbled. “You look pretty awesome yourself.”

“Thanks. I'm supposed to be a jagu-”

Leo cut himself off as a pair of arms wrapped around Nico's waist. “You look so adorable, Nico,” Apollo purred into his ear. “Even better, now that Circe has fixed your hair.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He tried to squirm out of the blond's grasp, but was unsuccessful. “What do you want?” Leo ground out.

Apollo smirked. “I just wanted to come talk to Nico.” He ran his fingers up and down Nico's bare arm before slipping them beneath the black fabric of his toga. “And I wanted his opinion on my costume. I mean, I'll be glad to hear yours as well, Leo.” Nico finally got to move away from Apollo. Nico's mouth suddenly felt dry.

Apollo practically had nothing on. The blond stood in front of them in nothing but a loincloth and a pair of chains around each of his wrists, though they weren't bound together. And the loincloth looked like it could easily be torn from Apollo's waist, which Nico sort of wanted to happen. Even if the blond had been a royal ass to him, he was still a hot piece of ass. No, wait, he meant that Apollo was still a hot ass. He let out a groan. Damn his teenaged hormones for rendering him incapable of thinking coherently.

“You, uh, look good,” Nico fumbled, his eyes glowered to everywhere but Apollo's face.

“Why are you even up here?” Leo growled.

Apollo shrugged. “Percy had me do a last minute switch since the twins are fighting,” he replied simply. His eyes flashed dangerously at the Latino boy as he grabbed Nico by the hand. “Come on, Nico. Come join the party backstage.”

Nico frowned and waved at Leo and Rachel as he was led off towards the stage door. He turned his head back around, ending up staring at Apollo's back muscles. Why did all the guys in the Lotus have to be hot jerks?

Most of the Lost Kids were standing around talking with each other when Nico and Apollo stepped into the dark lounging area. He also noticed that Percy was sitting on the couch, Thalia and Reyna on either side of him. Reyna was leaning her head on Percy's shoulder, while the young man smiled at something Butch was telling him. Both Reyna and Thalia soon jumped into the conversation with much enthusiasm. But out of everyone in the room, Percy was the only one not dressed up.

Silena had dressed herself as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Although, her skirt was a little too short to be go skipping down a brick road. She even had on a pair of ruby red shoes. Hazel looked pretty much as she had when Nico had seen her earlier, still entirely golden, and only clad in a bikini. Beckendorf had decided to be a fireman, hat included. He had on a pair of standard suspender pants and a matching thick coat, though he didn't have a shirt on underneath it all.

Silena and Hazel were trying to talk to Beckendorf, but the young man didn't seem to want to listen to them. Nico sighed and glanced around at the three talking with Percy. Butch was a caveman, wearing a leopard skin outfit that hung from his left shoulder. Thalia wore a skimpy police officer outfit. The shirt opened to reveal quite a bit of cleavage, and the skirt ended very high on her thighs. She had on a pair of black boots that nearly reach her knees and a matching police hat. Reyna had on a pair of what looked like dog ears. She was completely barren of clothing, except for a triangular patch of fur that covered her breasts, and a fur skirt around her hips. On the back of the skirt, she had on a tail. A werewolf?

Nico walked over and plopped himself down in Percy's lap, much to the green-eyed young man's surprise. He chuckled and looked Nico over. “Well, don't you look cute,” he decided. “I like it.”

“Thanks,” Nico grinned. He arched an eyebrow as he stared at Percy. “And what are you supposed to be?”

Percy's eyes turned a frightening shade of green. “A murderer,” he said in practically a whisper.

Nico swallowed, his breathing picking up. He found himself unable to tear his eyes away from Percy's green ones. They had him frozen, yet felt like they were pulling him in. He could probably drown in them if he stared too long.

Percy finally smirked and wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. He let one of his hands travel up Nico's thigh, underneath the fabric of the tunic. “Hmm. It's pretty tempting to want to corrupt an angel,” he whispered into Nico's ear. “Tell me, what do angels wear underneath their clothes?”

Nico's eyes fluttered closed as Percy's hand reached the speedo under his toga. His breathing turned ragged as Percy's hand ghosted over his crotch. He heard Thalia chuckle behind him. “You're so terrible, Percy, toying with him like that,” she cackled.

Percy smirked at Nico before winking. “Maybe he shouldn't be so tempting.”

Reyna rolled her eyes, rubbing Percy's chest. “So, it's all his fault?” She chuckled.

Nico bit down on his lips, which drew Percy's attention. His green eyes flickered back up to Nico's in a seductive stare. Percy chuckled and removed his hand from Nico's crotch, sitting back against the couch. “I feel bad for him,” Butch said. “I mean, he has to get tortured by you on a daily basis.”

Percy frowned at the muscular young man. “What's that supposed to mean?” He grumbled.

Butch smirked. “Just that you're really good at what you do.”

Percy rolled his eyes. Nico chuckled at Butch before looking around at the others. Calypso was talking to Travis a few feet away. She was dressed as a French maid, but the skirt came up extremely high, like Silena's. And while he thought the girl looked extremely pretty without makeup, she did look really good with the stuff she had on. Travis was dressed similar to Reyna. He had on black cat ears and a pair of black fur shorts. On his hands were matching fur paws, and he even had a tail. And when he grinned, he only fulfilled Nico's assessment of resembling the Cheshire Cat.

Luke was talking with his brother, rubbing his temple as he did so. Luke was dressed in cowboy attire. He had the standard hat on top of his head, as well as a gun holster on his waist. And when Nico's eyes drifted lower, he noticed that Luke had on ass-less chaps. Nico's mouth fell open as he stared at Luke's ass. He had never seen that part of the blond's body, but he now found that he wished he had. He didn't have Apollo's ass, but it was nothing to scoff at. His cheeks stuck out of the back of his chaps, taunting Nico.

Octavian was dressed a little similar to Nico. He had on a white toga that cut off halfway between his crotch and his knees. He had a golden rope tied around his waist, and the fabric was held up by the part on the blond's shoulder, just like Nico's own costume. Octavian had a pleading look in his eyes as he talked to his brother, but they were talking too quietly for Nico to overhear them.

Annabeth seemed to be trying to get Piper and Drew away from each other. The two girls looked like they might tear into each other at any moment, but if Percy noticed, he didn't let on. Annabeth had gone with a sexy librarian look. A pair of glasses sat on her nose. Her hair was done up in a tight bun, which had a pencil sticking out of it. She had on a business dress, which cut off at her knees.

Piper was dressed like Princess Leia in her slave outfit. And the costume looked pretty authentic. Whenever the girl moved, the two pieces of fabric hanging from the back and front of her hips exposed a lot of her legs. Drew was in a cheerleading costume, also ending very high on her thighs. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which she draped over her right shoulder.

Percy placed his hands firmly on Nico's hips and forced the boy out of his lap. He got up and turned to smile at the two girls on the couch. “Sorry to run off, but I need to get to my seat,” he apologized. He cleared his throat and turned to look at everyone else. The room instantly fell silent. Percy's eyes drifted across each of the Lost Kids, a silent warning going out to each of them. “I don't want any more fighting tonight, do I make myself clear?”

They all nodded their heads. Percy smiled and walked towards the door, slipping his hands into his pockets. The room stayed silent after the young man had left, a heavy tension lingering in the air. Those that had been fighting just moments before glanced at each other. Nico watched in confusion as they all smiled at each other and separated to finish getting ready. It was odd, seeing how much power Percy had over all of them.

Butch, Hazel, Silena, Travis, Calypso, and Apollo all left to go get ready to work the floor. Annabeth ordered the rest of them to get ready for the first number, which was to include everyone. The girls headed through the door that would take them to their side of the stage, while the boys all situated themselves on their side.

Panic! At the Disco's song “But It's Better If You Do” began playing and, one by one, the Lost Kids spun their way out onto the stage. They all blew kisses and winked at the audience as they took their place on the stage. They all snapped their fingers and slung their hands behind their hips. The routine wasn't so bad, in Nico's opinion. It just primarily revolved around moving the hips in the right way.

They had to snap their fingers and sling their arms back again before bringing them out to snap again. Nico got down on the ground with Drew, Reyna, and Octavian. They all crawled sinfully across the floor before extending their legs into air.

As soon as they were back on their feet, they all had to clap their hands together at the same time. He was relatively glad that the opening number tonight wouldn't involve taking off any clothing, since they were all decked out in costumes, which they would just have to go about putting back on. Still, there were going to be enough performances as the night went on that he knew that he would probably be getting irritated.

Nico had to slowly move his hand above his head and move it around in an alluring manner. Nico stuck his finger into his mouth and bit down on it in a suggestive way. They all moved around while they thrust their hips out. Now, the problem for Nico was that he found himself getting distracted during this part. Mainly because Luke was standing next to him, and Nico currently had a very good view of the blond's exposed ass.

But the song finally came to an end, which also brought an end to Nico's wonderful view. Luke turned around and caught Nico staring at his lower area, a smirk appearing on his face. As they all made their way off the stage, Luke caught up to Nico and leaned into his ear. “Careful where you stare, kid. You see, your mouth may so no, but your eyes practically scream 'take me now',” he panted out into the raven haired boy's ear. Nico felt the blond grin against his ear. “Though, I could think of some other uses for that mouth of yours.”

Nico glared ahead of them and elbowed Luke in the stomach. The blond grunted, but ended up chuckling. He slapped Nico on the ass before walking off to sit down on the couch. Nico caught sight of Octavian staring at him, his eyes as cold as ice. Nico frowned back at the blond before sighing and walking off to a mirror.

As the night slowly went on, the Lost Kids worked through their solo performances. It was now Nico's turn, and he found himself relatively nervous. While he enjoyed wearing his costume, it felt a little odd with having so many people staring at him in it. It was one thing to be on stage with the others, but it was another to be out there by himself.

Nico slowly walked onto the stage, which had the curtain closed, so no one was actually able to see him yet. He took a deep breath and sat down on the stage. He maneuvered himself into a kneeling position, pulling his knee tightly against his chest. He lowered his head onto his knee and waited for the song to begin. He thought about winning the little costume contest that the Lost Kids had. He wondered if it would have ramifications for him if he won.

Vampire Weekend's “Giving Up the Gun” began playing through the speakers. The curtain drifted open and the lights on the stage turned on. Nico popped his head up and threw a smile on. He kicked his leg out and spun around on the floor before rising to his feet. His heart began pounding in his chest as he chanced a glance out at the audience.

He hugged himself, while swaying his hips in a lewd fashion. He batted his eyelashes at the audience as the song came to the line “I see it in your eyes”. He fiddled with the rope around his waist, while biting down on his lip. He raised his finger up to stick into his mouth and bit down on it innocently while batting his eyelashes again, trying to play off the innocent angel vibe.

He glanced over at Percy's table, where he found the green-eyed young man with his elbow on the table, calmly watching Nico's every single move. And he wasn't the only one. Apollo had stopped walking to gawk at Nico's performance. Nico rolled his hips as he removed the rope from around his waist, letting it drop to the floor.

He spun around on the stage before getting down to crawl. He got on his side and lifted his leg up into the air, giving several people a good look at the speedo underneath his toga. He was thankful for Circe's work on his face, because he knew he was probably blushing profusely at the moment. Still, it was a little bit of a turn on. Not because of all the people, but the fact that Percy was watching. He liked that he had the young man's attention, and it was at that point something hit him. He now understood why the Lost Kids craved the attention of the green-eyed manager so much. It was addicting.

He got down on his stomach, facing away from the stage, and lifted his ass into the air. He spread his legs and pushed himself back up, fiddling with the small piece of cloth that held his black toga up. He blew a kiss at the audience with a wink. It was so awkward, and if he hadn't seen the other Lost Kids doing similar performances, he wouldn't really get the appeal of this. Before he had come to the Lotus, this sort of stuff had never really appealed as much to him. Sure he was the normal teenage boy that thought about sex, but the thought of sitting around to watch strippers perform had never really seemed like something he would like.

He slid his hand down the front of his toga, letting his mouth fall open in a silent moan. Percy was smirking at him from his booth, which made Nico smile in return. He finally hooked his fingers under the sleeve of his toga and lowered it off of his shoulder. The black material drifted gracefully from his body. He now stood there in front of everyone in his wings, laurel, the bangles on his arms, and his speedo.

He let his index finger trail across his smooth stomach as he bit down on his lip again. He bent over to touch his right hand to his left foot. He spun himself around in a slow and graceful manner. As the song reached its end, Nico slid his foot across the stage and sank back to a kneeling position. He buried his face in his knee as the song ended. The crowd applauded him, and he rose back to his feet to wave at them with a wink.

As he walked off the stage, he fought off a shudder. At least his performance hadn't allowed people to touch him. That was something he was trying to get used to. As some of the Lost Kids congratulated him on his development, he worked on getting himself back into his toga.

He walked over and sat down on a stool next to the couch, not wanting to mess up his wings. The Lost Girls were moving around on the stage, getting ready for their performance. Beckendorf sat by himself on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. “You all right?” Nico asked.

Beckendorf turned his head towards him and grunted. “Just peachy,” he mumbled.

Nico swallowed before pressing on. “I, uh, overheard your fight with Luke.”

Beckendorf's face remained solemn as he looked at Nico. After a few seconds, he sighed and shook his head. “It's just hard sometimes, you know? It's hard having a relationship in a place like this, especially an exclusive one.”

Nico arched an eyebrow. “You two are exclusive? How does that work?”

The muscular Lost Boy sighed again. “Well, we don't have sex with the other Lost Kids, unless a customer wants to include them. And besides that, Percy's the only one we'll mess around with, but that's also for business. Percy understands, and he doesn't try to cause problems for the two of us.” The young man shrugged his shoulders. “He wants us to be happy and together, even in a place like this.”

Nico felt a little sad for the two of them. He had known that they were a couple, but he had never put much thought into it. Perhaps that was why Percy refused to date anyone. Still, it felt a little unfair to have someone like Percy be so unobtainable. He was fun to be around, even if he could be a little scary at times.

“I can't even imagine how hard it is,” Nico whispered. “I'm sorry.”

Beckendorf shook his head. “Don't worry about it, little man. I just have my own shit to work through.”

“But apparently I only make that worse for all of you.”

Beckendorf gave him a smile and patted his leg. “Well, I try not to blame you. I just...lose it sometimes. I think we all have that problem, to some degree.”

Nico let the muscular young man be. He got up and walked over to the edge of the stage, where the girls all sat in chairs. Thalia sat in the front, perched up on the chair so that her ass was jutting out from the front of it. The lyrics to the song came on before the music did, and Nico recognized it as the song “Express” from the movie Burlesque.

The girls behind Thalia began snapping their fingers. Thalia sat down backwards in the chair and smirked at the audience. Her hand slowly traveled down from her breasts to sit in between her legs. Drew, Piper, Reyna, and Annabeth all sat themselves provocatively in their chairs as Thalia joined them in their snapping of fingers.

The girls all turned around in their chairs and stuck their asses out towards the audience as they slid their hands down their legs. They slowly trailed their hands back up, letting their heads fall to the side. Thalia tipped her police hat down as she winked at the audience. The girls all bent over again, and began patting the chairs in a rhythmic fashion, slowly shaking their asses in the air.

Piper slowly slid her way out of the “skirt” that hung from her waist, leaving her in a skimpy thong that did little to hide her...lady parts. Thalia ripped her top open, exposing her red bra to the crowd. Annabeth undid her shirt and sank back in her chair, letting it slide off of her arms. The fur on Reyna's hips was removed, revealing a small thong underneath.

Thalia frowned, but only for a brief second. Still, it was enough for Nico to notice. He moved so that he could look out at the audience without them spotting him. Percy was getting up from his table and heading towards the door. Nico looked back at the Lost Girls. They all looked normal, but Nico was starting to see through their masks. They were bothered by Percy's action. And the Lost Kids on the floor seemed to be the same. They were all standing around, staring at each other in confusion. Something was wrong.

\-----------------------------------------

Nico pushed through the door that led from backstage to the floor. He had finally gotten to take his break, which he was very thankful for. He had wanted to try and sit with Percy, but the young man still hadn't returned. Leo and Rachel were still sitting in the booth, dealing with customers' requests.

As he was about to pass the booth, the customer that was talking to them got up and left. He scrunched his lips up and made his way over, wanting to see what the two knew. “Hey,” Nico greeted them.

Leo sighed and rubbed his face. “Before you ask, we can't tell you where Percy went,” the Latino grumbled.

“Sorry,” Rachel added. “The others have been asking for the past hour, but we were given orders to keep quiet.”

Nico frowned at them. “It seemed to bother the others, so I was just concerned,” Nico explained.

Rachel gave him a smile. “I know, but there's nothing we can tell you.”

“It's not like he won't find out,” Leo mumbled. Rachel promptly elbowed him in the ribs. Leo winced and rubbed his side with a pout. “Dammit, I'm just telling the truth.”

Rachel rolled her eyes before turning back to Nico. “You'll know before the night is over, Nico.”

Nico nodded his head slowly. He walked off, his eyebrows furrowing. He pushed his way into the break room, finding Calypso and Butch sitting on the couch. Dionysus stood at his usual place, working on mixing a drink. He was dressed up in a white pinstripe suit, with a white fedora on his head. Sticking out of the hat was a pair of red devil horns.

Nico sat down next to Calypso, making sure to lean forward so that he didn't mess up his wings. They were beginning to become a hassle, and he was looking forward to taking them off. “You look cute, Nico,” Calypso said sweetly. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He glared at her from the corner of his eye, refraining from wiping off his cheek. He still had to get through the rest of the night, so he didn't need to ruin Circe's work just yet.

“You know, Calypso, I kinda want to get you out of that costume,” Butch said suggestively.

Calypso chuckled. “I thought you were hoping to get to spend the night with Percy?”

The buff young man shrugged. “Well, that too. There's always a threesome.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “And if you had your way with that, Percy would be fucking you, while you fucked me.” She chuckled again. “Pass. Talk to me again when the positions change.”

Butch frowned. “Well, if I win, I get to choose how that goes.”

Nico's eyes had widened as he listened to the exchange. Was he hearing this right? Butch...liked it up the ass? It felt so odd to him. Butch seemed to notice his expression, chuckling at the boy.

“What's the matter, Nico? Surprised?” The Lost Boy said.

“Um, a little,” Nico confessed. “I mean, you're just...” Nico trailed off, gesturing to Butch's body.

“Buff? Muscular? The masculine type?” He shrugged. “Why should that matter when it comes to sex?”

“Are you gay?”

Butch and Calypso burst out laughing. “I don't think any of us have actually used labels since we first got here,” the Lost Girl chuckled. “Not even Apollo fully considers himself gay anymore.”

“Well, some were already bi when they got here, like Luke,” Butch added. “But we've all just shifted our sexuality towards bisexuality.”

“You sort of have to for this line of work.”

Nico frowned. He didn't consider himself bisexual. He still very much disliked vaginas. But then again, he wasn't prostituting his body like the others were. If he ever did end up doing that, would he become the same? He felt like it would be losing a portion of his identity. He didn't think he could picture himself being like the rest of them, casually having sex for business, losing touch with the emotional side of it.

“I guess,” Nico mumbled. He let out a nervous chuckle. “Still, I just wasn't expecting it.”

“You'll get used to stuff like this eventually,” Calypso said with a smile.

Butch chuckled. “So, what would you do if Percy picked Drew?” He asked.

Calypso frowned and shot her eyes over to the buff young man. “He's not an idiot. He wouldn't pick some shallow shell of girl. Let's see her take all that makeup off, and then we'll talk about how pretty she is.”

“Temper, temper, Callie.” Butch stood up and held his hand out for the green-eyed girl.

The Lost Girl glared at him before accepting his hand and standing up. The two made their way out of the room, Butch slinging his arm around the girl's shoulders. “My, my, there seems to be so much chaos going on in the hotel,” came Dionysus's voice from behind Nico.

Nico turned around on the couch to face the bartender. “Yeah, it seems like it. Are they always like this?”

Dionysus smiled. “No, not really. They are usually rather peaceful. I suppose something must be upsetting them.” The man let his final words hang in the air as he stared at Nico with a glint in his eyes. 

“They never fight?”

The bartender shrugged. “They do, but never to such a degree. I mean, I thought some of them were about to rip someone's head off.”

Nico frowned. “It's not my fault,” he mumbled. “I'm not trying to provoke them. I just want to be happy. I just want to be part of this family.”

“Oh, well, you are. But now, they are getting to have all of their little flaws thrown in their faces. How would you react to a situation like that?”

“But I'm not doing it intentionally!”

Dionysus smiled and held out a drink out for Nico, who shook his head. The man shrugged his shoulders and downed the drink. “I really do love this brand of wine. You don't know what you're missing, Nico.”

Nico forced a smile onto his lips. “That's okay, I'm just not much for drinking,” he explained.

“Poor boy,” Dionysus muttered. “Oh well. How are you enjoying your holiday?”

Nico groaned and reached back to adjust his wings. “I'm ready to take these things off.”

“Well, I'm sure the customers enjoy seeing you in the costume.” The man grinned at him in a creepy manner. “Perhaps Percy enjoyed it as well. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to win that little costume contest that he has. It is rather obvious that you want Percy to take your innocence. It must be so hard for him not to devour you.”

Nico shifted uncomfortably on the couch. He didn't like where this conversation was headed. “I, uh, guess,” Nico mumbled. “I'm not really sure where I stand with Percy right now. He seems to think he can tell me who I can be friends with outside of the hotel, but we're not together. So, I don't know why he thinks he can tell me things like that.”

Dionysus smirked. “Oh, I don't know about that. I'm sure Percy doesn't mean it in a bad way.” Something flickered in the man's dark eyes. “But between the two of us, when Percy tells someone something like that, they usually end up wishing they had listened.”

Nico frowned at the man. “Why?” He asked.

The chubby man shrugged. “Percy is just good at predicting things. He knows things. And he has your best interest at heart.”

Nico tapped his finger against the couch. What reason could Percy possibly have for this situation? There didn't seem to be anything wrong with Daedalus. He seemed like a nice guy, who didn't seem to really fit in with his other popular friends. The brunet was too good for them, in Nico's opinion.

“But I don't understand why he would want me to stop being friends with someone. What's the harm in just talking to someone? It's not like I'm going to tell him about the Lotus's secrets,” Nico said.

Dionysus grinned at him. “Perhaps it's not as simple as you think.” He shrugged as he took another drink of wine. “Percy's not always direct with his methods or the things he says. Perhaps it's not this friend of yours that he's really concerned with.”

Nico's brow furrowed. Then what else could it be? Nico slowly nodded his head and stood up. “Thanks,” he muttered before turning around and leaving.

He made his way back towards the stage door, not bothering to talk to any of the Lost Kids working the floor. Percy still wasn't in his booth, which only further worried Nico. He began chewing on his lip as he pushed his way through the door to the stage.

He spotted Annabeth standing in front of a mirror, and instantly headed over. “Hey, Annabeth,” he said.

The girl blinked at him in surprise in the mirror. “What can I do for you, Nico?” She said with a small smile.

“You've known Percy the longest, right?” The girl nodded. “Do you know what's up with him tonight?”

Annabeth frowned and sat her lipstick down. She cleared her throat and turned around to face Nico. “I...don't actually know what he's doing tonight. He didn't tell me anything,” she said softly. “So, I don't know what to tell you.” She placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. “I'm sure he's fine. Percy can take care of himself.”

Nico nodded. “The way he acted when Koko was here, and the way he sometimes acts, is that how he was before, when you originally met him?”

Annabeth studied Nico carefully for a moment. Nico shifted under her intense grey eyes. She finally let out a sigh and sat back against the vanity mirror. “In a sense. By the time I got here, Gaea had already done a lot of work on him. She had only recently moved him here from Germany when I arrived, probably around three or four months. But from what I gathered from people like Kronos and Koko, Percy was practically feral when Gaea first found him. So, he wasn't quite like this when she found him. But I'm not sure I would say that he's less dangerous now than he was back then. He might be even more dangerous now, actually.”

Nico pursed his lips as he listened to the blond. “Does he frighten you?”

Annabeth tapped her index finger on the desk she sat against. “Yes and no,” she finally said. “I think he cares about us, and doesn't look to hurt us, but I know he's very dangerous.” She shrugged. “You deal with all sorts of dangerous people in this job. You learn to see the comfort in having someone even more dangerous protecting you.” Her eyes grew distant. “Perhaps he could have protected me when my life was falling apart,” she whispered so quietly that Nico almost didn't hear her. The girl cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes to rid herself of the tears that were forming there. “I need to get ready.”

Nico swallowed and nodded his head. He didn't like falling down this hole anymore. It had been interesting to see more of the Lost Kids, but now it was becoming painful. They were still hurting, and it was starting to get to him. All it did was make Nico wonder what had happened to some of them. What horror did these Lost Kids experience? Not only that, but it also reminded Nico of why he was there. His father. His father hadn't wanted him. His father had beaten him. His father had tossed him out onto the street with no remorse or care for Nico's wellbeing.

Why should he blame these people for being bitter towards the world? He didn't find himself hating humanity or the world he lived in, but he could see where the rest of them had ended up that way. It was sad.

As he was walking around, Thalia grabbed him by the shoulder with a grin. “It's a sad day, Nico, when I look more manly than you do,” she chuckled.

Nico tossed her a glare. “Jerk,” he mumbled.

Thalia laughed. “I'm just teasing, dude.” She pinched his cheek. “So cute. You're just fun to tease. Anyways, what's up? You look like a kicked puppy.”

Nico shook his head. “It's nothing,” he whispered.

Thalia glanced behind Nico to where Annabeth was fixing her makeup. “What's up with the genius?”

“I don't know. We were talking about Percy, but then I think we drifted into talking about her past.”

Thalia's lips tilted down as she continued to stare at Annabeth. “She's a tough one, but she still has her moments,” Thalia said. She rubbed her arm as she looked back at Nico. “It's hard, you know? It's hard when someone you're supposed to feel safe around hurts you. It's hard to watch your life fall apart.” She looked down and shook her head. “And you end up alone, without any of the answers to your problems.”

“Do you mind if I asked what happened?”

Thalia gave him a weak smile and placed her hand on his shoulder. “One day. Not right now, though.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

Thalia cocked her head to the side. “For what?”

“For making you guys feel bad about yourselves.”

Thalia sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Shit, dude. Look, we're just trying to ignore what happened the best we can. Hell, we're trying to forget our pasts. It's just hard with you standing around, nearly the picture of innocence.” She winked at Nico. “You better get ready for your last performance.”

Nico frowned at the girl as she walked off. It felt like a never ending sea of questions was arising in Nico's mind. He wondered if he'd ever get the answers to them. Hopefully. He let out a sigh and walked over to a mirror to check his appearance.

The night finally came to an end, and Nico already had his wings off. He had them folded in his arms as he walked towards the elevator with Octavian and Piper. A few of the Lost Kids were off taking care of their “business”, which Nico was glad he didn't have to do. Leo and Rachel had mysteriously vanished at some point towards the end of the night, with no explanation about where they were going.

“Well, I had fun tonight,” Piper announced as they got into metal box.

Octavian rolled his eyes with a smirk. “I'm sure you did.”

She glared at the blond, hitting the button to their floor. “I don't know what you're talking about,” she mumbled.

The blond chuckled. “Of course not. I totally did not see you trip Drew when she was going to meet up with her customer.”

Piper smirked and shook her head. “Nope, that definitely did not happen.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “You must be seeing things, Octavian.” She smiled over at Nico. “You know, without the wings, you two look like opposite images, like the twins and their cat costumes.”

Nico and Octavian looked at each other before both shrugging. Octavian's hand drifted down to the bottom portion of Nico's toga. He lifted it up with a grin. “And we even have the opposite color speedos on.”

Nico scowled at him and batted the blond's hand away. “No touching,” he mumbled.

Octavian's grin only grew as he leaned closer to Nico, pressing him up against the wall. “Oh, come now, Nico. Surely you would enjoy my help with getting out of your costume.” He smirked and pinned Nico's hands above his head. Piper only smiled at Nico's uncomfortable expression. Octavian's tongue snaked out of his mouth and trailed along Nico's neck. “You could help me get out of my toga.”

Piper finally chuckled and tugged on the back of Octavian's costume. “Come on, we're at our floor,” she announced.

Octavian gave her a blank look before pulling away from the brown-eyed boy. Nico scowled at the blond as he straightened himself out and exited the elevator. Piper waved at them as she went down her hall. “You're confusing,” Nico said, slowing to a stop in front of Octavian's door.

Octavian shrugged. “Sex is sex, don't take any of it to heart,” the blond replied. “You're attractive, and I don't always like to bottom.”

“But there are other people to have sex with. If you don't like me, why have sex with me?”

Octavian smiled and ran a hand into his blond hair, brushing it out of his eyes. “We have sex with people we don't like all the time, Nico. Why should one of our own make a difference? And it's not like I hate you.”

Nico arched a brow. “You don't?” He asked skeptically.

The blond shook his head. “No. It's true I don't like you that much, but I wouldn't say I hate you.” His eyes flashed dangerously at Nico. “I just don't like what you're doing to my brother.”

Nico gave a single nod. “Noted.”

Octavian smirked and unlocked his door. Nico let out a sigh and walked to his door. He pulled out his card and unlocked his suite. He stopped as soon as he entered, the sound of voices drifting from the back of the suite. He slowly closed the door and walked towards the hall. He opened his door and tossed his wings in with a frown.

He found the spare room open and the light turned on. There were several people gathered around the bed, which looked to have someone on it. Will was sitting on the edge of the bed. The blond had dressed up like Peter Pan, but not the cartoon version. He had vines wrapped around his waist and up around his chest. His right nipple was exposed, as were most of his arms. He looked cute, Nico thought.

Esperanza stood at the foot of the bed, eyeing Percy. The young man had his back turned to Nico, and was hissing something at Leo and Rachel. He reached around to his back pocket and pulled something out. Nico's eyes widened as the gun was handed to Esperanza. “You know what to do with that, right?” He mumbled.

The woman nodded. “I'll have it back to you by tomorrow,” she answered.

Percy sighed. “And the rest?”

Rachel pulled out her tablet and scrolled through some things. “It should all be taken care of. I'll be picking up the evidence from the police station in the morning. You can get rid of everything however you see fit,” the red headed girl informed her boss.

Percy nodded. He touched Will's shoulder. “How is he?”

Will sighed and looked up at Percy. “He's fine. You didn't hurt him. His body is a little traumatized, though. The wounds he has are from previous events,” the blond replied. His eyes flickered over to Nico. He nodded his head towards the door. Percy turned around, and Nico's eyes widened in horror.

Percy was covered in blood. His shirt was soaked in it. He had a few spots on his face, but his hands looked drenched in it. His lips tilted down into a frown and he pointed his finger towards Nico. “Get out,” he growled.

Nico quickly shot back down the hallway. He entered the living room, where he tried to get his hands to stop shaking. Had Percy killed someone? Oh god, how dangerous was Percy? Nico's hand covered his mouth when something clicked in his mind. The thing he had seen in Percy's car that day so long ago, that present that Lehm had given Percy, it was a gun!

He winced when he heard the door slam shut. Nico sat down on the couch, his breathing beyond ragged. Had he been wrong about Percy? Should he be scared of the young man? He was a dragon, and Nico was living in his nest. Did the others know about this? Did they know what Percy was capable of? Were they okay with it?

Nico picked up the remote and turned the TV on. Perhaps they did know, and perhaps they were ok with it. Annabeth had said she felt safe knowing that someone more dangerous than the other people was protecting her. But would Percy harm them? Nico shuddered. What if he had killed Nico the other day when Nico had listened in on his and Koko's discussion.

His heart stopped as he finally looked at the TV. While the volume was off, Nico could still clearly tell what they were talking about on the news. A picture of a man with black hair and a matching beard sat on the side of the screen. The reporter was standing in front of what looked to be the crime scene. The name Zeus Olympium appeared below the picture, causing Nico's blood to run cold.

Percy had killed Gaea's competition. Next, a photo of a muscular looking young man appeared on the screen. He had light brown hair and grey eyes. Nico turned on the volume, making sure to keep the TV quiet. “Heracles, Zeus's son was also murdered,” the reporter announced. A picture of a blonde girl appeared next to that of Heracles. “Zeus's secretary and driver, Kinzie Hart, was shot twice in the chest and once in the head. Now, the police are refusing to comment at this time, but our crime analysts believe this is to be an act of gang violence gone wrong. There have been several other reported murders and gang wars nearby, and-”

Nico turned off the TV when he heard the door open. Will appeared in the hallway, smiling at Nico. “Wild night, eh?” He sighed.

Nico nodded. “Yeah,” he whispered.

Will frowned. “Hey, you don't have anything to be scared of, dude.” The blond sat down on the couch next to Nico. “Percy isn't going to come shooting us up.”

“But he is a killer.”

Will pursed his lips. “I don't know if I'd use that word. He does it when he needs to, not because he goes around wanting to murder people. He's not a serial killer. And he was just following orders from Gaea.”

“W-Were you surprised when you found out?” Nico asked.

Will's brow furrowed. “A little, but I just accepted it. I wish I had had him around before I came to the Lotus.”

Nico bit down on his lip. What was happening to this world of his? Where was the Percy that he had thought he knew? He wasn't sure if he felt safe around this one.

The door opened down the hall and Percy said, “Can you both come back here?”

Will grinned at Nico and stood up. Nico let out a long sigh before following the blond to the spare room. Well, he supposed it probably wasn't a spare room anymore. Percy stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. Esperanza was now standing in front of Leo. She hugged the boy and stepped past Percy to leave the room. She gave Will and Nico a smile before making her way out of the suite.

Percy studied Nico's face carefully, searching for something. Nico stared back at him, trying his best to hide his fear. Percy finally held out his hand towards Nico. Nico blinked at it for a few seconds before grabbing it with a shaky hand. A small smile appeared on Percy's lips as he allowed Nico to enter the room. Nico's eyes widened as he finally saw who was on the bed.

There, sitting up and drinking a bottle of water, was Jason. The blond's hair was messy, and he looked exhausted. He wasn't wearing his jacket from school, and Nico could now see his arms. He had several track marks on his arm, which made Nico's pulse quicken to look at. His shirt was off, revealing several bruises, as well as a few cuts on his hips.

“Jason?” Nico whispered.

The blond looked at him with surprise. “Hey, Nico,” he rasped out.

“What's he doing here?” Nico asked, turning to Percy.

Percy arched an eyebrow and looked at Jason. The blond chuckled awkwardly. “I, uh, guess I'm your new roommate.”


	22. A Blast from the Past

Nico groaned and rolled onto his stomach. He let out a sigh and shut off his alarm before dropping his head back onto his pillow. His dreams had, once again, been of Percy, though this time they weren't as pleasant. It was an odd feeling, knowing that the guy he liked was a killer.

He didn't get much of a chance to talk to Percy about it last night, though. The green-eyed young man hadn’t left Jason's side. Perhaps Nico could find some time to talk to him about it today. But was that even a good idea?

He let out a sigh as he rolled out of bed. On the bright side, his school had a basketball game today, so he would get to spend more time away from the hotel. He wasn't sure if he wanted to run away, but he currently felt a little uneasy being around the place.

Pushing those thoughts to the side, Nico slid on some pajama pants and walked out his door. He glanced towards the room that was now occupied by Jason, finding that the door was still shut, he ran a hand through his messy hair and headed towards the kitchen, wanting a cup of coffee to help wake himself up with. When he entered the living room, he froze on the spot.

Sprawled out on his couch was Percy. His right arm was draped above his head, over the arm of the couch. His lips were parted slightly and his hair hung slightly in his shut eyes, giving him an almost childish and adorable quality. Nico found himself smiling at the sight of the young man on the couch. He walked over and grabbed a blanket that had fallen off of Percy. When he went to place it back over Percy's body, the young man grabbed Nico's wrist and yanked him down onto his chest.

Percy let out groan as he stretched his arms above his head, finally opening his eyes. He peered down at Nico with a smirk. “Good morning,” he said roughly.

Nico felt his entire face go red as he felt Percy's morning arousal pressing against his stomach. Percy's hands slowly slid down Nico's back, where they slipped into Nico's underwear. He smiled at Nico innocently as the younger boy pried himself from Percy's grasp. “What are you doing here?” Nico asked. “Did you even leave?”

Percy yawned and sat up. “I was keeping an eye on Jason.”

Nico felt his heart start to pound in his chest as he took in Percy's messy morning hair. “Oh,” Nico replied. “That was very nice of you.”

Percy grunted as he stood up and walked into Nico's kitchen. The young man began tasking himself with making the coffee that Nico had intended, himself, to brew. “I'm not heartless, Nico. I do care about you and the other Lost Kids.” He crossed his arms on the kitchen island and rested his chin on them, watching Nico like a predator watched its prey. “Just remember that I wouldn't actually hurt you. I would, however, hurt someone who meant to do you harm.”

Nico nodded his head, his lips pursed. “I guess you really aren't a knight in shining armor.”

Percy chuckled. “No, but do you really want a knight in shining armor, or someone who has actually had their armor put to the test?” Percy asked with a sly smile.

Nico narrowed his eyes at him as he took a seat on the other side of the island. He heard Jason's door open a few seconds before the blond came padding into the kitchen. He stretched his arms above his head with a groan, giving Nico a good view of his shirtless chest.

He had a hairless, athletic body with no visible tan lines. He had the standard six-pack that Nico had expected the blond to have. He had muscular arms, but they were blemished with the track marks that Nico had spotted last night. Jason's hips had been bandaged up to hide the injuries the blond had somehow acquired.

“Coffee,” Jason groaned out.

Percy chuckled and got an extra mug out of the cabinet. “So, Jason, do you feel up to going to school today?” Percy asked. “You're welcome to say no.”

Jason scrunched his lips as he scratched at his head. “I'd like the day off, if you don't mind.”

Percy nodded. “Sounds good. It'll give us a chance to run over everything.”

Jason nodded back and looked over at Nico. “Morning, roomie,” he said with one of those fake smiles that Nico had learned to do so well.

“Morning,” Nico mumbled, raising an eyebrow at Jason. His eyes darted over to Percy, who smiled.

“Yes, Jason already knows our ways,” Percy explained, almost as if he could read Nico's mind. “But, I'm sure you'll learn all about his life in the days to come.”

Jason shrugged. “I got nothing to hide. My dad was an ass,” he grunted. His brow furrowed as he looked at Nico. “I'd, uh, just prefer it if you didn't say anything about it to anyone at school. I never told anyone, not even Daedalus.”

Nico nodded. “Of course. I never told him anything about my life here, either,” Nico replied.

There was a knock at the door, which brought a frown to Percy's lips. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. Nico cocked his head to the side and walked over to the door. He opened the door to find an upset looking Thalia.

“Where is he?” Thalia demanded, shoving past Nico. Nico raised an eyebrow as he shut the door and turned around. Jason's eyes widened at the sight of the girl, who punched Percy in the arm. The young man didn't seem bothered by it, though, as he just raised an eyebrow at her.

“T-Thalia?” Jason inquired, still looking shocked.

Thalia ran past Percy, nearly knocking the manager over, and wrapped her arms around Jason's neck. Nico walked back into the kitchen and turned off the coffee. He frowned as he poured three cups, keeping an eye on the scene in front of him. Percy sighed as his cup was sat in front of him. Jason pushed his off to the side to make sure Thalia didn't end up spilling it.

“How come you didn't tell me about this?” Thalia yelled, glaring at Percy.

Percy shrugged. “I never told the Lost Kids not to tell you. You should take that up with them,” Percy mumbled before blowing on his coffee.

“Um, I'm lost,” Nico said, taking a seat.

“We're brother and sister,” Jason explained.

“Though, we haven't seen each other for several years,” Thalia added with another squeeze. She frowned as she finally caught sight of Jason's arms. She gripped them firmly and inspected them. “What the hell, Jason?”

Jason sighed. “It's not a big deal.”

Thalia narrowed her eyes. “Not a big deal?” She hissed. She turned a glare on Percy. “Tell me you're not going to let him continue using.”

Percy raised a hand to try and calm her down. “Relax. You know my policy,” he said.

Thalia sighed in relief. “What the hell did our bastard of a father do to you?”

Jason frowned. “Can we talk in my room?” The blond mumbled.

Without waiting for a response from Percy, Thalia grabbed Jason's wrist and yanked him out of his chair, nearly causing her brother to spill his coffee. Percy chuckled as the door to Jason's room closed. “Well, she took that better than I thought she would,” the green-eyed manager joked.

“Why didn't you tell her?” Nico inquired.

“I needed things kept quiet until everything was over. Besides, I had no guarantee that I'd even get to grab Jason, let alone that he might live through the encounter.” Percy took a sip of his coffee. “He was on heroin when I got there, so I didn't really get any resistance from him.”

“He doesn't seem that broken up over the death of his father.”

Percy's eyes darkened as he took another sip. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip as he sat his mug down. “Well, Nico, I hate to say it, but everyone pretty much has a bad history with their parents when they come here.”

Nico frowned as Percy downed the rest of his coffee. The young man stood up and put his mug in the sink. He walked behind Nico and draped his arms over the boy's shoulders, resting his chin on Nico's head.

“But, unlike Jason, you have to go to school today,” Percy continued. “Hurry up and get ready, Clarisse will be waiting for you in the parking garage.”

Nico frowned as he drank his coffee. “What about the competition thing?” Nico asked.

Percy chuckled. “Called off, since I had to deal with Jason last night. I'm sure the others won't be happy, but I'm not in the mood to oblige them right now.” He moved his head down so that his lips were pressed to Nico's ear. Nico bit down on his lip as Percy's hand moved down to his crotch. “But, if it makes you feel any better, you were going to win, my dark little angel.”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up as he felt Percy's tongue run along the tip of his ear, Percy's hand squeezing his crotch. Percy smirked against his ear before pulling away. “That's just not nice,” Nico sighed. “Can't we, like, do the thing we did last time?”

Percy smiled and tilted Nico's chin up to look at him. He leaned in and brought his lips within an inch of Nico's mouth. “Perhaps for your Christmas present,” Percy whispered before pulling away with another smirk.

Nico frowned at his boss. “That's just cruel.”

Percy hummed to himself. “I suppose that's true.” He smiled warmly at Nico and ran his fingers into Nico's messy black hair. “I'm just looking out for you, Nico. You're fun to tease, but I do remember what I'm trying to preserve.”

Nico nodded sadly. He knew Percy was just trying to do what was best for him, but it didn't feel fair to him. Why was it fair for the others to get to have sex with the young man whenever they wanted to, but he was forbidden to, unless he wanted to prostitute his body? What kind of agreement was that, anyways? He really liked Percy, even if he was dangerous, so it didn't feel fair to him to be treated this way. But, then again, he didn't even know if Percy saw him as anything beyond a sex object.

Percy smiled as Nico stood up to go get ready for school. The green-eyed young man wrapped his arms around Nico's waist and pulled him in closer. “Cheer up,” Percy said. “If you like, you can hang out with me tomorrow night, after you get off work.”

Nico perked up a little and nodded. “That would be great.” He let out a long breath and removed himself from Percy's arms. The young man frowned as he stared down at Nico. “Well, I need to get ready.”

Percy nodded his head. “All right. I will see you when you're back from school.”

Nico nodded back and Percy headed for the door. With a final smile at Nico, Percy shut the door and was gone. Nico stood there for a few more seconds before turning around and heading to the bathroom. He shut the door and removed his clothes before turning on the shower.

As he was finishing up, the door swung open. Jason walked in with a toothbrush and toothpaste. He casually went about brushing his teeth, while Nico stood there with wide eyes. What the hell? The blond did know that Nico was showering, right? Unless he was deaf as well, he should.

Jason finally turned his head to look at Nico and smiled. “Sup?” Jason mumbled casually. Nico was appalled to watch as his new roommate blatantly looked his body over through the glass door.

“Um, I'm showering. Do you mind?” Nico retorted.

Jason shrugged. “I can join you, if you want.”

Nico smacked his forehead. “I'd prefer privacy.”

Jason chuckled. “Maybe you should lock the door.”

Nico huffed and turned around to hide his crotch from Jason's eyes. It wasn't his fault he was used to living without a roommate. At least he had remembered to close the door. Didn't the blond know how to respect boundaries?

Nico shut off the water and reached out to grab his towel, while covering himself with his other hand. Jason smiled innocently at him as he wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower. Nico glared at the blond as he walked past him. He took the blond's place at the sink and began brushing his teeth.

His eyes darted back over to the shower when he heard the water start back up. His eyes slowly lowered as Jason lowered his pajama pants. The blond had on a tight pair of light blue boxer-briefs, which clung perfectly to his bubble butt. Like Nico, he had a pair of lower back dimples just above where his underwear began. Jason turned back around, which caused Nico's eyes to land on the bandages on his hips.

“Don't you have to get to school?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow as he hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his underwear.

Nico blinked a few times before looking back up at Jason's eyes. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah, thanks for reminding me.” He frowned and glanced back down at Jason's hips. “How-how did you get those?”

Jason's lips tilted down into a frown. He removed his hands from his underwear and wrapped his arms around himself. “I gave them to myself. Can you please go already?” He said with a hint of coldness.

“I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything.”

Jason shook his head. “It's all right.”

Nico pursed his lips and walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. A jock cut himself? That wasn't usually the image that came to mind when someone thought of a cutter. What could have happened to the blond to make him turn to drugs and cutting?

Nico got dressed and grabbed his backpack as fast as he could. He hurried out of his and Jason's suite before briskly walking to the elevator. He hit the button to the parking garage and waited patiently as the metal box descended to his desired floor.

Upon his arrival, he found Clarisse talking to a muscular young man with black hair. He had dark tanned skin of a Hispanic origin and dark brown eyes. He wasn't quite as muscular as Beckendorf, but he was probably around the same stature as Butch. He was tall, probably matching Percy's height. His hair had a slight curl to it and he had upturned eyebrows, just like the Stoll twins. Also like the twins, he had a crooked smile, which screamed trouble. There was a faint hint of stubble on his face, which only seemed to enhance his features.

Clarisse frowned when she noticed Nico and shoved the young man away. He raised his eyebrows as he uncrossed his arms. “About damn time,” Clarisse grunted.

The young man smirked and ran his hand into the back of his curly hair. “I don't believe we've met,” he said, holding out his hand for Nico. Nico slowly took it the offered appendage, pursing his lips from the strong grip the young man had. “I'm Chris.”

“Nico,” the shorter brown-eyed boy said.

Clarisse rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, introductions and all that. Now get in the damn car,” she huffed.

Chris smiled at her before releasing Nico's hand. He patted Nico on the shoulder as he headed to the elevator. Nico got into the car and glanced over at Clarisse. “Who is he?”

The girl narrowed her eyes as she backed up. “None of your business, that's who.”

Nico held his hands up in defense. What the hell was that about? Nico sighed and looked out his window. He couldn't wait until he could have his own car. 

\----------------------------------------------------

Nico stepped down the bleachers with the crowd of people. Unlike everyone else, though, he was indifferent about their school's victory. He had never been much of a sports person. Growing up, he had preferred video and card games over anything concerning a ball.

He began looking around for Daedalus, but only managed to get himself shoved around. He frowned and decided to head for the exit. Even after working at the Lotus, he still didn't like large crowds. Perhaps he could wait for Daedalus in the parking lot.

Surprisingly enough, the boy he was looking for was outside by a vaguely familiar car, talking to a girl with long dark brown hair. Nico tilted his head to the side as he tried to place where he had seen it before. As he approached, Daedalus spotted him. The brunet waved him over. “Hey, Nico, come meet my girlfriend!” He yelled. The girl slowly turned her head around, her brow furrowed and a frown on her face. As soon as their eyes locked, their eyes widened.

Her eyes matched Nico's own, their father's eyes. Her silky long brown hair was kept in a ponytail, just like always. Like Nico, she was skinny and had pale olive skin. But Nico had grown since the last time he had seen her, as they were about the same height. Like their mother, she had freckles dotting her face.

“Bi-” Nico didn't even have enough time to get his sister's name out before she had practically tackled him into a hug.

“Nico, oh my god, I thought you were dead!” Bianca exclaimed, still refusing to let go of Nico. Not that Nico minded, as he was still clinging to her just as fiercely.

Daedalus's eyes widened as realization hit him. “Oh shit,” he said. “That's where I've seen you before.”

Bianca glared up at her boyfriend. “I've shown you his picture before! How could you have forgotten?” She hissed. “I could have found him already.”

“Shit, I'm sorry.”

“I-It's fine,” Nico stuttered as he finally pulled away from his sister.

“No, it's not fine. Nico, I thought I'd never see you again. I thought you had died out there,” Bianca argued. “I searched and searched and searched for you, at least hoping I'd find something. Even if it was a body. I just wanted to know.” Tears started to form in Bianca's eyes as she pulled Nico in for another hug.

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. “I didn't think to grab my phone before I left. Not that I could have charged it anyway.”

Bianca sighed and held Nico at arm’s length. “It wouldn't have made a difference. Dad had your phone cut off.”

Nico pursed his lips. “How's mom?”

“She...She's fine, for the most part. She still has trouble sleeping, not knowing where you are, or if you're even alive.” The brown haired girl fumbled in her pocket until she pulled out her phone. “I need a picture, so I can show her you're all right.”

Nico's eyes widened and he lowered his sister's phone. “I, uh, don't think that's a good idea,” he mumbled.

Bianca's brow furrowed. “Why not? She's worried about you, Nico.”

Nico nodded. “I know. I just don't want dad to know, okay? I don't want him to find me.”

Bianca sighed and nodded before pocketing her phone. “Okay. Just assure me that you're all right. Do you have a place to live? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you eating?”

Nico chuckled and hugged Bianca again. “Relax, I'm fine. Yes, I have a home. Yes, I'm taking care of myself. And, yes, I'm eating. I'm fine, Bianca, I promise,” he said.

Bianca sighed again and let the boy go. She turned around and punched her boyfriend in the arm. “Ow! What was that for?” Daedalus yelled.

“I'm holding you accountable for this,” Bianca said with a glare. “Just keep an eye on him at school, okay?”

Daedalus nodded, still rubbing his arm. Nico's eyes drifted over his sister's shoulder to spot Reyna in her car. “Um, I know we just found each other again,” Nico began, “but I need to get going. My ride is here.”

Bianca frowned at him. “I can give you a ride.”

Nico pursed his lips. “I, uh... No, that's all right. Besides, I'd hate to have made my ride drive all the way here for nothing.”

Bianca sighed as Nico gave her a final hug. “You still remember my number, right?” Bianca asked as the boy pulled away.

Nico nodded. “I'll call you, don't worry.”

His sister frowned at him as Nico walked off towards Reyna's car. The girl quirked an eyebrow at him when he got in. She opened her mouth, but shook her head. “Never mind, I don't want to know,” Reyna sighed.

Nico smiled and looked out the window. Maybe finding his sister was a sign that things were going to get better for him. Nico frowned as a thought popped into his head. He was now really curious as to why Percy had been so against Nico being friends with Daedalus. That friendship had led to his reunion with his sister. How was it a bad thing? But then again, Dionysus had claimed that Percy often had a hidden meaning with things he said.

“You don't really strike me as the sports kind of guy,” Reyna said, pulling Nico's attention away from the window.

He shrugged. “I was just going because my friend asked me to go,” Nico replied. “Besides, I just wanted some time away from the hotel.”

Reyna frowned at the road ahead of them. “Didn't take last night so well, eh?”

“How did you react when Percy was a killer?”

Reyna shrugged. “Well, I found that out the day I met him,” she replied. Nico's eyebrows rose at her confession. “But he dealt with my problem, so I didn't care.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“He killed my ex.” Reyna let out a long breath as she rubbed the tattoo on her wrist. “Yeah, he said he was originally just going to beat the guy until he got the money, but when I tried to leave and my boyfriend hit me, Percy shot him.” She smirked and poked herself in the forehead. “Right between the eyes.”

Nico frowned and fidgeted in his seat. “It didn't bother you at all?”

Reyna scrunched her lips. “Well, perhaps a little, at first, but not anymore. My ex ruined my life, whereas Percy gave me a chance at a new one. I'm glad the bastard is rotting.”

“But he didn't kill Apollo's ex, and that guy really hurt Apollo.”

Reyna sighed. “Apollo turned down Percy's offer.” She glanced over at Nico. “Even if people hurt you, if you really love or care about them, things like that are hard to go through with.” She shrugged. “So, Percy put Robert under his thumb and uses the bastard's position and power to his own advantage.”

“You said he gave Apollo a choice? Why didn't he give you one?”

“I don't know. Perhaps he saw that I didn't care? Percy is good at reading people. Who knows, maybe he knew Apollo would say no to the offer.”

Nico nodded. “Has this happened to any of the others? You know, Percy killing someone. Or, has he given anyone else the offer?”

Reyna smirked at him briefly. “That is between you and them,” she chuckled. “I can give you a list, if you want it.”

Nico bit down on his lip. Did he really want to know this piece of information? It might change the way he saw Percy. Well, he already knew Percy was a killer, so did it really matter at this point? “I, guess,” Nico whispered.

Reyna smiled. “Perhaps there's some hope for you yet, boy.” She tapped her finger on the steering wheel. “Let's see...there's Apollo, Luke and Octavian, Annabeth, Hazel, Calypso, and Silena.”

“That he made the offer to, or killed the parent or parents?”

Reyna shook her head. “That, my friend, is for you to discuss with them,” she replied. “It's a little of both, but that's as much as you'll get from me.”

Nico sighed and nodded as they pulled into the parking garage. Reyna pulled into the first parking spot she could find and threw her car into the space. Nico and her quietly got out of the car and headed for the elevator. Reyna slid her card into the slot and hit the button to their floor.

“You don't have to be afraid of him,” Reyna said, her eyes watching the numbers rise.

“I'm not,” Nico mumbled.

Reyna smiled and shook her head. “That's a lie.”

Nico frowned at her. “Okay, well, I'm not terrified of him.”

She chuckled at him. “That's better. Well, Percy probably doesn't mind. He knows it takes some time for some of us to adjust to the news.” Her smile dropped as the elevator reached their floor. “But, I'm sure Percy will do his best to show you all of this.” She rolled her eyes and walked out of the elevator.

Whiplash much? Nico shook his head and exited the elevator. As he was opening his door, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out as he was throwing his backpack on the couch. He didn't hear any noise in the suite, so he assumed Jason was resting or not in the suite at all. He glanced down at his phone, raising an eyebrow at Leo's name on the screen. He slid his thumb across the screen and raised the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Leo,” Nico greeted him.

“Hey. Are you back yet?” Leo asked.

“Yeah. What's up?”

“You wanna come down to the lobby? I'm on break and wanted some company.”

Nico smiled. “Yeah, that sounds great. I'll be right down.”

He hung up and slid his phone back into his pocket. He opened the door and went back into the hall, frowning as he spotted the twins down at the elevator. Connor was frantically hitting the call button, but the elevator had apparently left since Nico last used it. Travis was tugging on the back of his brother's shirt.

“Connor, please talk to me,” Travis whined.

“I don't want to talk to you,” Connor growled, turning around and smacking his brother's hand away.

The taller twin frowned at his brother. “This isn't about Apollo and Leo still, is it?”

Connor glared at his brother. “No, this is about what you said yesterday. This is about going along with said blond's offer of sex, after I expressed my desire for us to stay out of it. And then, to top it off, last night, you come back, drunk, and want to wake me up so we can talk.” Connor shook his head incredulously. “I thought I came first here, above the others.”

Travis let his head fall back with a groan. “Con, I was wasted. I didn't think you wanted to talk to me.”

Connor narrowed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. “I figured that much out. Oh, I forgot one. You woke me up by falling onto the bed, drunk, and trying to get me out of my boxers.” The shorter of the two rolled his eyes. “Real charming.”

Travis's eyes grew hurt as he looked down. “I'm sorry, Connor.” The elevator door finally opened and Connor wasted no time in boarding it. Travis attempted to follow after him, but Connor shoved him out. “Connor, will you please wait a minute?”

“No, and don't wait up for me tonight. I'm sleeping with Percy.”

Travis let out a long sigh as the doors slid shut. He stumbled back into the nearest wall and slid down it, burying his face in his knees. Nico stepped closer and placed his hand on the corner, frowning down at the sulking twin. “Travis, are you okay?” He asked gently.

Travis shook his head, refusing to look up at Nico. “Do I look okay?” The brunet mumbled.

Nico slid down next to him and crossed his legs. “I'm willing to listen, if you want to talk.”

Travis sighed and raised his head, letting it drop back against the wall. “I try to be a good brother, I really do. I just feel like a fuck up sometimes.” He turned his head so that he was looking at Nico. “When we were going from home to home, I took as many beatings for him as possible.” He chuckled and shook his head. “You'd be surprised how many of those idiots were too stupid to actually try disciplining us at the same time.”

Nico frowned at the brunet. “I'm sorry. You seem protective of him.”

Travis smiled. “Am I? I didn't realize,” the brunet said in a bit of a sarcastic tone.

Nico frowned at the elder twin. “Travis, yesterday, when Connor got upset with what you said, are you two...?” He trailed off.

Travis sighed and slapped his knees before standing up. He eyed Nico carefully for a moment before running a hand through his curly hair and smirking. “I don't know what you're talking about, Nico. Everyone knows that incest is wrong, right?”

Nico opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words. He let his mouth fall shut as Travis headed towards his suite. Finally, Nico stood up and stared after him. “I didn't say I had a problem with the two of you doing it.”

Travis stopped for a brief moment before continuing down the hall. Without another word to Nico, he slid his card into his door and disappeared inside. Nico took in a deep breath before exhaling it and hitting the elevator call button. He knew the Stolls turned up the brotherly love thing for the customers, but was it really an act? From the way they had been acting the past two days, Nico was starting to wonder.

When Nico reached the lobby, he found Leo tapping his foot. “There you are!” Leo exclaimed, grabbing Nico's arm and dragging him towards the nearby stairs and dragged him towards the pool.

“Where are we going?” Nico asked.

“Smoothies!”

Nico arched an eyebrow. “Okay? Random.”

Leo led them past the pool and to a door that led outside. He hadn't really visited the outdoor bar since he had arrived at the hotel, but he did know of its existence. The two of them waited in line for their order to be taken. Finally, they reached the counter, where a shirtless young man smiled at them.

He was an attractive young man, but Nico couldn't seem to figure out his age. He looked like he could have been working upstairs with the other Lost Kids. He had Apollo and Will's beach body and tan skin. He had nice full lips that were tilted up into a smile that could make anyone melt. His skin lacked any blemishes and he had perfectly shaped eyebrows. He had dirty blond hair that nearly passed for brown. He had it styled so that it looked messy, though he kept it parted off to the right. He had bright hazel eyes, which sparkled in the sun.

The young man rested his arms on the counter and leaned towards Leo and Nico. “Afternoon, Leo. Who's your friend?” He asked, smiling at Nico and raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Leo rolled his eyes. “This is Nico,” the Latino answered.

The blond grinned at him. “Oh, so you're Nico. I've heard about you.”

Nico frowned at the attractive man. “What have you heard?” he mumbled.

The guy shrugged. “Nothing bad.” He held out his hand and shook Nico's. “I'm Ganymede.”

“Shouldn't you be...I don't know, working somewhere else in the hotel?” Nico asked bluntly.

Ganymede chuckled at him. “So you think I'm hot?” The blond shrugged. “I get that a lot. But I did used to work in your position.”

“So, why did you quit?”

Ganymede placed his hands behind his head, giving Nico a good view of his washboard abs. “Most Lost Kids retire around thirty, which I turned back in May.”

Nico frowned at him. “You don't look thirty,” he assessed.

The blond chuckled. “Thanks, kid.” He winked at Nico and flashed a bright smile. “Well, I'm not that old, and I'm still good at what I used to do.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, seduction and all that. Can we get some smoothies?” He grumbled.

Ganymede pouted at the Latino. “Still butt hurt over Apollo?”

Leo glared at the blond. “Shut up.”

The Adonis chuckled and got two empty glasses. “What would you like?”

“Banana,” Leo said, perking up slightly.

“And for you, cutie?” Ganymede asked.

Nico eyed the menu above the blond's head. “What would you recommend?” He asked.

“Everything is great!” Leo exclaimed. “It just depends on what you want. All of us usually get something different, even the twins. This is more Connor's area, as he is the one with the sweet tooth.” Leo tapped his chin. “Percy usually has the blueberry smoo-”

“I'll take that.”

Leo chuckled at him. Ganymede smiled and went about preparing their orders, while Leo and Nico sat down at the bar. Nico stared at the blond as he busied himself. So this was what Percy meant by Lost Kids never leaving?

“So, you were a Lost Kid while Percy was working as one?” Nico asked.

Ganymede quirked an eyebrow at him as he began the blender. “Well, he worked in Germany for most of his time as a Lost Kid, but he did show up before his eighteenth birthday.” The blond bit his lip. “Best fucking I ever got, right there.” He cleared his throat and blew at his styled bangs. “Anyways, yeah, I was around when he was stripping.”

“Everyone says he was good.”

Ganymede nodded. “Oh, that would be an understatement.” He bit down on his lip again. “Sin incarnate, that one is. But, yeah, I was around for all of the Lost Kids' arrivals,” his eyes darted over to Leo, “and all of their first experiences at the Lotus.” The blond smiled and slid their finished drinks across the bar.

Leo took his, glaring at the blond. Nico frowned and grabbed his own smoothie before following after the Latino boy, receiving a wink from Ganymede as he left. Nico sighed as he followed Leo back into the hotel. The Latino boy led them to one of the lounge areas in the hotel lobby. Leo plopped down on one of the couches with a loud sigh, drinking eagerly from his drink.

“He reminds me of Apollo,” Nico pointed out, taking a sip of his smoothie. He moaned happily at the taste. Somehow, it fit Percy. Perhaps it was all the blue Nico saw the guy wear.

Leo rolled his eyes. “That would be because he taught Apollo a lot of what he knows,” the Latino mumbled.

“You don't seem to like Apollo, or that's how it seemed yesterday.”

Leo sighed again. “I don't hate him. I don't think any of us hate each other. The closest ones that hate each other are Piper and Drew, and even they can get along sometimes. We're supposed to be a family, even if we're currently a madhouse.”

“What happened?”

Leo shook his head, busying his mouth with his drink. “I really don't want to talk about it,” he mumbled around his straw. “Maybe another time?”

Nico nodded. “There's a lot going on around here right now,” Nico said.

Leo's eyes drifted over Nico's shoulder, his eyes widening. “You have no idea,” Leo replied. Nico frowned and turned around, his drink nearly falling out of his hand.

Bianca and Daedalus were walking in the front door, being led by none other than Percy. Percy smiled at the two of them and directed them over to where Leo and Nico were seated. The green-eyed young man smirked at Nico when the brown-eyed boy looked at him in shock. He was gloating, the bastard.

“See, here he is,” Percy said. “Nico, look who I found outside the hotel.”

Nico chuckled nervously as Bianca sat down and hugged him. Leo still stared at the two guests with wide eyes. Beckendorf, Piper, and Will came out of the restaurant and froze when they saw the girl hugging Nico. It took them a few seconds, but their eyes widened when they realized who the girl was.

Bianca smiled at Nico as she let go of him. “Yeah, your boss was nice enough to validate our parking,” she said. “I just didn't want to lose you so soon after finding you.”

Daedalus let out a low whistle, his eyes roaming the lobby. “This place is even nicer on the inside,” he assessed.

“I guess you really are taken care of.”

Nico nodded, his eyes drifting over to stare at Percy in confusion. The manager smiled at him innocently. “Well, when I saw Nico's sister outside my hotel, I couldn't just let her pay for parking.” His eyes flashed mischievously at Nico. “Besides, any friend of Nico's is welcome here. Didn't I tell you, Nico?”

Nico frowned at him. Was this what he meant when he said he didn't want Nico being friends with Daedalus? Did he know this would happen? “I-You did say that, sir,” Nico said through gritted teeth.

Percy smiled and his eyes traveled down to Nico's hands. Nico frowned and pulled his drink away from Percy, glaring at him warningly. He was not going to let the jerk take another snack of his, not after the cupcake incident.

“But, I will need to get to work,” Nico continued.

Percy waved him off. “Nonsense, you don't have work for several hours. Bianca and Daedalus are more than welcome to eat here for dinner, my treat,” Percy said.

Nico frowned, which went unnoticed by Bianca and her boyfriend, who smiled at Percy. Why was he torturing Nico like this? “That would be great!” Bianca exclaimed. “I can't thank you enough, Percy, for taking care of my brother.”

Percy shrugged. “He takes care of himself. I just gave him a job and a place to sleep.”

“It's more than our father gave him.”

Percy's lips tilted down into a frown, his eyes drifting back over to Nico. “You have my word that he'll be well taken care of.”

Bianca smiled and nodded before turning back to her brother. “So, what do you do around here?” She asked.

“Yes, Nico, do tell,” Percy added with a sly grin.

Nico frowned at him. “I just work around the hotel. I hope you don't mind, but I work in a bar.” He held up a hand when Bianca went to open her mouth. “I don't drink.”

Bianca let out a breath. “Good. Well, I guess I don't mind. I suppose you make good money.”

Nico chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “You could say that.” Percy slowly moved closer, around the back of the couch.

Bianca pulled out her phone and looked at the time. “Shit,” she mumbled. “Um, let me call mom and let her know that I'm going to eat out.” She got up from the couch and walked a few feet away, Daedalus following behind her.

Nico's eyes widened as his drink was plucked from his hand and raised to Percy's lips. The tall young man winked at him as he sipped away at Nico's smoothie. “That was mine,” Nico mumbled. “Aren't I already suffering enough?”

Percy chuckled and swung his legs over the couch, sitting himself next to Nico. He licked his lips and winked again. “Well, if you had gotten a second straw, we could have shared,” he teased. He leaned into Nico's ear. “I'd much rather lick it off your body.” He smirked and pulled away, enjoying the sight of Nico's pink cheeks.

“You're such a jerk,” Nico grunted, snatching his smoothie from Percy's hands. He had to admit, though, that did sound like a tempting suggestion. “But were you being serious?”

Percy chuckled and slid his arm behind Nico. “You'll find out tomorrow night.” His eyes glanced over to Bianca. “Well, here she comes.”

Nico turned his head just as Bianca sat down again. “She said it was fine,” his sister announced. Nico frowned as Bianca took his smoothie and took a long sip before handing it back to him. Why was everyone stealing his snacks?

Daedalus happened to be admiring the lobby still, when the elevator opened. Jason walked out, a frown on his face. “Jason?” Daedalus asked, raising an eyebrow. The blond froze, his eyes going wide. Nico saw him curse under his breath.

“Uh, hi, Daedalus,” Jason greeted his friend as he approached. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, if you had been at school today, you would have found out that I'm dating Nico's sister.” The brunet frowned at the blond. “Where were you anyways?”

“I, uh...” Jason trailed off, his eyes darting over to Percy.

“I tried to warn you,” Percy breathed into Nico's ear. He sighed and smiled. “Jason works and stays here as well.”

Daedalus's brow furrowed. “You never told me this, dude,” the brunet said.

“Uh, yeah, well, I didn't think it was important. I didn't want anyone at school to know.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, I was looking for you, Percy. Rachel said you were down here.”

Percy nodded. He stood up and snapped his fingers at Leo. The Latino stood up and stared down at Nico with a frown. “Good luck,” he muttered.

Percy gave the boy a shove towards the elevator before glancing down at Nico. “I'll see you later, Nico, and I'll be waiting to hear all about your reunion,” the manager said with a fake smile. He turned his smile on Bianca. “I'll have the staff notified of your presence, so feel free to do whatever you like while you're here.”

Bianca smiled and nodded. Percy walked over to where Daedalus and Jason were having a quiet discussion. He grabbed the blond by the back of the neck and dragged him towards the elevator, sliding an arm around Jason's shoulders. Nico frowned as Percy leaned in and whispered in the blond's ear.

“Your boss seems nice,” Daedalus said, taking a seat on the opposite couch.

“Yeah,” Bianca said with a frown. “Maybe a little too nice.” She faced her brother. “He hasn't hurt you, has he? I don't know, something about him seems off.”

Nico shook his head. “No, he's been great,” he replied. Bianca searched his eyes for any sign of falsehood, but Nico had become better at lying since the last time he had seen his sister. “I promise. He's fun to be around.”

“I still wish you'd let me tell mom. I'm sure she would keep it a secret.”

Nico frowned. “I just don't want to take the risk. What if dad finds out? I don't want him showing up at school, or worse, here.”

Daedalus frowned. “So, was yesterday not your first meeting with Jason?” He asked.

Nico bit down on his lip. What had he gotten himself into? “No, it was,” he said truthfully. “It's just hard to explain.” Nico cleared his throat and stood up. “So, you guys want to go eat?”

\--------------------------------

“Can't you stay a little longer and talk?” Bianca frowned as Nico stood up.

The boy chewed on his lip. “I really need to get to work. I don't need to be late. But we can see each other a lot more from now on, right? You have my number, you can call me whenever you want,” he said. “But I do work late, so I might not be able to answer at night.”

Bianca sighed and stood up. The three of them walked out of the restaurant. “All right, I guess. Just call or text me if you need something, anything at all.”

“And I'll keep an eye on him at school for you,” Daedalus added.

Bianca narrowed her eyes at the brunet. “You better. I'm still mad that I could have found him already, if you had just made the connection.”

Nico smiled as they reached the front doors. “I really missed you,” he said quietly.

“I missed you, too,” Bianca whispered back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “You're getting taller, I don't like it.”

Nico chuckled and wrapped his arms around her back. “Well, I probably won't get much taller, unless I was lucky enough to take after dad in height.”

Bianca smiled and pulled back, a few tears in her eyes. “You're a much better man that he could ever be, don't forget that.” She gave him a quick hug before walking backwards. “I'll see you later, Nico.”

He smiled and waved at his sister and her boyfriend as they walked out of the hotel. “Bye!” He called after them.

“Did you have a good time?”

Nico jumped at the sound of Percy's voice in his ear. “Fuck, Percy,” Nico hissed.

Percy grinned. “Sorry, I just got finished with Annabeth.” Nico glared at the green-eyed young man as he stood to his full height. “So, how did things go?”

“I didn't expose the hotel, if that's what you're asking.”

Percy shrugged. “Was it? That's good to hear, though.”

“So, that's why you didn't want me talking to Daedalus?” Nico asked.

Percy smirked. “Was it? You tell me, Nico. I mean, what harm was there in you getting to see your sister again?”

Nico frowned. Something in the way Percy said that made him uneasy. Was he wrong in thinking that was the reasoning behind Percy's request on his friendship with Daedalus? “I don't know,” Nico mumbled.

Percy smiled and slipped his hand onto Nico's lower back, guiding the smaller boy to the elevator. “Well, don't worry about it right now. You do need to worry about getting ready for work, though.” Percy shoved Nico onto an elevator and leaned on the opening. “I'll see you later tonight, all right?”

Nico nodded. “I'm sorry.”

Percy shrugged. “Don't worry about it.” He winked and stepped back, allowing the doors to shut.

Nico sighed and pulled out his card. He slid it into the slot and hit the button to his floor. He wondered how bad this was going to go for him. Not only had he risked exposing himself, but he risked Jason's own privacy as well. He let out a groan. The blond would probably give Nico an earful later.

He stepped off the elevator when it came to a stop at his floor. He walked around the corner, just in time to see Silena slap Beckendorf across the face. Nico's eyes widened as he blinked at the couple. “You fucking liar!” She yelled. “You told me there wasn't anything to worry about, but Luke told me he saw you leaving his suite last night. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out what you two were doing, judging by the way Octavian was limping earlier.”

Beckendorf frowned at his girlfriend. “Just helping the guy out,” he grunted.

“You're too insecure.”

Beckendorf snorted. “You're one to talk. That's why I don't fucking like you being alone with Luke. I know about your early days here.”

Silena narrowed her eyes. “We weren't together back then. You weren't even here. Luke was there for me,” she hissed. “Why are you doing this? To help Octavian spite his brother? How low are you going to sink next time?”

Beckendorf pounded his fist into the wall by Silena's head. “I don't need your fucking judgment, woman!”

Nico swallowed and cleared his throat, drawing the couple's attention. “I, uh... Maybe you should do that in private,” he mumbled.

Beckendorf narrowed his eyes at Nico, but Silena let out a sigh and nodded her head. “He's right,” the raven haired girl said. “Thank you, Nico.” She crossed her arms and faced her boyfriend. “Come and talk to me after work, we can discuss it then.” With that, she stormed off to her room.

Nico frowned at Beckendorf as he slid a hand down his face. “Thanks for looking out, shortie,” Beckendorf grunted.

The raven haired boy nodded his head. “No problem,” he replied. “What was that about? You messed around with Octavian?”

Beckendorf sighed and leaned back against his doorframe. “Yeah, something like that. The guy isn't happy with his brother.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Did Luke do something wrong?”

The muscular Lost Kid rolled his eyes and sneered. “Your concern for him is touching. But, yeah, you could say that. Well, he did something wrong in Octavian's eyes.”

Nico frowned. “What did he do? Does it have to do with me? Because Octavian has been sort of rude with me. Well, more than normal.”

Beckendorf let out a long breath. “Luke is one of the 'brothers' of our group, Apollo is the other. They were amongst the original four that came to the hotel after Percy's arrival. So, they have become the older siblings of our little family. However, Octavian ended up coming into the fold, which drew a lot of Luke's attention.” The muscular young man glanced across the hall at Luke's door. “But, as you can imagine, Octavian wasn't the same little brother that Luke had remembered him to be.”

Nico pursed his lips. “So, Luke was disappointed when he saw Octavian again?” He asked.

The buff Lost Kid shook his head. “No, not exactly, anyways. Luke has some issues over the matter, but that's about it. They were relatively fine, until you came along.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What did I do? I'm not trying to cause trouble.”

Beckendorf shrugged. “You'll have to take that up with Luke or Octavian. Since Luke seems a little sweet on you, perhaps he'll share that info with you.”

Nico frowned and walked past Beckendorf, tired of hearing about the issue. He was tired of a lot of the issues he was finding out about. Was he really that much of a problem for everyone? Nico frowned as he shut his door behind him. But what did any of what Beckendorf just said have to do with Octavian being mad at Luke?

Nico hurried back to his room and stripped. He tossed his boxers aside and slipped on a dark red speedo. He grabbed some track shorts and checked his hair in the mirror. Grabbing his phone and wallet, he headed back out of his suite.

He found Juniper, Hazel, and Will waiting at the elevator. “Hey, Nico,” Hazel greeted him.

“Hey,” he replied with a wave.

Will smiled and slung his arm around Nico's shoulders. “So, Nico, we heard that you found your sister,” the blond stated.

“What of it?”

The blond shrugged. Juniper smiled. “It's nice, that's all,” the girl said.

“Sure, that's what I meant,” Will chuckled.

Nico frowned at him. “Is there a problem?” He asked, narrowing his eyes.

Will smiled and drew circles on Nico's chest with his index fingers. “Not at all. But you're not planning on leaving us, are you?”

Nico shook his head. “Why would you think that?”

“We were just worried about you,” Hazel replied. “We know you found out about Percy, and were curious if you were going to run back to your old life.”

Nico eyed the three of them carefully. “Wouldn't you like that?” He grumbled.

Will frowned and rested his cheek on Nico's head. “We'd miss you too much, Nico,” the blond sighed. “You certainly liven this place up.”

Nico sighed. “But I don't mean to do anything.”

Will held his hands up in a shrug as they all boarded the elevator. “Well, I for one am glad you will be staying with us.”

Nico pursed his lips tightly. “Found new blood to torment?”

Hazel and Will smiled innocently at Nico. “But you're still the new blood,” Hazel teased him with a wink.

Will hummed in agreement. “Yeah, you're still catching on to things, whereas Jason already has the hang of stuff, it looks like.” He grinned when he saw Nico frown. “But don't worry, Nico, I'll still be more than happy to play with you, even though there's a new Lost Kid.”

“My hero,” Nico mumbled sarcastically, shoving Will away and exiting the elevator.

Nico shuddered as he felt Will's breath on his ear. “I'd be glad to show you why everyone wanted me in the orphanage,” the blond whispered in a deep voice.

Nico turned his head to look at the blond, but Will just smiled and pushed past Nico. The brown-eyed boy frowned as Will walked past Ethan and Clarisse. “Will lived in an orphanage?” Nico asked, turning to Hazel.

The girl nodded. “Yeah, for most of his life,” the girl said sadly, her lips tilting down.

“What about his parents?”

Hazel shook her head. “You'll have to talk to him about that.” She scrunched her lips as she pulled her eyes away from Will's back. “He and I were in the same circumstance that you and Jason are in now, we both went to high school together once we arrived at the Lotus. So, I don't feel comfortable betraying his trust like that.”

Nico nodded. Juniper gave him a sad smile as she looped her arm into his and led him toward the stairs. “Cheer up, Nico,” she said as they reached the split in the hall.

“It's just a lot to take in,” he admitted.

The amber haired girl nodded and gave him a hug before waving and walking down the hall to her side. Nico let out a sigh and turned around, catching quizzical looks from both Ethan and Clarisse before frowning and heading down his own hall. Before ending up on the streets, he would have never imagined that someone's life could be filled with such depressing things, but here he was, meeting quite a few, all with equally depressing stories.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Nico wasted no time in going to the back room. Dionysus was happily tapping his foot and humming to himself, his head back and his eyes closed. Connor, Beckendorf, and Reyna were already sitting on the couch. Connor looked unhappy, frowning and leaning on Reyna.

Thalia pushed through the door to the girls' side and sighed at the sight of the sulking brunet. “Just man up and go talk to your brother,” she grunted.

Connor's face grew blank of emotion as his blue eyes flickered up to the raven haired girl. He simply shrugged his shoulders at her, not even bothering with a verbal response. Thalia rolled her eyes at him.

“Hey, Thalia,” Nico greeted the short girl.

She smiled and placed her hands on her hips. “Hey there, Neeks. So, I expect you to keep an eye on my brother for me, yeah? He was trouble as a kid,” she joked.

“Why didn't he come here with you?”

Thalia's smile dropped. “I-I just had to get out. And Heracles...he and our father...” She bit down on her lip, her brow furrowing. “I wasn't able to get to him. I didn't have much time, and I ended up making a last minute decision, not an easy one either.” She rubbed her arm nervously. “I-He probably holds a grudge against me for what I did. I wouldn't blame him if he did. I just reached my breaking point, you know.”

“He seemed fine with you this morning,” Nico pointed out.

Thalia shrugged. “He's probably good at acting, just like we are. Please don't say anything.”

Nico nodded his head. “I won't,” he promised.

Drew shoved through the door with a dramatic sigh before walking over and leaning against the bar with the flip of her hair. She held out a hand and inspected a gold ring with an emerald in it, a satisfied smile on her face. She made no attempt to indulge in conversation with anyone else in the room.

Nico glanced back over to Connor, who had dropped his head into Reyna's lap. The brunet, like his brother, was one of the skinnier Lost Boys. He had the hint of abs on his stomach and relatively tan skin with no tan lines. His normally bright blue eyes were dark and depressing looking.

Reyna finally huffed and got up, nearly knocking Connor out of her lap. The brunet frowned at her back as she left through the swinging door. Beckendorf grunted and got up to leave, shooting Nico a glance on his way. “Come on, slut,” Thalia called over to Drew, who rolled her eyes at the short girl.

As the two girls left, Nico held out a hand to help Connor stand. “Thanks,” Connor mumbled as he got to his feet. He adjusted his green speedo and glanced at Nico from behind his bangs. “About earlier...”

Nico shook his head. “I already talked to your brother,” Nico said. “I mean, he didn't really talk about what is currently going on, but he's upset you don't want to talk to him.”

Connor nodded his head with a frown. He turned his head to glare at Dionysus, who was watching them from the corner of his eye. “I know he means well, but I just wish he would stop being scared.” Connor's eyes hazed over, and it looked like he might start crying. But the boy shook his head and smiled at Nico. “We need to get to work, yeah?”

Nico nodded and walked out with Connor, who smiled at him one more time before heading off to a table. What was Travis scared of? He let out a sigh and headed to a table with a woman and two men. The woman had curled her black hair and smelled heavily of perfume. The man on her right had short peppered hair and stubble. The man on the woman's left had muscular looking arms and dirty blond hair that was parted off to the left.

“Good evening,” Nico said with a smile. “What can I get you?” He batted his eyes a few times and bit down on his lip.

While the blond man and the woman took a moment to look him over, the other man seemed unfazed by his lack of clothing. “I'd like you this evening,” the blond commented, his eyes locked on Nico's ass.

Nico forced his smile to stick on his face. “I'll see what I can do. So, what can I get you all to drink?”

As Nico finished taking the order, the lights in the room dimmed and the music started. The curtain opened, revealing three of the blond Lost Boys: Apollo, Will, and Octavian. They each wore black pants and ties. They began sliding across the floor to the hip-hop music currently playing, sliding their hands through their hair.

Nico took a quick moment to appreciate their shirtless states before heading to the bar room. “Oh, Nico, there you are,” Dionysus greeted him. “I was meaning to congratulate you on reuniting with your dear sister.”

“Thanks,” Nico said cautiously, setting his order onto the counter for the bartender.

The chubby bartender smiled at him. “Perhaps Percy was wrong after all.”

Nico tilted his head to the side, leaning back against the couch. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, it led to you finding your sister. Surely nothing bad could happen from that.” The man nodded his head. “Perhaps you could even bring her here. Yes, then she wouldn't have to live with that dreadful father of yours.”

Nico frowned. “I don't want Bianca to be brought into this,” he mumbled. “Besides, our father actually likes her. She wasn't the disappointment.”

Dionysus tutted while mixing the drink. “Oh dear, I shudder to think about what might happen if he were to find out about your new line of work,” the bartender said.

“Well, he's not going to find out.”

Dionysus's dark eyes sparked with interest. “And if he does? What then?”

Nico frowned and rubbed his arm. “I-I don't know. I don't really want to think about it.”

Dionysus's smile turned warm again as he handed Nico his tray of drinks. Nico forced his own smile on as he accepted the tray and walked out of the room as fast as he could without spilling anything. He walked through the door, just in time to get an eyeful of Octavian's tight pale ass being smacked by Will.

Nico handed off the drink order just as the blonds were leaving the stage. Next up was Butch, but Nico's attention ended up getting drawn away when he noticed Connor seating Percy, Leo, and Jason. Nico's lips tilted down into a frown when he saw Percy pull the blond closer, placing his arm behind Jason's head.

Two hours later, Nico was still keeping an eye on Percy's booth. Leo had gone off to take care of business, but Percy stayed behind, laughing and talking with Jason. But, while the blond did seem to be enjoying Percy's company, he didn't smile that much. At least not a genuine smile. His attention rarely focused on the stage, seemingly uninterested in the performances. Percy was the blond's primary focus.

Nico watched as Percy leaned in to whisper something in Jason's ear, a sly smirk on his face. Jason bit down on his lip and finally managed a real smile for Percy. This made the green-eyed manager smile brightly and place his hand on Jason's thigh.

“Well, well, look at that.”

Nico jumped at the sound of Apollo's voice in his ear. “You really need to stop doing that,” Nico hissed.

The blond shrugged. He had gotten dressed since his last performance, but still chose to walk around shirtless. He rubbed his arm as he looked over to Percy and Jason. Nico frowned and followed the blond's gaze. “Now do you see?” Apollo said quietly.

“See what?”

“What we saw when Percy looks at you.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he focused his attention on the green-eyed young man. “But they just met,” Nico reasoned.

Apollo shrugged again. “And? He took an interest in you quickly after meeting you.”

“So, Percy likes me?”

The blond rolled his eyes. “I didn't say that. I said he has an interest in you.”

Will came up behind Apollo and slung his arms around the slightly taller blond's neck. “What are we talking about?” He asked.

“Percy and Jason,” Apollo replied casually.

Will nodded. He looked over to the two in question and cocked an eyebrow. “Look, that's how he looks and smiles at you, Nico.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at the two blonds. “He could lose interest,” Beckendorf said, appearing beside Nico.

Nico frowned at him. “What do you mean?” He asked.

The muscular young man shrugged, getting small smirks from the two blonds. “I'm just saying that Percy still sees you as a child. An innocent little child. How do children match up against adults, who can fulfill certain needs?”

Nico's frown increased as he turned back to Percy. “He's the one who keeps saying no.”

“Is he?” Apollo asked.

“Maybe you don't push hard enough,” Beckendorf added.

Nico chewed on his lip for a few moments before tearing his eyes away from the raven haired young man in the booth. “But then I'd have to sell my body for sex,” Nico reminded them.

“But you could have Percy whenever you wanted,” Beckendorf reasoned. “Or maybe you should let someone help you draw his attention. Let someone help you prove to Percy that you're not a little kid.”

“But...” Nico trailed off, pursing his lips. If he gave in, wouldn't he be losing the one thing that gave him Percy's attention? If his innocence was gone, would Percy still show him the same amount of attention? Koko had seen something, hadn't she? Was there hope for him? If there was, he didn't need to throw it away.

“Maybe Percy wouldn't hold you to your end of the agreement,” Apollo tried reasoning. “I mean, you do seem special, so it could make sense.” Apollo and Beckendorf grinned at each other when Nico frowned at the ground.

Nico glanced over at Will, who had crossed his arms and seemed to be ignoring them. He let out a sigh before shoving Apollo towards the bar room. “Let's just finish our break, yeah?” He mumbled.

Beckendorf grunted at the two of them as Will pushed Apollo forward. Nico frowned and walked off. The conversation had made him uncomfortable, and he didn't like it. His eyes darted back over to Percy, who was leaning a little too close to Jason. Did he do that with the other Lost Kids? Did he do that with Nico? He did, didn't he?

Nico nodded to himself. Of course Percy did. Percy usually put himself close to Nico in proximity. But maybe this was how the Lost Kids felt when they stared at Percy and Nico. Was this the jealousy that Apollo felt at having the attention stolen? Was this the predatory feeling that Luke got? Was this their possessiveness?

An hour later, Nico was still uneasy with watching Percy and Jason. The blond had finally started talking with Percy, and the raven haired young man seemed eager to listen to the blond. Connor eventually broke up their conversation by approaching the table.

The brunet leaned onto the table and said something to Percy with a mischievous smirk. Percy smiled back and nodded. Connor then turned his attention to Jason and said something with a slightly forced smile. Yet, through all of it, Jason did little more than spare a glance at Connor's nearly naked form. The brunet's brow furrowed at Jason, who had turned his attention back to Percy. Connor and Percy shared a look, where he gave Connor a very clear stare that let the brunet know to drop the subject.

Percy dismissed Connor before turning his attention back to Jason. He said something to Jason and the blond nodded. Jason slid out of the booth, Percy following behind him. Percy placed his hand on Jason's back and guided the blond from the room, not even sparing anyone else a glance. If Nico were being honest with himself, it hurt.

Nico took a deep breath and headed for the bar room, needing to drop off an order. Dionysus tilted his head to the side when he noticed Nico biting on his lip. Annabeth frowned at him from the couch. “Are you all right, Nico?” She asked.

Nico slowly nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?” He whispered.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. “You look a little pale.”

Nico handed over his drink order to Dionysus and sat down on the couch. “It's just Percy...and Jason.”

Annabeth sighed. “All right. Well, since you get a lot of problems with the boys, I guess I should give you some help.”

Nico smiled at her. Finally, someone wasn’t giving him more problems. “Thank you,” he said. “Percy's giving Jason a lot of attention, and it bothers me.”

Annabeth nodded her head, taking a sip of her water. “Well, I don't think that should bother you. After all, he's touchy with all of us.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “But...Apollo...Apollo said that Percy stares at Jason the same way that he stares at me,” Nico explained.

Annabeth let out a sigh before turning her head towards Nico. “Well, Nico, even if Apollo is right, I think that Percy still has some sort of interest in you,” the blonde said. “Jason's just the new kid, like you were. I'm sure that in time, Percy will come back around to you. After all, you're special in his eyes, right?”

Nico looked up at her, unable to bring a smile to his lips. The blonde raised an eyebrow at him as she awaited his response. “I guess,” Nico mumbled. “But what if he doesn't?”

Annabeth smiled at him. “I think you worry too much, Nico.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But, if it really bothers you that much, you could always welcome Jason the same way Apollo and the rest of us welcomed you.”

Nico's brow furrowed and a frown formed on his face. “You want me to hurt him?” He asked.

Annabeth raised a brow at him. “I don't want you to do anything. I was merely making a suggestion.”

“Here you are, Nico,” Dionysus said, holding a drink out to the boy. Nico smiled and thanked him before taking the drink and heading for the door.  
He took the drink to its destined table and smiled at the woman with wrinkles sitting at the table. He tapped his finger to his thigh as he stood in the middle of the floor, trying to wrap his mind around everything.

His attention was pulled to the stage when The Dream's “Falsetto” began playing and Will appeared on the stage. He was clad in a light blue tank top and black cargo pants, which hung loosely from his hips. He ran one hand down his chest, while running the other through his short blond hair. He bit down on his lip as he slid his body to the right.

He popped his hips out and winked at a woman up close to the stage. He then began rolling his hips in a sinful manner, which managed to hold Nico's attention. The blond lifted his shirt up to expose his abs before dropping the fabric and shaking a finger at the audience.

He got down on his knees, spreading them wide. He continued to roll his hips as he slowly lowered himself onto his back. From there, he undid his pants and slid them off, jutting his hips into the air. He slid to the edge of the stage and got up close to a table with two men. With another wink, he ripped the tank top off of his body, exposing his surfer body to the crowd.

Will held out his hand to one woman and guided her up onto the stage. He winked at her before laying her on the ground and climbing on top of her. He began rolling his hips into the woman, while he worked on doing pushups. Nico unconsciously bit down on his lip.

Trying to show off, Will placed one arm behind his back as he continued his movements. After about five pushups like that, he lowered his body and trailed his face down the woman's chest. Coming back up, he locked eyes with Nico. The two held gazes as the blond continued to thrust against the woman. The blond winked at Nico and faked a moan.

Nico cleared his throat and tore his eyes away. He needed to remember that the Lost Boys were just trying to get into his pants because of that agreement. Still, Will was very hot.

Later, after all the customers were gone, Nico found himself in a booth with Juniper and Zoë. Apollo and Will were goofing off, dancing to some hip-hop song that Nico couldn't quite place, something about shoes. Most of the other Lost Kids had left to take care of their “after hours” business. Leo and Rachel sat at a table, counting up money and typing things into their laptops.

“Will, you need to show up to this room in thirty minutes,” Leo said, handing the blond a piece of paper.

Will grunted and pocketed it. “Are we free to go now?” He asked.

Apollo and Leo stared at each other, both with frowns on their faces. “Yeah, whatever,” Leo grumbled.

Nico let out a sigh of relief and stood up. He turned around and helped an exhausted looking Juniper to stand. Apollo and Zoë walked ahead of them, the blond whispering in her ear. “Well, at least I'll be out of the room, so I don't have to hear them,” Will chuckled.

“But you've got to work,” Juniper reminded him.

The blond let out a groan. “Don't remind me. I was hoping to get to go to bed, I'm so tired.”

The three of them boarded an elevator and Juniper slid her card through the slot. She hit the button to their floor before looking at Will. “Which floor?”

Will shook his head. “I'm going to go put something else on.”

When the elevator reached their floor, they all exited the metal box. Juniper yawned and waved at them before making the trek down her hall. Will leaned against Nico, trying to rest his cheek on top of Nico's head.

“I'm not your pillow,” Nico said with a smile.

“You could be if you were waiting for me when I got back,” Will said with a grin.

Nico rolled his eyes. “Tempting,” he mumbled sarcastically.

Will chuckled. “Too bad. I'd like to see if I could make you cry out in falsetto.”

“Nice try.” He stretched his arms above his head. “So, can I ask about something?”

Will frowned at him. “Is this something about my past again?” He asked. Nico nodded. Will let out a sigh and pulled out his phone to check the time. “Can it wait until later? Maybe this weekend?”

Nico gave the blond a small smile and nodded. “Yeah. Maybe I'll come by and play some games with you.”

Will winked at Nico. “I'll hold you to that.”

Nico pulled out his card and slid it into his door. He stepped inside and shut the door. Jason sat on the couch in grey pajama pants and a black t-shirt, his hair still damp from a recent shower. He was biting on his thumb nail as he watched some movie on TV.

“Hey,” Nico said slowly, his brow furrowing.

Jason raised his eyebrows as he tore his eyes away from the TV. He cursed under his breath, apparently having just realized he was biting his nail. He placed his hands in his lap and smiled at Nico. “What's up?” He asked.

Nico shrugged. “Just got back from work.”

Jason nodded. Nico's eyes traveled down Jason's leg. The blond's foot had started tapping incessantly. “I was just watching a movie, couldn't really sleep.”

“Are you all right?” Nico asked.

Jason nodded his head. “Yeah, I'm great.” He faked a chuckle. “Well, aside from having my best friend show up here today. Seriously, what the hell, dude?”

Nico sighed. “I'm sorry. I didn't know my sister would follow me home.”

Jason scrunched his lips. His eyes darted over to the TV for a second before returning to Nico's face. “It's cool, I guess. I'll just have to think up something to tell Daedalus.”

Nico nodded and sat down beside the blond, staring at the tapping foot from the corner of his eye. “Jason,” Nico began. The blond turned his head to look at Nico. “Did you actually work for your father?”

The blond frowned and rubbed at his forearm. “Yeah,” he admitted.

“Did-did your mother not object?”

Jason shook his head. “No, she was dead. She died when I was little. She was one of father's employees, who he ended up knocking up, twice.”

Nico bit down on his lip, his eyes traveling down to Jason's hips. “And the scars?”

Jason lifted his shirt and looked at his bandaged wounds. “It helped me take the real pain away. Fight pain with pain, I guess. It was a distraction,” the blond whispered. He frowned and let his shirt fall back down. “I just needed a place to hide them.”

Nico slowly nodded his head. “And what about the track marks? Weren't they visible?”

Jason held out his arm, inspecting the marks. “During work, some of the girls would help me cover them with makeup. It's also where I learned to cut on my hips. Several of the girls did it.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He slowly reached out and touched Jason's forearm. The blond watched him carefully for a moment, but didn't say anything. “Your father didn't care?” He asked.

The blond shook his head. “Why should he? He was just the sperm donor, as far as he was concerned. He didn't even give me or my sister his last name. He had...H-Heracles, and that was all that mattered.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

Jason gave Nico a lopsided smile and let his arm drop from Nico's grasp. “It wasn't your fault. My dad was a bastard. I can't really find it in me to care that he's gone.”

“You still have your sister.”

Jason sighed and stood up. “I guess. It'll take some getting used to,” he replied. He held out a hand and helped Nico up. “You should get some sleep.”

Nico nodded and turned off the TV. He followed the blond down the hallway. “Are you going to school tomorrow?”

Jason stopped in front of the bathroom and shook his head. “No, Percy wants me to stay here.”

Nico's eyes darkened until they were almost black. He had the sudden urge to shove the blond's pretty little head into the nearby bathroom mirror. Quickly shaking his head of such thoughts, he arched an eyebrow. “Why?”

Jason chuckled and waved his arm in front of Nico. “I'm having to quit drugs, Nico. Do the math.”

Nico wondered if the blond would wake up if he managed to get his hands on a needle and tried injecting Jason with it. “Oh,” Nico said. “Are you going to be all right? If you need anything, I'm right across the hall.”

Jason smiled and nodded. “Thanks. I'll let you know if I need anything.”

Nico stood there and watched Jason disappear into his room. When the blond's door shut, Nico turned around and entered his room. He stripped out of his clothes and pulled on his boxers from earlier. He flopped down on his bed and set his alarm. He let out a groan and stood back up, having forgotten to turn off the lights.

As he stood up, his eyes darted over to his open closet. He walked closer and inspected himself in the mirror. In all honesty, he had expected to find himself with green eyes, judging by the thoughts he was having. Nico touched his face as he stared back at himself in the mirror. Was he going to be all right? This wasn't going to affect him, was it? Was this the first sign of becoming a monster like the rest of them?


	23. Once a Lost Kid, Always a Lost Kid

Nico opened his bedroom door and headed towards the kitchen. He found Jason already sitting at the island, sipping at some coffee. The raven haired youth walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself a cup and began pouring himself some coffee. His gaze traveled over to Jason, who wasn't making eye contact with him.

The blond had dark circles under his eyes and it looked like he had been scratching at his arms. Nico quirked and eyebrow at him. “Morning,” he mumbled.

“Fuck off,” Jason grumbled.

Nico's eyebrows rose in surprise. Well, he definitely wasn't the friendly blond from yesterday. How irritable was Jason going to be during his withdrawal process? Jason let out a groan and placed his head in his hand.

“Would you like something? Maybe aspirin?” Nico suggested.

Jason spread his fingers to glare at Nico. “You could do me the favor of shutting the hell up.”

Nico glared back at the blond, contemplating flipping him off. He took his mug filled with coffee and went back to his room. He picked out his clothes as he sipped down the warm liquid. He wasn't sure if he was happy or frustrated that it was Friday. It meant that he would be at the hotel, but it gave him an escape from having to answer an endless stream of questions from Daedalus.

Nico still wasn't sure what he was going to tell the brunet. He was also going to have to explain why Jason was missing from school for the next two or three weeks. Letting out a sigh, Nico gathered up his clothes and walked to the bathroom.

He got a quick shower and began getting dressed. As he was drying his hair with his towel, he heard a knock at the door. He stood there a moment, expecting Jason to answer it, but the knocking continued a moment later. He let out a sigh and opened the door. He frowned as soon as the door opened, hearing a lot of racket coming from Jason's room.

He walked down the hall and unlocked the door. The brown-eyed boy opened it to find Percy staring down at him. “Good morning,” he said, ruffling Nico's still drying hair as he walked inside.

Nico shot him a glare as he tried to fix his hair. “Morning,” the pale boy mumbled.

Percy opened his mouth, but a crash from Jason's room drew his attention. “What's going on?”

Nico shrugged. “Don't know. Jason was being irritable this morning, and when I got out of the shower, he was making a lot of noise from his room.”

Percy grunted before heading down the hall, Nico in tow. Jason's room looked like a tornado had gone through it. Clothes, boxes, textbooks, and other objects were strewn all about the room. The blond was currently hunched over a suitcase, furiously tossing things out.

“Jason, what are you doing?” Percy asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Nothing,” the blond growled back.

Percy's lips formed a thin line as he watched the blond. “If you're looking for your drugs, I had Leo throw them all out when he gathered your things.”

Jason stood up and glared at Percy. “I needed those!” He yelled, tossing a clock at Percy's head, which the manager easily caught.

Percy sighed and tossed the clock on the bed. “You're trying to quit, remember? We talked about this yesterday. I don't tolerate my Lost Kids using drugs.”

Jason growled and went back to digging through his suitcase. After several seconds, he tossed the luggage bag over his head before tearing open a box in the corner. Nico stared at the blond in wonder. He was concerned that he might need to hide the sharp objects for his own safety.

Percy turned to Nico and pursed his lips. “You should get to school,” he whispered. “Just do me a favor and stay out of his way as much as possible, okay?”

Nico nodded his head, his eyes darting back to the blond. Percy ran his hand through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh as he, too, watched the angry blond. Nico's lips tilted down as he watched the green-eyed young man stare at the frustrated blond. He hadn't gotten this much of Percy's attention when he had first gotten here. Percy had handed him over to Leo on his first day at the Lotus.

Nico walked back to his room and gathered up his backpack, phone, and wallet. When he exited his room again, Percy had closed Jason's door and had disappeared into the room. Nico could hear the green-eyed young man's voice coming from behind the door, but couldn't make out what was being said. Whatever it was, it seemed to have calmed Jason down, at least for the moment.

As Nico was about to shut his door, he looked up and froze. Standing in the middle of the hall was Luke and Apollo. He slowly backed into his room and peered out into the hall. Apollo still had on the same attire as he had when Nico had seen him last night, probably having had stayed over with Zoë. His curly blond hair was extremely messy and he looked a little hungover. Luke was clad only in a pair of dark blue pajama pants, which hung loosely on his hips.

“Stop being a baby,” Luke hissed.

“You're one to talk. You're trying to pawn him off on me,” Apollo shot back.

Luke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Like you did with me when you were planning your stunt? As much as you want to hate the kid, I know you don't mind him that much. You wouldn't have taken him under your wing when he got here if you didn't.”

Apollo's lips thinned as he stared back into Luke's eyes. “You only want this because you're trying to fix things with your brother.”

Luke arched an eyebrow. “How is this any different from what you did? You wanted him away from Percy.”

The curly haired blond scoffed. “And you didn't?” He asked.

The more muscular of the two shrugged. “I didn't say that.” He sighed and ran a hand into his short blond hair. “Just do me this favor, all right? This is how we work.”

Apollo's lips thinned, appearing to consider Luke's words. “Why not one of the girls? What about Annabeth?” Apollo suggested.

Luke's eyes narrowed. “No.”

The curly haired blond's eyebrow rose. “Okay? Well, what about Thalia?”

Luke stared off to the side for a moment. “Fine,” he mumbled.

Apollo nodded. “Okay. I'll go talk to her later about it.” He frowned as Luke nodded his head. “You need to stop beating yourself up over that. It's in the past, and it wasn't even your fault.”

Luke's eyes darkened. “I shouldn't have just left him there,” the blond growled.

Apollo sighed. “You couldn't have known what would happen.”

Luke grunted before turning around and walking back into his room. Nico quickly and quietly closed his door as Apollo shook his head and began walking down the hall towards his room. He waited a few seconds before opening the door again. Apollo was in the process of opening his door. He looked up at Nico and smiled.

“Good morning, grumpy head,” the blond called to him. Nico narrowed his eyes, remembering when Apollo used to wake him up in the mornings. “Oh yeah, don't forget practice today after you're done with school. Don't be late.”

Nico nodded his head and headed towards the elevator. What had all of that been about? Apollo and Luke didn't want to have to take care of him? What made them think he needed to be taken care of in the first place? Still, it had stung a little.

Nico quickly boarded the elevator and headed down to the garage, where he found Calypso waiting for him. “Morning, Nico,” she said in her soothing voice.

Nico gave her a small smile before climbing into her car. “Do you think Percy would let me get my own car if I went for my permit?” He asked as the Lost Girl pulled out of the garage.

Calypso glanced over at him with a small smile. “I'm sure he wouldn't mind. But he'll probably want to make sure you're a capable driver first.”

“I just don't want to have to keep relying on people to give me a ride to school. I feel like a burden.”

“It's not that big of a deal, Nico. But Jason might have a vehicle, so you might be able to get a ride from him, once he's recovered.”

“I guess,” Nico mumbled, turning his head to stare out the window.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Calypso began, drawing Nico's attention back to her. “Luke wanted me to make sure you didn't plan anything tomorrow. He and Annabeth are planning something to do for those who have the day off.”

Nico nodded his head. “I take it you don't?”

Calypso shook her head. “Sadly, no. I think they're taking you to a water park.”

Nico stared at the girl for a moment. Calypso's name had been on the list that Reyna had given him yesterday, and Nico remembered Calypso saying once that Percy had alleviated a problem for her when they had first met. He swallowed, deciding to go through with his question.

“Calypso?” Nico asked, turning his head to look at the carmel haired girl.

She looked over at Nico for a moment before returning her attention to the road. “What is it, Nico?”

“I wanted to ask you something about your past and Percy.”

He watched as the Lost Girl's lips slowly thinned. She took a deep breath as she changed lanes. “You remember our conversation from the time we went to the beach I take it?” She said quietly.

Nico slowly nodded his head. “What problem did he alleviate for you?”

The girl's eyes hazed over and Nico had to grab the steering wheel as they began to drift over. The Lost Girl gasped and straightened out the car, slowing the car down a little. “Sorry,” she apologized. “It was just a hard time in my life, Nico.”

He nodded his head again. “You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”

Calypso shook her head. “No, it's fine. Besides, Reyna says you're still nervous around Percy.” The girl took a deep breath. “You don't need to be afraid of him.”

“But all of you are,” Nico pointed out. “I've seen it. Apollo was terrified of him after...you know.”

Calypso's lips pursed. “It's different. Percy wouldn't physically hurt us. We know he's dangerous, and I suppose he does want some level of fear to remain in us. But he doesn't want our fear to effect our relationship with him.” She glanced over at Nico. “You don't need to be afraid every time he comes into the room.”

Nico swallowed and nodded. “So what happened?”

The caramel haired girl took a deep breath. “When I came out here for modeling, I didn't make it, like I said,” she began. “The money I had brought with me didn't last me very long, and I couldn't find a job to really support myself with.” She was quiet a moment, and Nico noticed some tears forming in her eyes. “I ended up on the streets for a while. This man eventually found me and offered me some work. Let's just say that I was used to the prostitution aspect of our job when I came to the Lotus.” She paused again, biting on her lip. “He wasn't as nice as Percy. He hit me, abused me, and used me for his own needs.”

“I'm so sorry,” Nico whispered. His mouth hung open slightly. “He raped you?”

Calypso nodded her head. “If I refused to do a job, he would threaten to kill me. He would point guns at our heads and say that he owned us. We were his property.” Calypso sniffled and wiped at her eyes.

“How did Percy find you?”

The Lost Girl took a deep breath. “I had been working a corner one night when he walked by. I tried to proposition him for sex, and he had seemed interested. But, looking back on it, I think he was trying to help me. I had been beaten earlier that day, so I had a black eye and a few bruises on my arm.”

Nico swallowed as he listened to the girl's story. “What happened next?”

“Percy asked me to take him to my boss so that he could work out a special deal,” Calypso continued. “I didn't think anything of it, so I did as he asked. And besides, I was supposed to be obedient and do as the customer asked.” She shook her head. “So, I brought Percy in front of my boss. He asked rather nicely for me to be handed over into his care.”

“And your boss said no?”

Calypso nodded. “I suppose that was the biggest mistake he had ever made, and I think he realized that as soon as the words left his mouth. Percy's eyes, they changed drastically in a split second. They were so cold that I thought he could freeze hell over with a simple look.” She shrugged. “But before my boss could even get his gun pointed at Percy's head, Percy had shot out of his chair and slammed my boss's head onto his desk.

“He pried the gun from the man's hand and hit him with it before disassembling it. He picked my boss up by his collar and dragged him to a nearby window.” Calypso's lips thinned. “He smashed my boss's face through the glass and hung him out the window.” She took another deep breath. “My boss screamed for Percy just to take me. Percy smiled coldly down at the man before telling him thank you. Without saying anything else, he let my boss go. He walked up to me and offered me his coat before leading me out of the building.”

Nico stared at her with slightly wide eyes. “And your boss?” He asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Calypso pulled them into the parking lot of Nico's school. She stopped the car and turned to Nico. “We were on the tenth story and he crashed into a parked van. He didn't survive.”

Nico felt himself at a loss for words. A faint chill ran down his spine as he slowly climbed out of the car. He wasn't sure if Calypso's story had managed to worsen or ease his nerves when it came to Percy, but there it was. Letting out a long breath, Nico made his way into the school building.

\---------------------------------------

“So, Jason is sick?” Daedalus asked as he and Nico exited the school building. “He seemed fine yesterday.”

Nico blew out a long breath, trying to think of a response. The brunet had been asking variations of the same question since lunch, and Nico was starting to run out of answers. “He just woke up with a really bad virus. I think he was being taken to the doctor,” Nico replied, pursing his lips slightly.

He let out another breath when he spotted Bianca in the parking lot. He smiled at her as she threw her arms around him. “Sorry, I just wanted to see you again,” she mumbled into his hair.

Nico patted her on the back. “It's all right. I didn't get to see you for months.”

The brunette nodded her head and pulled away. “So, I was wondering if we could spend some time together this weekend. Maybe tomorrow?”

“But we were supposed to go on a date tomorrow,” Daedalus mumbled.

Bianca shot him a glare. “Should have thought about that before you failed to recognize my brother,” she grumbled. Her boyfriend let out a defeated sigh.

Nico chuckled. “That would be great,” he said. His eyes widened. “Oh, but I already made plans for tomorrow.”

Bianca frowned at him. “Oh. Well, maybe we could tag along?”

Nico chewed on his lip as he fought off a groan. His sister around the Lost Kids? Nothing good could come of this. “I suppose I can ask,” he mumbled.

His sister beamed at him. “Great! Just let me know the details.”

Nico nodded and his eyes drifted over to spot Percy's car. “I, uh, got to go.”

Bianca let out a sigh. “Already?” She asked. She followed Nico's gaze to Percy's car when her brother didn't seem to be paying attention. “Percy came to pick you up himself? That's nice of him.”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered, slowly making his way over to the blue car.

Before Nico knew what was happening, his sister was making a beeline for Percy's car. “I'll just ask him if it's all right if I tag along.”

Nico's eyes widened as he followed after his sister. As they approached Percy's car, the green-eyed young man looked up from his phone. He locked eyes with Nico and gave him an amused look. “Good afternoon, Bianca,” he greeted the girl cordially.

“Hello again, Percy,” Bianca replied. “I wanted to spend some time with Nico tomorrow, but he says he already has plans. Would it be all right with you or your employees if I tagged along?”

Percy shrugged, eyes darting back to Nico. Nico narrowed his eyes at his boss, seeing how much enjoyment he was getting from this. “Of course,” Percy replied, still locking eyes with Nico. “I'll let the others know to be on their best behavior.”

Bianca waved him off. “Oh, no. Don't worry about that. They can just be themselves.”

“I really don't think that's a good idea,” Nico mumbled under his breath.

Percy chuckled. “Don't worry about it. Nico can text you the details about it later. But right now, I need to get him back to the hotel,” the manager said.

Bianca sighed and nodded her head. She gave Nico another hug before allowing her brother to get into the car. As soon as his door was closed, Nico shot Percy a death glare. Why was Percy torturing him like this?

“What?” Percy asked innocently, pulling away from the school.

“You know damned well what,” Nico growled.

Percy shrugged. “It's not a big deal, Nico. The others know how to behave around outsiders. There's nothing to worry about.”

“My sister isn't stupid.”

Percy chuckled. “I didn't think she would be,” he replied. Nico looked at him curiously. “You're a smart kid, Nico. I figured your sister would be as well.”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up a little and he turned his head towards the window. Damn Percy. Why did he make it hard to stay upset with him? Nico huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Percy chuckled again and reached over to pinch Nico's cheek. The boy smacked the hand away and glared at the green-eyed young man. “You're cute when you pout,” Percy teased.

Nico rolled his eyes and looked out the window again. “Percy?”

“Hmm?”

Nico scrunched his lips. “Can I ask you something?”

He saw Percy shrug in the window's reflection. “I suppose,” the manager replied.

Nico rubbed his arm, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “How many people have you killed?” He glanced back at Percy.

Percy's lips tilted down, his eyes darting over to Nico. “I don't know. Lost count.”

Nico swallowed. He felt his stomach drop. “W-Well, why did you offer some of the other Lost Kids choices to kill someone for them?”

Percy sighed. “Because, I had the same opportunity given to me, so I was just giving them what I got.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean? Who did what for you?”

“Gaea gave me that same option,” Percy answered.

“With?”

Percy's eyes darkened as he watched the road. “My father.”

Nico swallowed another lump in his throat. “You-”

The green eyes that were usually very warm seemed to turn to ice. “He walked out on my mother, and because of that, he led to my suffering, and hers. My mother wouldn't have died if it weren't for him,” Percy spat venomously. “I hated that man until the day he died, and I didn't have any problem watching him die. The best thing Gaea ever did for me was murder that man.”

Nico let out a shaky breath. He clenched his hands and placed them in his lap, trying to get them to stop shaking. “And your brother? You killed him, didn't you?” He asked.

Percy's eyes flickered over to the glove compartment. “I think that's enough about this for now,” the young man said quietly.

Nico swallowed and nodded. Nico's eyes widened and he felt a chill shoot down his back as Percy reached over and opened the glove compartment. He had once been curious about the object he had spotted in there, but not anymore. The black gun stared back at him from the glove compartment. Nico's breath hitched as Percy reached his hand into the compartment. He tightly shut his eyes and fought the urge to flinch. Why did he have to go asking questions that he knew he didn't need to be asking?

Nico's brow furrowed as he heard a rattling noise in front of his face. He cracked an eye open to find a metal bin in front of his face. “Breath mint?” Percy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Nico let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He quickly shook his head. He watched as Percy's lips tilted down as he stared at Nico in disappointment. Nico pursed his lips, looking away from Percy's green eyes. He felt a little ashamed. The others had told him that he didn't need to be frightened of Percy, but he couldn't help it.

Percy popped a mint into his mouth and tossed the bin back into the glove compartment before shutting it. “I'm sorry,” Nico said softly.

Percy tilted his head to the side. “For what?”

“Just then.”

Percy shrugged as they pulled into the parking garage. “Don't worry about it,” he replied.

Nico opened his mouth a few times, but didn't know what to say. What could he say? He wasn't entirely sure how he was even supposed to feel. Percy parked the car and got out, shutting the door without saying anything further to Nico. Nico let his shoulders slump as he sat in the car.

He glanced up when Percy tapped on the glass. “You coming?” The manager asked.

Nico slowly inched out of the car. He shut the door and Percy locked his vehicle. The brown-eyed boy tailed along behind Percy like a puppy with its tail between its legs. He felt bad. Had he hurt Percy's feelings?

As the elevator door shut, Percy pinned Nico in the corner, placing both of his hands on either side of his head. “Stop your moping. I'm not mad at you,” he said in a low voice. “You have every right to be afraid, but just remember what I've already told you. I'm not going to hurt you. You're not in danger of being murdered.” He grabbed Nico's chin and forced the boy to look up at him. “I promised your sister I'd look after you and I meant it. But, I know you're going to need some time for all of this to sink in, so I'm willing to be patient.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

Percy shook his head. “You don't have anything to be sorry about.”

Nico swallowed. “Do you ever get afraid of yourself?”

“No. I know what I am.”

Nico's lips tilted down. “And what is that?”

“A monster.”

Nico felt his heart sink. For some reason, he didn't want to really believe that. Percy wasn't a monster. People like Nico's father were monsters, not Percy. “No.”

Percy shrugged. “You'll see for yourself.”

“I already know you're not.”

Percy stared into Nico's eyes, searching for something. A lie? Nico stood his ground under Percy's sharp gaze. He had nothing to fear in this. He wasn't lying. Sure Percy could be terrifying, but calling himself a monster was a little much.

“Do you ever regret the things you do?” Nico continued.

The elevator came to a stop at Percy's floor. He pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. Nico stared up at him, waiting for his answer. But it never came. Percy simply walked out of the elevator, leaving Nico alone. Nico stared after him until the metal doors closed.

Nico attempted to catch his breath as he pulled out his card. He slid it into the slot and hit the button to his floor. The elevator traveled down a floor and Nico stepped out. For some reason, Nico wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or feel at the moment.

He quietly opened the door to his suite and stepped inside. The place was quiet, so Jason was probably sleeping. Nico quietly made his way to his room, where he dropped off his backpack. He stripped himself of his clothes before searching for some workout clothes. He quickly slipped them on and just stood there for a moment.

Finally, letting out a sigh, Nico exited his room and suite. He made his way back to the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. He rode up in silence, his stomach in knots. He stepped off the elevator when it came to a stop. He hurried up the steps and walked over to the stage, where he climbed up.

The other Lost Kids had already gathered for practice, probably having done any numbers that didn't include Nico. Apollo raised an eyebrow at Nico as he took his place. “Everything all right there, Nico?” The blond asked.

Nico quietly nodded his head, earning a few looks from the others. “Percy hurt the poor baby's feelings again?” Luke asked in a pouty voice, rolling his eyes. Nico's head shot up and stared at the blond with hurt eyes. He thought he had moved past Luke's jerk phase.

“Oh shut up, Luke,” Thalia snapped back.

“Yeah, leave him alone,” Hazel added.

Apollo had his lips pursed. “You feeling up for practicing today, Nico?” He asked. Nico nodded. The blond stared at him for a few seconds before sighing. “All right. Let's keep going then.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Nico entered the bar and walked over to sign in. Chiron handed him his apron with a smile. “Thanks,” Nico said, forcing a smile onto his face.

“Is everything all right, Nico,” the bartender asked.

Nico sighed. “You'd be surprised at how many times I've already heard that today.”

Chiron hummed in response, picking up a glass to clean. “Would you like to talk about it? I assume this is about Percy?”

“Yeah,” Nico said quietly. “I'm just trying to figure some things out.” He frowned and stared up at the extremely tall man. “What do you think about him?”

“Percy? He's a good man with a good head on his shoulders.” Chiron sat the glass down and slid it off to the side. “Percy is loyal to his family, and if it weren't for him, your life, and the lives of all the other Lost Kids, would have probably ended. He looks out for everyone here.”

Nico bit down on his lip as he contemplated the man's words. “He called himself a monster.”

Chiron sighed and nodded his head. “Percy can be a little hard on himself, in my opinion. He's come to accept what he is and what he has to do.”

Nico frowned. “Then why call himself a monster?” He asked.

Chiron picked up some whisky and poured it into a glass. “That is something only Percy can answer. I'm afraid the workings of that one's mind are so complex that only he can tell you what he is thinking.” Chiron smiled and handed Nico two glasses of alcohol. He directed Nico to a table and sent the boy on his way.

He spotted Drew and Butch already tending to some customers. Nico walked up to the table Chiron had sent him to and set the drinks down. The two customers thanked him and requested some food, which Nico had to quickly scribble down. He looked up as Hazel walked into the bar, giving him a smile on the way to the counter.

As he was walking back to the bar, Nico found Drew standing there, admiring a few of her gold bracelets. Nico arched an eyebrow. He never did understand why some girls obsessed with jewelry. It felt like a way to distract from the person wearing it.

“You have a lot of jewelry,” Nico stated, typing his table's order into the computer.

“One can never have too much,” Drew scoffed.

“If only you'd sink when you swim,” Hazel said on her way by them.

Drew sneered at Hazel's back before flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Beauty is everything, Nico, especially in this business.”

Nico shrugged. “I don't really need jewelry,” he replied.

The Asian girl made a face as she looked him over. “Keep telling yourself that.” She grabbed his chin and turned it from left to right. “You could get some small studs in your ears, maybe a thumb ring.”

Nico swatted the girl's hand away. “No thanks.” He leaned against the bar. “So, is that where your paychecks go?”

Drew laughed dryly. “Oh please. I don't pay for half of this stuff. The clients shower me with it.”

Nico glanced up at Butch as the muscular youth approached. “Do all the Lost Kids get gifts like that?”

Butch shrugged. “Sometimes. Most of us decline them. It's better that way,” the buff Lost Boy grunted.

Drew rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she scoffed before walking off.

“Why is it better?” Nico inquired.

Butch glanced at Nico from the corner of his eye. “Talk to some of the others, like Apollo.” His eyes shot over to Hazel. “Or Hazel.”

Nico slowly nodded before heading back into the crowd. He walked up to a table full of women and threw on a smile. “Good evening, ladies,” he greeted them with a grin. “What can I get for all of you tonight?”

“Well aren't you adorable,” one of them said. Nico was surprised when the woman pulled out her phone and snapped his picture. She then reached into her purse and handed him a ten. “There you are, sweetie.”

Nico blinked down at the cash in his hands before chuckling and pocketing it. “Thanks.” He tapped his pen to his pad. “So what will it be?”

Time slowly creeped by for Nico. Two hours passed and Nico was finally getting to go on break. Percy hadn't shown up, but Nico wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. He was a little jealous. He figured that Percy was probably busy with Jason, which only managed to grate at his nerves. Had he gotten this much attention from Percy when he first arrived? He didn't think he had.

Nico stepped into the break room. Inside, Hazel and Drew seemed to be bickering. Drew was leaning on the couch, while Hazel sat on it, her head turned to glare at the Asian girl. “You don't use it, so why not just let me have it?” Drew asked. “At least then it can be used for something.”

“Just drop it,” Hazel retorted. “I'm being responsible with it.”

Drew gaped at the girl in mild disgust. “You want to pawn it all for money!”

“Yes, which is responsible. It's not a good idea to take all of that from those people.”

“They're rich! What does it matter? Think of it as payback for all the shit we're put through.”

“What's going on?” Nico asked, hesitantly stepping further into the room.

“Just go away, Drew,” Hazel sighed, finally tearing her eyes away from the other Lost Girl.

“Fine,” the Asian girl huffed before marching out of the room.

“Sorry,” Hazel mumbled. “She can be persistent sometimes.”

Nico nodded and sat down in the empty chair. “So, how do all of you know Drew and Juniper, if they worked at different hotels?” He asked.

“Well, Drew would tag along with Frank when he would come here for meetings.”

“Frank is the branch manager in Asia?”

Hazel nodded. “He's nice, like Percy. And if Percy had to go to Asia, he would take me along.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “Why? Is it custom to take a Lost Kid to these meetings?” Nico asked. Were more Lost Kids going to show up when Gaea had her meeting?

Hazel smiled. “Sort of. Usually, Percy takes one of the others, but Frank is a sweetheart who has a little crush on me.” She shrugged. “As for Juniper, I didn't get to see her as much. She would come here sometimes when Athena visited, but that's about it.”

Nico nodded. “So what was that about? The thing with Drew.”

Hazel sighed. “Drew wanted some of the jewelry that I get from customers, and I told her no.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “She said you were going to pawn it?”

Hazel nodded, a smile forming on her lips. “I'm just trying to think smart,” she reasoned. “My mom and I, we didn't have that much money...at least not until...you know.”

Nico nodded. He pursed his lips as he stared at the short girl. “You just want to make sure that you're taken care of?”

The girl nodded again. She stared down at her lap for a while in silence before finally looking back up at Nico with a sad smile. “I know this job won't last forever. I won't fool myself into thinking that.”

Nico scrunched his lips. He stared back into the girl's bright eyes with sadness. “What about that Frank guy?” He asked. “Couldn't he take care of you? Drew mentioned he was asking about you when she first arrived.”

Hazel smiled and touched a small necklace that she wore. “Maybe one day, but for now, my place is here. I owe that much to Percy.”

Nico began chewing on his lip. Could anything like that ever happen for him? Maybe with Percy? He honestly didn't know. He didn't know what the future held for him. Maybe he should be scared and nervous about that, but what could he really do about it?

“Can I ask about these gifts that you get?” Nico asked.

Hazel shrugged, staring down at her lap again. “Not much to say, really. I suppose it should be expected.”

Nico tilted his head to the side, his lips tilted down. “What should be?”

Hazel gave him a timid smile. “In this line of work, it should be expected that some of the customers get a little sweet on you,” she whispered. “Sometimes they give us gifts. A lot of the others just decline, but I want to do something useful with the gifts I get. So, I horde everything that is given to me.”

“And Drew?”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “Drew is shallow,” she mumbled. “It's not a smart idea to do what she does.”

Nico's frown increased. “What does she do?” He asked.

“Manipulation sounds like a good word.” The Lost Girl shook her head. “If Percy wasn't here to protect her, she might end up getting killed. She plays with the emotions of those people. I mean, I don't like them that much, but I'm not going to be cruel about it.”

Nico nodded. “So, she makes them believe they have a real chance with her? That maybe she actually wants them and that they could have something?”

Hazel sighed. She clasped the necklace in her hands. “Something like that. And for some people, that isn't a good thing.”

“Butch mentioned something about Apollo having similar issues.”

Hazel swallowed and shook her head. “I feel sorry for him. He doesn't do it to be cruel. He's a sweetheart, even if that might be hard for you to believe at the moment.” 

Nico arched an eyebrow. “Well, what's the problem with him?”

“You should talk to him about it.” She smiled. “He's a bit of a romantic at heart. And as you've already seen, he has a thing for Percy. A lot of people can get drawn to people like him, Nico.” She stood up and stretched. “Well, I suppose I'll get back to work. Enjoy the rest of your break.”

Nico pursed his lips. “Yeah, I'll try,” he mumbled, though he didn't look at the girl as she left.

A lot of what Hazel had said did make sense to him, and a lot of things started clicking in his head. The first time he had met Calypso, the girl had a bruise on her wrist. Apollo did seem to get a lot of attention. He could see how emotions could get involved during sex for some of the customers. Even Nico had gotten pulled in by the blond's charms when he had first arrived.

A little after two, the bar began to empty out. Nico stood around with the others, waiting for Chiron to dismiss them. The elevator dinged, much to Nico's confusion. He turned his head as the metal doors slid open. Percy walked out, hands in his pockets and a pair of green swim trunks on his shoulder. Nico frowned. Were those his swimming trunks?

“Everything go well tonight, Chiron?” Percy asked, taking a seat at the bar.

“Of course,” the bartender answered.

Percy smiled and nodded. He grabbed Hazel and pulled the girl into his lap. He whispered something to the girl, which made her smile and nod. Percy's sea-green eyes traveled over to Nico, where he gave the boy a sly smile.

Drew walked up to Percy and ran a hand up his thigh. Nico pursed his lips. “What's up, Drew?” Percy asked.

“I just wanted to see about coming to see you tonight,” the girl purred.

Percy smiled at her. “Sorry, I already have plans.”

Drew huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Honestly, the blond kid isn't going to die if you leave him alone for an hour or two.”

Percy rose to his feet, his arm draped over Hazel's shoulder. “Actually, I made plans with Nico,” Percy replied, raising a brow.

Nico coughed and looked away as the Asian girl's glare was turned on him. Percy smiled and walked over to him. He handed Nico the trunks on his shoulder. “You need to stop breaking into my room,” Nico mumbled.

Percy chuckled. “Do you mind if I go ahead and take him, Chiron?” He asked.

Chiron shook his head. “He's done for the night,” the man said.

Percy placed his arm around Nico and guided the boy towards the elevator. “And what are we doing exactly?” Nico asked, eyeing the trunks in his hands.

Percy only smirked as they boarded the elevator. He pushed the button to the lobby and the doors closed. “I wanted to relax in the hot tub for a little while,” he answered.

Nico bit down on his lip. Alone in a hot tub with Percy? Was this what heaven was like? If so, perhaps he should be more interested in religion. “Um, don't we need to change?” Nico voiced.

Percy smirked and hooked his thumbs into his pants, pulling them back to reveal a pair of blue swimming trunks beneath. He grinned down at Nico, amusement plastered on his face. “I guess you'll just have to change in front of me,” Percy purred to Nico.

Nico glared up at the green-eyed young man. “I hate you.”

“Sure you do.”

Nico sighed. “No peeking.”

Percy shrugged. “No promises on that. Besides, I've already seen you naked.”

Nico grumbled under his breath as the elevator came to a stop. Percy continued to smirk as he stepped off of the elevator. Nico let out a sigh before following after the tall young man. The elevator lobby was relatively deserted, which was to be expected, considering the time.

They entered the pool room, where Percy led them to the far right wall. He opened a door and gestured for Nico to go inside. Nico walked through the door and found himself standing in a room full of hot tubs. Percy walked over to one and stripped himself of his shirt.

Nico fought back a moan as he stared down at Percy's tan and perfect torso. His eyes drifted across every inch of muscle on the raven haired manager's exposed body. His eyes drifted down as Percy bent over to remove his pants. Percy's body should be labeled a drug for the human eyes.

The green-eyed young man lowered himself into the hot tub and spread his arms out along its surface. He looked up at Nico with a smirk. “Are you going to join me?” He asked.

Nico wasted no time in stripping himself of his shirt and pants. He only came to a halt when he was left standing there in his boxers. He let out a breath before hooking his fingers beneath the fabric and lowering it. Percy made no attempt to look away as Nico stood there completely naked in front of him.

“You know, you don't need to put those on,” Percy suggested, “if you don't want to.”

Nico felt his face heat up. “I don't know.”

Percy shrugged. “I can take mine off, too, if it would make you feel better.”

Nico's heart went into overtime as he stood there, still completely naked. As shy as he might be about his body, he couldn't really pass up an opportunity to have Percy naked. He nodded his head and lowered himself into the water, directly across from Percy.

Percy grinned and lowered his hands beneath the water. A few seconds later, his blue trunks were brought to the surface and set on the edge of the hot tub. Percy placed his hands behind his head. Nico sighed and let himself relax in the warm water, his eyes closing. He could get used to this. Perhaps he would need to come down here more often.

Nico's eyes opened when he heard movement in the water. He blinked in surprise when he found Percy sitting right next to him. “So, how was work?” Percy asked casually.

“It was okay,” Nico said, managing to keep his voice calm. His eyes drifted down to try and look at Percy's body beneath the water, but Nico was disappointed to find he couldn't really make anything out.

Percy nodded and ran a wet hand into his hair. “Don't forget to let your sister know about tomorrow.”

“I already did. I talked to Annabeth after practice.”

Percy nodded again. Without warning, he grabbed Nico by the waist and hoisted him up and into his lap. Nico stiffened, in more ways than one, in the young man's hold. Percy let out a sigh and leaned back, pulling Nico with him. Nico let his back press against Percy's chest. He bit down on his lip as he tried to distract himself from the fact that he could feel Percy's manhood beneath his ass.

Percy rested his chin on Nico's shoulder. He chuckled in Nico's ear, causing the younger boy to shiver. “Nico, you seem a little tense,” he whispered. “Is there something I can do to help with that?”

Nico let out a moan as one of Percy's hands moved down to his crotch. “This isn't fair if you're just teasing,” Nico panted.

Percy bit down on Nico's neck. “I never said I was teasing.”

Nico was forced out of Percy's lap, where he was turned around to face the young man. Percy pulled him back down and into his lap. Nico rested his hands against Percy's chest as he rested his ass on Percy's crotch, which he could feel beginning to harden. He let out a quiet moan as Percy pressed his hips down.

Percy's mouth was pressed against Nico's chest, sucking and placing kisses along the pale flesh. Nico bit down on his lip to stifle a few moans, while he ground his hips into Percy's lap. “Percy,” Nico gasped as the green-eyed young man wrapped a hand around him.

“You know,” Percy began, “I think I've figured you out.”

Nico buried his face into the crook of Percy's neck. “What's that?”

“You're like this forbidden fruit, and it only manages to make people want you more.” He pulled Nico's head back and crashed their lips together. Nico moaned into the kiss as Percy sucked on his bottom lip. “And let's just be honest. I'm like the others. I want to corrupt you so very much, Nico. It's just so tempting.”

Nico's breathing had turned ragged as he stared down at Percy with dark, lust filled eyes. He licked at his now kiss swollen lips. “I have no problem with this,” he breathed out.

Percy smirked and kissed along Nico's jaw. “But, I know I can't. And that, my dear Nico, is what makes you so tempting.”

Nico groaned as he pressed their bodies together. “I'm hoping there's another 'but' in there.”

Percy chuckled and kissed Nico again. “But, I suppose it couldn't hurt to indulge a little bit every now and then.”

Nico gasped as Percy stood up. He couldn't help but shiver from the cold feeling his body was now exposed to. Percy laid him down on the ground, his legs still in the hot tub. Percy remained in the warm water, while his arms rested on either side of Nico's body. The green-eyed manager leaned down and ran his tongue from Nico's nipple, down to his bellybutton.

Nico bit down on his lip to mask a moan when Percy's head traveled lower. Percy's tongue flicked against him before pulling back and smirking up at the brown-eyed boy beneath him. The boy shivered as Percy's fingers shadowed across his skin.

Percy suddenly flipped Nico over so that he lay on his stomach, his ass jutting out just a few inches above the water. Nico let out a loud moan as Percy pressed himself against his backside. He buried his face into the ground as Percy's breathing appeared on his ear. “Tell me, Nico, do you know what rimming is?” Percy asked huskily.

Nico moaned and nodded his head, unable to form a single word at the moment. Percy smirked and pulled away. His tongue then appeared on Nico's back, licking down Nico's spine. As he licked back up, he planted a kiss in the middle of Nico's back. Nico let out another moan as Percy's hands began massaging his shoulders.

As Percy worked on his shoulders, he apparently decided to torture Nico further by pressing himself up against Nico's butt. “Are you scared of me right now, Nico?” Percy asked.

Nico shook his head, his eyes half shut. “N-no,” he managed to get out.

Nico shuddered as Percy face, once again, appeared beside his ear. “Good,” the young man whispered.

Percy removed his hands and began kissing a trail down Nico's smooth back. He got on his knees in the water and took Nico's butt cheeks in his hands. He spread them apart just as he planted a kiss on Nico's right cheek. The brown-eyed boy gasped, his eyes opening wide, as Percy began to work on him with his tongue.

“More,” Nico moaned.

And Percy gave him just that. Nico's hands managed to get ahold of his discarded shirt, and were now twisting it tightly. He let out a yelp as Percy pulled back and bit him on the ass. He heard Percy chuckle, but Nico couldn't manage to lift his head up to give the young man a glare.

Percy's phone suddenly went off. Percy let out a sigh and pulled away from Nico, which made the younger boy whine. He lay on top of Nico to reach for his phone. Nico let out a quiet moan as Percy erection pressed against his ass.

“What's up, Leo?” Percy asked. He placed a kiss in between Nico's shoulder blades. Nico bit down on his lip when one of Percy's hands groped his ass. “Well, I was sort of in the middle of something. Is it important?” He let out a sigh. “Okay, I'll be up there in a minute.” He hung up the phone and kissed Nico's back again. “I got to go.”

Nico rolled over as Percy pulled away to grab his swim trunks. “Why?” He asked, pouting at the green-eyed young man. 

Percy climbed out of the hot tub, drawing Nico's eyes to his lower extremities. “Sorry, but Jason's condition is getting a little worse. I need to go check on him.” He bent over and grabbed his pants. He slipped them back on and did the same with his shirt. He slung his wet swim trunks onto his shoulder and crouched down in front of Nico. “I'll see you later, all right?”

Nico sighed and nodded. “Yeah,” he mumbled, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

Percy gave him a lopsided smile and ran a hand into Nico's hair before standing up. He walked towards the doors, where he disappeared from Nico's view. Nico let out another sigh before lowering himself back into the warm water. He groaned and let his head fall back onto the edge of the hot tub.

Why did Jason need so much attention? It wasn't like someone else couldn't look after him. Couldn't he have waited a little longer, so that Nico and Percy could have finished what they were doing? But, no, his roommate couldn't give him that.

After about five minutes of sitting there in silence, Nico climbed out of the hot tub. He grabbed his trunks and slid them on. He grabbed his shirt, boxers, shoes, and pants before heading for the door. As he pushed through the door, he maneuvered back into his shirt.

He froze when he noticed someone in the pool. He walked closer to see who it was. The swimmer finally stopped, and Nico could finally make out the side of Luke's face. The blond seemed to notice him, as he turned his head towards the raven haired boy. His lips tilted down as he went back to swimming.

Nico walked to the edge of the pool and sat down, depositing the clothes in his hands behind him. Luke stopped swimming again to glare lightly at Nico for a few seconds before diving under the water. Nico's eyes traveled over to Luke's towel in a chair. He got up and walked over to it.

Luke resurfaced by the edge of the pool, and Nico held the towel in front of his face. Luke's icy blue eyes narrowed at him before pulling himself out of the water and snatching the towel from Nico's hand. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“Don't mention it,” Nico replied, sitting down beside the blond on the edge of the pool. “I didn't see you yesterday.”

Luke grunted at him, busy drying his hair. “I was busy.”

“Oh.”

Luke arched an eyebrow and tossed the towel behind him. “What, didn't have anyone else to bother? Did I miss a sign on me that says that I want to be bothered? Because you've been hanging around me an awful lot lately, brat.”

Nico frowned at him. “You don't have to be a jerk. I thought we were past this.”

Luke scoffed at him. “There is no getting past who I am,” he retorted.

Nico sighed. Why was Luke being rude again? He hadn't done something to offend the blond, had he? “I wanted to talk to you about something,” Nico mumbled.

“Joy,” Luke droned.

“Why didn't you and Octavian come here together?”

Luke's body stiffened. “None of your fucking business,” he growled. He turned his head away from Nico, and Nico saw him reach up to touch his scar. He turned his chilling gaze back on Nico. “I saw Percy walking out. You must have sucked, seeing how fast he walked out of here.”

Nico glared at the blond. “It didn't have anything to do with me. He was going to check on Jason.”

Luke laughed at him. “Sucks for you, kid. I guess you just can't hold his attention.”

Nico frowned up at the blond, his eyes reflecting his hurt feelings from the blond's words. “It's not like he would actually do what I wanted him to.”

Luke smirked and shoved Nico onto his back, pinning his hands above his head. “And what is it you want him to do?” He asked. He pulled himself completely out of the pool and spread Nico's legs. “Something like this?” Nico stared up at him with wide eyes. Luke narrowed his eyes at him and jerked away, like Nico had actually burned him. “Stop looking at me like that.”

Nico sat up and tilted his head to the side. “Like what?”

Luke glared at Nico from the corner of his eye before getting to his feet. He snatched his towel from the ground and walked over to pick up his shirt before storming out of the pool room. Nico sat there, not really sure what had just happened.

He slowly picked himself up and silently walked over to where he had dropped his clothes. He picked them up and exited the pool room. Luke must have already boarded an elevator, as Nico didn't see the blond again. Nico leaned back against the wall of the elevator, letting out a long sigh. He truly didn't understand the others at times.

The elevator finally came to a stop, and Nico exited it. As he headed down the hall, he could vaguely hear noise coming from one of the rooms. He stopped in front of his door and stared down the hall. Will and Apollo's door had been dead-bolted so that it was kept open. Nico could hear explosions coming from the room, followed by gunfire. He arched an eyebrow and headed down to the room, knocking on the door.

“Come in!” Will yelled from the other side.

Nico pushed the door open and peered inside. Will sat on their couch, game controller in hand. The game that Nico had been hearing turned out to be the second Borderlands game. Apollo and Thalia stood in the kitchen, the blond clad only in sweat pants. They both had a bottle of green apple Smirnoff in their hands.

Will paused his game and looked over at Nico. “Hey there, Nico,” the blond greeted him.

“What's up, dude?” Apollo added. “A little late for a visit, isn't it?”

“I was just getting back to my room,” Nico answered.

“Good thing you weren't in your room,” Thalia mumbled.

Nico cocked an eyebrow at her. “Why?”

Apollo blew out a breath. “Jason doesn't seem to be doing so well. We heard him yelling earlier, had Leo call Percy,” the blond answered.

“Sounded like he was being murdered,” Will added, going back to his game, but turning the volume down.

Thalia sighed. “I tried going over and talking to him, but he kicked me out,” she said. She finished off her drink and sat the bottle down before smirking at Apollo. “I'll see you tomorrow, blondie.”

Apollo nodded at her. “Take it easy,” he said as the girl walked past Nico and out the door.

“You want to play?” Will asked, glancing at Nico.

“Um, I don't know how. I've never played it,” he chuckled.

Will shrugged as Nico took a seat next to him. “You can be the distraction.”

Nico frowned and smacked Will's arm, which made the blond grin. Apollo stuck his finger in front of his mouth and acted like he was gagging. “Please, if you two end up banging tonight, keep it down. I have to work early tomorrow,” the curly haired blond said.

“So do I, bitch.”

“Do I need to go so you two can sleep?” Nico asked, looking between the two.

Apollo shook his head. “Nah. We're going to be up for a little longer,” he said.

Nico checked the clock. “But it's after three.”

Will chuckled and handed him a controller. “Not that big a deal. We'll just take a nap between shifts tomorrow,” Will explained.

After about fifteen minutes of attempting to kill things with Will, Nico sat the controller down. “I think I need to get to bed,” he decided.

“You can sleep here, if you want,” Will said, turning off the game. “Right, Apollo?”

Apollo, who had sprawled out on a chair to their right, looked up from a book. “Yeah, whatever. Probably don't want to go back to your room anyways,” the blond mumbled.

Nico rubbed his arm. “I don't know,” the raven haired boy said uneasily.

Will smiled and jumped to his feet. “It's cool, dude. You can crash with me,” the straight haired blond said. “I promise I won't molest you in your sleep.”

“Don't let him lie to you,” Apollo sighed, closing his book. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head.

Will shot him a dirty look. He turned his head back to Nico and smiled, holding out his hand for Nico to take. “Come on. I promise I won't bite,” he winked at Nico, “much.”

“How charming,” Nico muttered, taking the offered appendage.

Will chuckled. “Besides, I did promise we could talk.”

Nico scrunched his lips, contemplating the offer. “I suppose.” He glared at Will. “No sex.”

Will winked at the shorter boy. “Whatever you say, Nico.”

Nico sighed and followed the blond to his room. It was quite different from his own, more decorations. Nico supposed he should invest in getting more stuff for his room. The blond had a laptop on his bed. Another TV sat on the dresser opposite his bed. A few clothes were littered across his floor, but that was the extent of his mess. He had a surfboard in the corner by his closet, which didn't really surprise Nico that much. He had a few posters on his wall, including one of Legolas from Lord of the Rings. There was another dresser with a mirror on it. The blond had a few bracelets and a first-aid kit sitting on its surface.

“I, uh, need to change,” Nico said, waving his boxers in the air.

Will chuckled. “And what were you doing that got you out of those?” He teased.

“I was relaxing in a hot tub.”

Will nodded. He opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of track shorts, tossing them to Nico. “I figure you'll want something else to sleep in.”

Nico nodded and exited the blond's room. Apollo exited the bathroom, giving Nico a smile before heading into his room. All Nico was able to make out in the curly haired blond's room were band posters and music sheets on his bed. Nico stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.

He quickly changed and headed back to Will's room. Will had changed into his own track shorts by the time Nico had returned. He had rid himself of his shirt, and now sat cross-legged on his bed, watching TV. Will yawned and looked at Nico. “You can toss your stuff anywhere,” he mumbled, waving around the room.

Nico sat his stuff in a pile beside the door before sitting on the edge of the bed. Will slid up the bed and put his legs under the covers. Nico continued to sit there, slightly uncomfortable. Was this really a good idea? This seemed like a perfect opportunity for one of the Lost Boys to try and seduce him.

“You can get in the bed, you know,” Will chuckled.

Nico chuckled nervously and climbed into the bed beside the blond. Will groaned as he muted the TV. He climbed out of bed and walked over to turn off the light. When Will climbed back onto the bed, he hovered over Nico's body.

“Can I help you?” Nico grumbled.

Will grinned down at him. “Well, I can think of a few things that you can do,” he purred, leaning in closer.

Nico was surprised when Will actually pressed his lips against Nico's. The raven haired youth's pulse picked up as the blond's lips moved against his. His body had originally gone rigid, but relaxed a little. He kissed the blond back for a few seconds before rolling his head to the side, breaking the contact.

Will chuckled. “Well, at least I got a kiss out of it,” he teased. “If it makes you feel any better, I won't go bragging about it to the others. You know, if you wanted to kiss again.”

Nico turned his head back towards the blond, staring into his blue eyes for a moment. “We'll see.”

Will grinned and rolled off of Nico. He slid under the covers and faced the pale boy that lay beside him. “So, what did you want to know about me?” He asked.

Nico rolled onto his side so that he could face the blond. “You said you were in an orphanage?”

Will swallowed and lowered his head. His eyes flickered up to stare at Nico from behind his short bangs. “Do we really have to talk about that?” He gave Nico a smile. When Nico first got to the Lotus, he might have been fooled by that kind of smile, but not anymore.

“You can't tell me anything about your time there?”

Will shrugged. “I spent most of my life there, until I ran away,” the blond answered casually.

“Why did you run?”

Will's smile finally faltered. “What else do you want to know about me, Nico?”

Nico pursed his lips. Obviously it hadn't been a pleasant experience for the blond. “What about your parents? What happened to them?”

Will shrugged. “They're fine, last I checked,” the blond said. He rolled onto his back, his hand resting behind his head.

Nico's brow furrowed. “They're still alive?”

Will nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“Then why did you live in an orphanage?”

Will's lips thinned. “Not everyone's parents want them, Nico.” He let out a sigh. “My dad was a bit of a playboy, I guess you could say. At least in high school he was. He was sort of like Percy, just not as smart.”

“And he knocked your mom up?”

Will sighed again. “Yeah, pretty much. After I came to the Lotus, I asked Percy to look into my parents for me. I went and visited my mother first. She told me all about my father. Honestly? She was obsessed with him. She said my father had the looks of a god in his youth, and when she saw me, she commented on how much I looked like him.”

Nico placed his hand under his cheek. “What happened to them?” He asked.

Will blew out a breath. “Like I said, my dad was a playboy. He knocked my mother up after their graduation. I guess he freaked out when he found out she was pregnant, because he disappeared after that. So, my mother, a little scorned by his actions, gave me up for adoption.” He swallowed as he stared up at the ceiling. “I sometimes wonder if things would have been better if she had just had an abortion.”

Nico gaped at the blond. “You can't mean that,” the raven haired boy whispered.

Will shrugged. “It doesn't matter, can't change the past.” He shook his head. “But she definitely still had a thing for my father. She had his picture up all around her house. But he had never contacted her again after finding out about her pregnancy.”

“Did you ever find your father?”

The blond nodded. “Yeah, though I'm not sure I should have. He was a vain asshole. He moved up to northern California at some point. Apparently, he had knocked up another girl, but this one had managed to get him to marry her. There were quite a few kids there.” Will chewed on his lip for a moment before continuing. “My father, he made me sick. I actually hated the way I looked for a long time after meeting him.”

Nico frowned. “Why?”

“When I met him, all he wanted to talk about, all he seemed to be proud of me for, was that I looked just like him when he was younger. That was my big accomplishment for his life.”

Nico reached over and touched the blond's free hand. “We don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to,” he whispered.

Will gave him a small smile. “Maybe another day?”

Nico nodded. Will slipped a hand beneath Nico and pulled the boy up against him. Nico glared up at the blond, who only smiled and rested his cheek against Nico's head. Will picked up the remote and turned off the TV. Nico huffed and rested his head on Will's bare chest. It wasn't long until Nico drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

\-------------------------------------------------------

Nico scrunched his face up when he felt something wet hit his cheek. He mumbled something incoherent and buried his face into his warm pillow. He sighed and hugged his pillow closer to him. When he felt the wetness again, he cracked an eye open.

Will grinned down at him. A droplet of water from the blond's wet hair hit Nico on his forehead. Nico's eyes slowly traveled down, realizing that Will was clad only in a towel. His eyes shot back up and blinked at the blond. “Good morning, Nico,” Will moaned out, biting down on his lip.

“Five more minutes,” Nico mumbled before rolling back onto his side.

Will chuckled. “But you need to get up. You're going to be leaving in a little over an hour.”

Nico groaned. “Fine. I need to get a shower.”

Will trailed his fingers down Nico's bare torso. “Maybe I should have woken you up earlier then. Or you could always go join Apollo in his.”

Nico glared up at the blond. “I think I'll just go back to my suite.”

Will shrugged and climbed off of Nico. He stood up and pulled out some boxer-briefs from his dresser. Nico's face turned completely red as Will unfastened his towel, letting it fall to the floor. Nico's mouth fell open a little as he stared at Will's perky butt. The blond bent over, giving him a better view, and slid on his underwear.

Nico mentally slapped himself to get himself out of his daze. He swung his legs out of the bed and sat there, ruffling his messy hair. He stared up when Will came to stand in between his legs. “You're cute when you sleep,” Will said, winking at the boy.

Nico sighed. “Shut up,” he grumbled.

Will smirked and leaned towards Nico. “You should sleep over more often.”

“If I do, we still won't be having sex.”

Will bit down on his bottom lip. “We'll see about that.” He cocked his head to the side. “I don't suppose I could get another kiss? You have nice lips.”

Nico cleared his throat and averted his gaze from the blond's blue eyes. “I don't know.”

Will pouted at him. “Just a quick one?”

Nico sighed. He stood up and leaned up to press a quick kiss to the corner of Will's mouth. But before Nico could slip away, Will grabbed his face and crashed their mouths together. Nico's eyes went wide. He opened his mouth to protest, but the blond only used that to his advantage, slipping his tongue inside. Nico kicked himself when he let out a moan.

“I hate you,” Nico mumbled when Will pulled away.

The blond grinned down at him. “Why, because you enjoyed it?”

Nico glared at him. “You said a quick kiss.”

Will shrugged. “Just be thankful I didn't get you naked in your sleep.”

Nico rolled his eyes and slid out of Will's track shorts. The blond's eyes raked across Nico's exposed flesh, until it was covered by his swim trunks. “Bye,” Nico said, finally looking back at Will. “Thanks for letting me crash here.”

Will smiled and shrugged. “Like I said, feel free to crash here any time you want.”

Nico nodded and opened the blond's door. He walked down the hall and exited the suite. The Stolls were walking towards the elevator when he came out. “Hurry up, Nico,” Travis called back.

“Don't want to be late,” Connor added.

“Or Luke will come after your ass,” they finished together.

Nico sighed as he opened his door. He still hated how they did that. It made him feel like he should be riding on a tricycle, down a creepy hallway. Did all twins do that? Nico closed the door to his suite and stopped.

Percy sat at the island in the kitchen, already sipping at some coffee. “Yes, you can help yourself to that,” Nico said sarcastically.

Percy chuckled. “I didn't think you'd mind,” he replied. He arched an eyebrow as he took another sip. “You didn't sleep here last night?”

Nico shook his head. “I crashed with Will.”

Percy's lips tilted down as he sat his mug down. “I see. I trust that everything stayed family friendly?”

Nico cocked an eyebrow. “Jealous?”

A sly grin spread out on Percy's lips. “Just seeing if I need to change your work schedule.”

Nico pursed his lips. He swallowed a lump in his throat. “No, nothing happened,” he grumbled. “Will and Apollo just suggested that I sleep there, since Jason was screaming his head off.”

Percy nodded. “All right. Well, you should get ready. You'll be leaving soon,” Percy grinned, “and I doubt you want your sister to be alone with the others.”

Nico paled. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. He quickly headed for his room, ignoring the laughter echoing from behind him.

He kept his trunks on, while he gathered some clothes to change into later. He grabbed a second shirt to put on after his shower and headed for the bathroom. He quickly washed off, not wanting to chance his sister arriving before he could get to the lobby.

When he was done, he quickly dried his hair and brushed his teeth. He put on some deodorant and slipped into his trunks and shirt. He ran back to his room and got a pair of sandals. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and spare clothes, and headed out the door.

As he made a beeline for the front door, Percy grabbed his wrist. The smaller boy was pulled back and forced to face Percy. “What?” Nico asked. “I'm in a hurry.”

Percy frowned. “Yeah, well, it can wait a moment. I'm sorry I had to run like that last night.”

Nico shrugged. “It's fine, I guess.”

Percy tugged at the hem of Nico's shirt. “And I was rather enjoying myself, as I know you were.” He gave Nico a wink.

Nico's cheeks turned pink. Why was Percy so charming? Nico learned by this point that one look from those green eyes, and he would probably give Percy anything he wanted. It really wasn't fair. “I, uh, need to get going,” Nico fumbled, nodding his head towards the door.

Percy smiled down at him, removing his hands from Nico. The brown-eyed boy swallowed the lump in his throat and stumbled backwards, his back coming in contact with the door. Percy chuckled at him before he disappeared out of the suite.

When he arrived in the lobby, he was horrified to find Bianca and Daedalus sitting in the lounging area with the others that were going to the water park. He hurried over to them. “Bianca, whatever they said, don't listen to them. They are compulsive liars,” he said.

Bianca blinked at him before raising a brow. “They were just telling me how much they enjoy having you here,” she replied.

Nico glared around at the other Lost Kids. Luke and Octavian sat on the opposite couch, with Annabeth squished between them. Travis sat in a chair between the couches, with Connor sprawled out across his lap. Juniper was perched on the arm of the chair, where Connor had his feet resting in her lap. Silena, Reyna, and Zoë stood off to the side. All of them grinned innocently at Nico.

Luke stood up. “Now that you're here, we can get going,” the blond said, giving Nico a look that let the raven haired boy know he was annoyed with him for being late. “Annabeth, how many cars do we need?”

Annabeth sighed and rolled her eyes. “I swear, you can be so lazy sometimes,” she grumbled. Her grey eyes did a quick scan of everyone around her. “Three people to a vehicle. So, three, if you want to divide evenly.”

Luke shrugged. “Doesn't matter to me. Someone can always sit in someone's lap.”

“That might be good,” Juniper piped in, “so that our guests don't have to drive.”

“It's not a problem,” Daedalus said.

Luke shrugged again. “Okay, but I think we were just trying to help you with your lady,” the blond said. Daedalus tilted his head to the side.

“By getting her to sit in your lap,” Travis said with a grin.

Daedalus's face turned a little pink, while Bianca coughed and looked away. “Can we just go?” Octavian grumbled.

Luke grunted and pulled out his car keys. As they all walked to the elevator, Nico fell into step beside Luke. “I'd prefer you not help someone get into my sister's pants,” he hissed.

Luke smirked. “Someone in your family needs to get laid,” the blond replied.

As they rode down in the elevator, Silena attempted to make small talk with Nico's sister. He heard the Lost Girl complement her on her hair. In the parking garage, Nico clung to his sister. He wasn't about to let them be alone with her, not on his watch.

“How do you want to split up?” Luke asked Annabeth.

The blonde shrugged. “Doesn't matter to me,” she replied. “I can take Juniper, Nico, Bianca, Daedalus, and Reyna.”

Those that Annabeth listed off climbed into the blonde's car. Nico sat in the backseat. Juniper sat on his right, while Daedalus sat on his left, with Bianca in his lap. Annabeth cranked her car, while Reyna attempted to find something to listen to. “Why must you have nothing to listen to?” The dark haired girl complained. “All you have are these lectures from all these important smart people.”

Daedalus seemed to perk up, and Nico figured he knew which Lost Kid the brunet would be talking to during the day. Annabeth just rolled her eyes before pulling out of her parking space. She followed Luke's car out of the garage, and they were on their way.

The one thing Nico was disappointed about with having his sister and her boyfriend in the car was that he couldn't talk about some of the things he wanted to. “Where is this water park anyways?” Nico asked.

“San Dimas,” Annabeth said plainly.

Nico blew out a breath. Well, they were going to be stuck in the car for at least half an hour, probably close to double that. Great, Nico thought. And as if he knew what Nico was thinking, Daedalus went and opened his mouth. “So, Juniper, do I pick up on a British accent?”

The girl smiled at him. “You do. I just moved here recently,” Juniper replied.

“You look really young,” Bianca pointed out. “How old are you?”

“I'm nineteen.”

The two of them nodded. Nico caught Annabeth staring at them in the rearview mirror. “Well, what brought you out here? Parents move you, or was this your decision?”

Nico noticed the amber haired girl's lip twitch as she tried to maintain her smile. “No, my parents are back in England.” She glanced up at Annabeth. “Percy asked me to make the move.”

Bianca nodded her head. “I wanted to thank all of you for helping to take care of my brother,” she said, patting Nico on the leg. “He actually looks better and healthier than when he was at home.”

“It's not a problem at all,” Annabeth said from the front seat. “He takes care of himself, for the most part. And he's not that much trouble.” Nico glared at her through the mirror, which she chose to ignore.

The rest of the car ride was, for the most part, uneventful. Nico and Juniper ended up falling asleep, using each other as pillows. He was eventually shaken awake by his sister. “What?” He grumbled.

“We're here, brat,” she replied.

Nico narrowed his eyes at her. “You know I don't like being called that.”

“Just making up for lost time.”

\------------------------------------------------

Nico sat on the edge of one of the pools with Juniper. Reyna and Octavian were nearby, bickering about something. Suddenly, Reyna rolled her eyes and shoved the blond's shoulder, pushing him into the pool. Octavian popped his head back up and sputtered at the dark haired girl. Reyna cackled at him, and the blond used this to his advantage by yanking on Reyna's leg and pulling her in with him.

“Your sister seems nice,” Juniper mused.

“Thanks,” Nico said, smiling. He stared over at his sister, who was hopping red and yellow circles in the middle of the pool with her boyfriend. Nico let out a sigh. “I just worry what will happen if she finds out.”

Juniper squeezed his hand. “I doubt she'll hate you. She loves you.”

“But she wouldn't approve of what I'm doing. She wouldn't even approve of my infatuation with Percy, if she knew what he was really like.”

Juniper's lips tilted down into a minute frown. “And what is Percy really like? I thought he was the sweet and charming guy that we all know and love,” she retorted.

Nico frowned at her. “You know what I mean. If she found out he has killed people, that he'll probably kill again, she would throw a fit with me living anywhere near him.”

Juniper shrugged. “What's she going to do? If Percy doesn't want to hand you over, she can't really do anything about it. But, then again, I suppose it comes down to your decision. If you don't want to leave, Percy isn't going to let her take you.”

The brown-eyed boy sighed and looked out at the pool, watching the others enjoy themselves. Luke and Silena were talking, which seemed to draw Octavian's attention from time to time. Travis and Connor had seemingly disappeared, which had Nico slightly worried. Not for their safety, but for what they might be up to.

“Am I stupid for liking Percy?” Nico asked, turning back to Juniper.

The girl shook her head. “I don't think so. He seems fond of your company as well.”

Nico shrugged. “I just know that nothing can really come from it. He's right, he can never give me what I want.”

Juniper gave him a sympathetic smile. “You never know.”

“But he can't give me a committed relationship, even if he did like me. All because of his stupid method for handling the Lost Kids.”

Juniper's lips tilted down. “It's not stupid.” She pursed her lips and kicked at the water. “It's better than some alternative methods that the other managers use. You should hear some of the stories Grover has to tell about Kronos.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Who's Grover?” He asked.

Juniper's smile returned. “He's a sweet guy. He works for Kronos, like Leo and Rachel work for Percy. He should be here for the manager meeting.”

Nico smirked at her. “Do you like him?”

The girl's cheeks darkened slightly. “Maybe,” she mumbled. She frowned and shook her head. “But, nothing can come of it.”

“Why not? You could just move to Kronos's hotel.”

Juniper shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “I don't want to, and Grover won't let me.”

Nico's brow furrowed. This Kronos didn't sound like a very good person. Ever since Nico had heard his name, it had been a lot of negative things, except from Percy. “What's this Kronos like?”

The amber haired girl chewed on her lip. “I don't want to talk about him. He's like the mirror opposite of Percy.” She swallowed. “Just know that Percy's methods are preferred by those of us that know what some of the other managers do.”

“Juniper!” Zoë called. “Can you come here for a moment?”

The amber haired smiled at Nico and patted him on the back as she stood up. Nico sat there, staring at the water. He checked his arms to make sure he wasn't burning. He had put on sun tan lotion, but he was pale enough that he felt he needed to worry about his skin. He frowned and stood up, yanking up his trunks. He let out a sigh. Even though he had gotten back to his normal physique, he was still extremely skinny.

He yelped as he was picked up and tossed over someone's shoulder. He lifted his head to glare at the back of Luke's head. “What do you think you're doing?” Nico growled at him.

“Your sister wanted to go on the Dragon's Den,” Luke grumbled.

“And? What does that have to do with you going caveman on me?”

“You need someone to ride with you.”

He finally sat Nico down in front of his sister. She arched an eyebrow at them, which earned her a glare from her brother. Damn Luke, he was going to give his sister ideas about the two of them. The blond just arched an eyebrow at him and grabbed a raft for the two of them, holding it behind his back.

“He's cute,” Bianca whispered in his ear.

Nico's cheeks tinged pink. “Shut up,” he muttered under his breath.

When they reached the front of the line, Daedalus smiled and sat down in his and Bianca's raft before helping his girlfriend to sit down in front of him. Nico watched as they disappeared down the slide. “I'm surprised,” Luke said once they were gone.

Nico sighed and turned his head to look at the blond. “About what?” He asked.

“Your sister is actually tolerable. Why can't you be like her?”

“Ha ha ha. You're so funny.”

Luke smirked and sat the raft down. Nico glared at him while he took his place in between the blond's legs. “While you're down there...” Luke said with a grin.

Nico turned his head to give Luke a death glare. “If you want to keep your manhood, shut up.”

Luke chuckled before shoving them off. They laughed as the raft shot down into a drop. They shot through the dark tube, until they emerged in a large bowl, where water was being poured in from several corners. They slowly drifted around the bowl. Nico's pulse slowly picked up as the raft turned around in the water, so that they were now going backwards.

He laughed and yelled as they hit the slide, where they descended rapidly. When they hit the bottom, however, they hit a bump upon reaching the end of the slide. Nico's hands slid loose from the handles on the side and he flew a few inches into the air.

Nico's eyes widened as he hovered there for a moment. It was only for a few seconds, though, until a strong arm latched around his chest and pulled him back down. His heart pounded in his chest as he tilted his head to look up at Luke. His blue eyes looked slightly panicked, until he realized Nico was staring at him. He then mumbled something under his breath and looked away from the raven haired boy.

Luke shoved Nico out of the raft before standing up himself. They climbed out of the water, via some steps, while the attendant picked up their raft. Bianca smiled at him, possibly not having noticed what almost happened. “Wasn't that fun?” She beamed.

Nico smiled and nodded his head, glancing at Luke as he brushed past. “It was something,” Nico mumbled.

After that, they met back up with the others and headed for food. They found a spot and moved two tables together. Nico wasn't sure if the twins had made up or if they were just putting on a show for Bianca and Daedalus, but they seemed to be getting along. Now that he thought about it, since yesterday, he really hadn't seen any of the Lost Kids fighting.

Nico sat beside his sister, sharing some of the ice cream that she had gotten. As predicted, Daedalus had begun to converse with Annabeth about things that Nico didn't really understand. All he knew was that there were a lot of big words being exchanged.

“You want some, Con?” Travis asked his brother.

Connor made a face as he stared down at the food in front of his brother. “You put hot sauce on it. No thanks,” the other brunet mumbled.

“Don't be a baby.”

Connor frowned at his brother. “You know I don't like hot sauce on my food.”

Travis picked up a nacho and waved it in front of his brother. “Come on. This one doesn't have that much on it.”

Connor sighed and opened his mouth, allowing his brother to shove the chip into his mouth. Nico's eyes traveled back to his sister, who was watching the twins from the corner of her eye. She cleared her throat and turned to face the girls. “So, how is it that only Silena has a boyfriend? All of you are so pretty,” she assessed.

“Men are jerks,” Zoë mumbled, poking at her salad. Her eyes darted over to Daedalus. “No offense.”

The brunet shrugged. “None taken,” he assured her.

Annabeth threw on a fake smile, so well done that even Nico had a hard time seeing through it. “We just haven't found the right guy yet. Or maybe we have, and they just haven't realized it yet,” the blonde answered.

Bianca gave her a sympathetic smile. “I'm sure he'll come around. You're very pretty, and smart. A guy would be an idiot not to like you,” she replied.

Nico frowned as he took another bite of ice cream. Annabeth liked someone? Why hadn't he noticed? Maybe she didn't want anyone to know. Did any of the others know?

The table was quiet for a few minutes, until Luke sneezed. “God bless you,” Bianca said.

Octavian tensed next to his brother. Annabeth's eyes flickered over to the blond beside her, trying to catch his eye. However, the blond had his icy blue eyes burning a hole through Bianca. “Fuck your god,” he barked before abruptly standing up and walking off.

Bianca's mouth hung open as she stared after him. “I-I didn't mean anything by it. It was just a habit,” she fumbled.

Annabeth shook her head as Octavian quietly got up and went after his brother. “Don't worry about it,” Silena voiced. “You didn't know.”

Bianca chewed on her lip. “Nico, would you go make sure he knows I didn't mean to upset him?”

Nico nodded and stared over at Annabeth, silently asking if it was a good idea. The blonde shrugged and Nico let out a breath. He walked off from the table, heading in the direction he had last seen the blue-eyed blond. He spotted the two brothers sitting on an empty table, Octavian busy trying to get his brother to talk to him.

“Hey,” Nico said quietly.

Both of the brothers turned their icy blue gazes on him. “What do you want?” Octavian spat venomously.

“Bianca didn't mean anything by it,” Nico continued, ignoring Octavian. “It was just the way we were raised.”

“I've never heard you say it,” Luke grumbled.

Nico shrugged. “I sort of stopped caring about religion after realizing my sexuality.”

Luke chuckled. “Maybe you're smarter than I thought.”

Nico hesitantly sat down on Luke's other side. “You don't like religion I take it?”

“What gave it away?”

“Luke,” Octavian hissed.

Luke held up his hand, still facing Nico. “It's fine.” He frowned at Nico. “Your parents were religious?” Octavian frowned, but looked at Nico, waiting for his answer as well.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Nico answered. “They were a little different. My mother was more spiritual than religious. I don't think she cared that much when I told my parents I was gay. It was just my father. He's a very intimidating man.”

The brothers continued to stare at him, lips both set into thin lines. “What about your father?” Octavian asked.

Nico chewed on his lip before letting out a breath. “He was an Italian immigrant. I guess you could say he's a traditional Catholic. I never cared much for it as I got older,” the brown-eyed boy continued. “My sister isn't really religious either. What she said was just an old habit.”

Luke turned his head to look at his brother, who frowned back at him. Luke arched an eyebrow and Octavian shook his head. “Fine,” Luke muttered.

Nico leaned back on his hands. “I take it your parents were religious?” He asked.

“I think it would be best if we got back to the others,” Octavian said cooly. He stood up and placed his hands on his hips.

Nico frowned at the thin blond. Octavian had a slightly similar build to that of the twins. He wasn't muscular like his brother. He did have a lean torso, but didn't quite have the abs that some of the other Lost Boys managed to have. His skin was around the same tone as Nico's, seemingly enhancing his hair and eyes. He was tall like his brother, having long legs.

Luke sighed and stood up as well. “I suppose we should. Come on, brat,” the blond agreed.

Nico rolled his eyes and followed the other two back to the others. The three of them looked up when they heard thunder. Dark clouds were moving in above them. When they arrived at the table, Annabeth had already tasked herself with getting everyone else ready to leave.

On their way back to the cars, it started to pour down rain. And by the time they reached the vehicles, they were all soaking wet. They placed their towels in the seats and climbed in, deciding to wait until they got back to the hotel to change into dry clothes.

After a long, boring, and quiet drive back, they pulled into the parking garage of the hotel. Nico asked Annabeth if it would be all right if Bianca and Daedalus came up to their floor to change. Annabeth and Luke looked at each other, and the Lost Boy pulled out his phone.

“Percy?” Luke said. “Yeah, we just got back. Is it all right if Bianca and Daedalus come up to change?”

Nico glanced over to his sister, who was talking with her boyfriend, unaware of the conversation being had about them. He didn't want them to feel unwanted around the hotel, so he was thankful she wasn't hearing this. But at the same time, he didn't want to risk them seeing something they didn't need to.

Luke nodded. “Yeah. Okay,” Luke continued on his call with Percy. He finally hung up and shrugged. “He says it's fine. Jason is passed out, so you should be fine in your suite. Just don't let them go into the blond's room.”

Nico nodded. They boarded the elevator and headed up to their floor. “Wow,” Bianca breathed out as they reached the Lost Kids' floor.

Percy came around the corner as they were exiting the elevator. He pursed his lips to hide his amusement at seeing them all soaked. “Don't say it,” Zoë growled.

Percy smiled. “Don't be like that, Zoë,” he chuckled.

Zoë rolled her eyes and shoved Percy away. “Not right now. I need to dry off.”

Percy only grinned wider. “Playing hard to get again?” He followed the girl back to her room.

Nico sighed and led his sister and Daedalus to his room. He opened his door and stepped inside, relieved to hear complete silence. “Your boss seems like a flirt,” Bianca pointed out.

“Maybe a little,” Nico replied, a forced smile on his face. He gestured to the bathroom. “Bathroom is straight back.”

Bianca nodded and headed to the bathroom. “Where can I change?” Daedalus asked.

“Um.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “My room? I can get changed in the closet.”

“There's a joke in that, I'm sure of it,” the brunet joked. Nico laughed lightly before leading his sister's boyfriend into his room. “Damn. This really is a nice place.”

Nico nodded. “I'm still getting used to it.”

He stepped into his closet and shut the door. He flipped on the light switch and proceeded to strip himself of his clothing. He went ahead and dressed himself in his work clothes, since it was getting close to time for him to head up to the bar. He knocked on the door.

“I'm decent,” Daedalus called.

Nico opened the door to find Bianca in the room. “Can you give us a minute?” She asked her boyfriend. The brunet nodded and stepped out of the room.

Nico licked his lips to wet them and sat down beside his sister on his bed. “What's up?” He asked.

“I didn't want to ask this, but then I saw the razor in your bathroom. I know you don't shave, Nico. So what is it for?” She asked. “I'd have to be blind to not notice that the hair on your arms and legs is missing.”

Nico swallowed. He shrugged his shoulders. “It's not a big deal. There's no real reason behind it.”

Bianca pursed her lips as she searched his eyes. “The other boys didn't have body hair either.”

Nico shrugged again. “It's just a trend around here, I guess.”

His sister sighed. “I'm just worried about you. You're staying in this place without any adult supervision.”

“A few of the other Lo-” Nico cut himself off. He cleared his throat. “Others. A few of the others are twenty-one, or older.”

Bianca narrowed her eyes. “How old is Percy? If he's in charge around here, I expect him to be capable of taking care of you.”

“I don't think that is a problem,” Nico mumbled. He coughed and looked away from his sister. “He's twenty.”

Bianca's mouth fell open a little. “Twenty?” She hissed. “This place is being run by children. You might as well be living in Neverland with Peter Pan, or the Children of the Corn.”

Nico glanced off to the side. If only she knew the half of it. “It's not a big deal, B,” he assured her. “I'm fine. Percy is very mature for his age.” He frowned to himself. Sometimes, he added in his head.

Bianca sighed and placed her hand on top of Nico's. “If something happens, anything that might make you uncomfortable, let me know.”

Nico shrugged and shook his head lightly. “And what will happen? I can't come home,” he reasoned. “Nor do I want to, not as long as dad is there. I don't want to see him again.”

“I can figure something out. Maybe you could live with Daedalus.”

Nico frowned at his sister before glancing at the door. “I'm fine here, I promise.”

Bianca let out a long sigh. “If you're sure,” the brunette whispered.

“I promise that I'll let you know if that ever changes.”

But would he? Would he let himself be taken out of this place? He didn't know. Even if Percy scared him at times, he wasn't sure he wanted to away from the green-eyed young man. The young man had become a prominent figure in Nico's life, as all of the Lost Kids had. And even if they were dysfunctional at times, they were his family now. Nico couldn't help but think back to Percy's haunting words.

Once a Lost Kid, you never leave.


	24. The Torture of a Teasing Kiss

Nico forced a spoonful of mashed potatoes down his throat, trying to avoid Daedalus's watchful eyes. The brunet had been staring at him a lot since they sat down for lunch. Although, it was still better than the looks he was getting from Kelli and Tammi. Nico really didn't understand why they sat with them if they hated him.

“So, how long is Jason supposed to be out of school?”

Nico choked on his potatoes. “Um, possibly another week or two.” He grabbed his drink and washed down the food. “He's pretty sick.”

Tammi pouted. “Poor Jason. Maybe we should drop by and check on him.”

Nico fought the urge to groan. If there really was a god, he must hate Nico at the moment. Luckily, Kelli seemed to be on his side. The girl rolled her eyes. “I'd prefer not to catch what he has. Besides, you probably just want to get into his pants, again.”

Tammi flipped her hair over her shoulder with a huff. Daedalus rolled his eyes and turned back to Nico. “But he's okay, right?” He asked in a lowered voice.

The brown-eyed boy nodded. “Yeah, the doctor said he just needed rest. A lot of rest. And he doesn't need to get visitors.” Nico groaned as everyone looked at him weird. He was nervous, he couldn't help it.

Percy would kill him if he exposed the hotel. And knowing what he knew now, he didn't rule out the possibility of that statement being completely accurate. Even if everyone had been making the point that he shouldn't fear that Percy would hurt him, the fear still remained. It wasn't as prominent when Percy was actually there, smiling and being charming, but it haunted his mind when distant from the young man.

Nico sighed and looked back at the brunet across from him. “So, can I ask you a favor, Daedalus?”

The brunet shrugged and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Sure, if I can ask you a personal question.”

The short raven haired boy furrowed his brow. He wasn't sure if he was going to like this question. “Um, sure, I guess.” He clicked his tongue. “So, you know I'm taking Microeconomics, right?”

“I think you mentioned something about it before.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “Would you mind helping me? I think I might need a tutor.”

Daedalus chuckled and took a bite of his spaghetti. “I was actually surprised you were in there. Taking it early?” He scratched his head. “Why are you even taking it if it's giving you trouble?”

Nico shrugged innocently. “Percy set up my schedule here. I guess he figured I could handle it.”

The brunet sighed. “Well, you are a smart kid. But, sure, if you need some help, I'd be glad to help you out,” he said with a smile.

Nico brightened. “Great! So, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

Daedalus pursed his lips, twisting his fork around in his food. “Actually, it's good that you mentioned Percy, since it's about him.”

The raven haired boy bit down on his lip, nearly drawing blood. This wasn't going to be good. “What about him?” He asked hesitantly.

The taller youth tapped a finger on the lunchroom table while he stared at Nico. The others had, thankfully, distracted themselves with their own conversation. “Didn't you tell me you had a crush on someone named Percy?”

Nico felt his heart stop for a second, his blood running cold. This wasn't good at all. If this got back to Bianca...

“I, uh, might have said something like that,” Nico chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Daedalus blinked at him with a frown. “Does he know? Isn't that a little unprofessional?” He let out a sigh. “I just want to be better aware of things. After my last slip up, I don't need to mess up with your sister any more.”

Nico pursed his lips. “Percy's been nice to me. There's nothing to worry about.” Not really anyways, Nico thought. “And, yes, he knows I like him.” Nico poked at his food. “But I know nothing is going to come of it. It's just a harmless crush.”

The brunet nodded, some light reflecting in his glasses. “He hasn't been...inappropriate with you, has he?”

Nico, who had tried to take a drink, nearly choked. “No,” he hissed. He wanted to curse himself for having to lie. But it was for the best. Bianca definitely did not need to learn about what went on between Percy and Nico. If she ever found out about that, or what Percy had Nico doing for a job, she would flip her shit.

Daedalus eyed him carefully, apparently not convinced. “If something ever happens that you're not comfortable with, you should tell me. Your sister is a little worried about you living there.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “She's overreacting. There's nothing to worry about.”

Daedalus arched his brow. “Besides the place being run by kids?” He chuckled and shook his head. “Sounds like something someone should write a book about.”

Nico's eyes darted off to the side. If only he knew the half of it. Nico shrugged his shoulders. “Don't worry about me, I'm fine. And Bianca worries too much, she always has.”

The rest of lunch moved by rather quickly for Nico. Before he knew it, he was sitting in his last class of the day. Cal had glared at him when he had entered, but had kept quiet, much like he had been doing ever since Luke broke his nose. His class had been calm and normal, until the intercom turned on.

“Yes, can Nico di Angelo come up to the principal's office,” came a high pitched, nasally voice. It was obviously a male attempting to mask their voice as a woman. The voice snorted, trying to hide laughter. Nico's brow furrowed as he heard whispering in the background. “Yes, he's been terribly naughty and needs to come here at once.”

There was scrambling as a second voice came over the intercom. “What do you two think you are doing? I told you to wait right here-” Apparently the secretary turned off the intercom, because that was all that was heard.

The teacher blinked up at the ceiling, staring at the speaker in confusion. “Um, I guess you need to go to the principal's office, Nico,” she said.

There was some small laughter and whispers as Nico rose out of his desk and left the room. What the hell was going on? He slung his backpack onto his shoulder as he walked down the hall. He reached his destination and opened the door, his eye twitching as he saw who was waiting for him.

The secretary, who had sounded annoyed on the intercom, was now blushing and waving a hand in front of her face. The Stoll twins stood on the other side of the counter, smiling at her flirtatiously. Nico smacked his face and slid his hand down it.

“What are you two doing here?”

The two brunets turned around and smiled their signature Cheshire cat smile. “There he is,” Travis beamed.

The secretary cleared her throat upon noticing Nico. “Now then, you two need to behave yourselves. No more pulling stunts like that.”

Connor leaned on his brother's shoulder and smiled innocently at her. “We were just having a bit of fun.”

Travis winked at her before pushing his brother and Nico out the door. “Have fun at school today, Neeks? We thought we'd break you out early.”

Nico turned his head slightly to frown at the older twin. “Why do I have a feeling that Percy didn't approve this?”

Connor shrugged his shoulders, a huge grin on his face. “We won't tell if you won't. Besides, Percy is used to us doing stuff like this.”

Travis nodded his head in agreement. “He practically told us to do it when he asked us to pick you up.”

Connor grinned wickedly at his brother. “I couldn't agree with you more.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I swear, you two are a lot of trouble.”

The twins shrugged. “All the best and most interesting people are,” Travis retorted.

Connor's grin was replaced by a small smile. Nico's dark brown eyes drifted down to the twins' hands. Connor brushed his fingers against Travis's, attempting to hold his hand. Travis's eyes darted from his brother's to look around at their surroundings. He pulled his hand away and turned his head away from Connor. The younger twin frowned at his brother and sighed, but didn't say anything.

Upon arriving at their car, Nico slipped into the back, letting Connor sit up front with his brother. Were they going to start fighting again? Connor didn't seem to be angry, just upset. Maybe a little hurt. Travis adjusted the radio as he pulled away from the school.

The slightly taller brunet inched his fingers over to touch his brother's, which were resting on the side of the seat. Connor looked over at his brother, who was still watching the road. The younger twin rolled his blue eyes and hooked their pinkies together, letting their hands rest in between them.

Nico stared at the two of them in wonder. He really was starting to wonder if the two of them were really putting on an act, or if they really did have feelings for each other. The lines felt blurred. He couldn't distinguish what was an act and what was real with them.

Nico's eyes darted up to spot Travis watching him in the rearview mirror. His brow furrowed as he stared at Nico. The raven haired boy quickly looked away, feeling like he was intruding on something. He didn't really understand what was going on, but from what he had already gathered, neither twin seemed willing to open up about their situation.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Nico sat down on the edge of the stage. Will sat down beside him, handing him a towel. The brown-eyed boy smiled at him and began wiping the sweat from his face. Monday had gone uneventfully at the hotel, which somewhat surprised Nico. But, at the end of the night, Apollo had approached Nico about doing a number with him, Will, and Connor on Friday.

Will turned to him after taking a swig from his water bottle. “So,” he began.

Nico arched an eyebrow at the blond. “So?”

Will smiled. “I was wondering if you wanted to do another number, with just me.”

The shorter of the two shrugged. “Sure. Anything I need to know?”

Will's smile turned into a grin, his eyes roaming up and down Nico's body. “Just that you need to wear that schoolboy costume again for the number.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at the blond. “Why do I have the feeling I'm going to hate this?”

“Probably because he's going to molest you.”

They both looked up as Thalia approached the stage. Nico blinked at her. “What's up?”

Thalia tilted her head to the side. “You need to come with me,” she replied.

Nico frowned and jumped off of the stage, tossing his towel back for Will to catch. “Where are we going?” Nico asked as they descended the stairs.

Thalia turned her head to wink at Nico. “Well, for starters, we need to get you into some fresh clothes. After that, we're going to run you over to see Aphrodite. You need to be decked out for Christmas next month.”

Nico let out a groan as they stood in the elevator. “Great,” he mumbled.

He could only imagine what the crazy blonde woman would try to outfit him in. Although, she had given him a good costume for Halloween. One that had drawn Percy's attention. So, maybe this could work in his favor.

Once on their floor, Nico and Thalia entered his room. The Lost Girl glanced down the hall with a frown. “I guess my brother is asleep?”

Nico shrugged. “He's been pretty quiet since Saturday.”

Thalia nodded her head and sat down on the couch. “Hurry up and get changed, we only have so long before we need to be back for work.”

Five minutes later, Nico emerged from the bathroom, freshened up and in clean clothes. Thalia smirked at him as she stood up and dragged him out the door by his arm. As they were closing his door, Ethan stepped out of his suite. Thalia's eyes lit up.

“Ethan!” The girl yelled.

The Asian boy cringed and froze. “What do you want, Thalia?” He mumbled.

The girl attempted to sling her arm around him, although she could barely reach his shoulders, but he stepped away from her. The girl frowned at him. “So, I was hoping for a favor. You see, Esperanza is still working on my car, and we need to go shopping for Nico, so I was hoping you could help us out. That way, I don't have to get a taxi.”

Ethan let out a long breath. “Must I? I wanted to enjoy myself before going to work.”

Thalia batted her eyelashes at him, but Ethan didn't seem to be taken in by her charms. He did roll his eye, though. “Whatever. I need to go shopping for Butch's birthday anyways.”

Nico blinked. Why hadn't it ever occurred to him that he should find out when everyone's birthday was? He felt a little guilty about this. They were supposed to be his family, and he hadn't even thought to ask. “I, uh, suppose I need to go shopping for him as well,” he mumbled.

Thalia grinned. “Then it's settled.” She clapped Ethan on the back. “Thanks, Ethan.”

The Asian rolled his eye and grunted his response. The short girl winked at Nico before following the tall Lost Boy towards the elevator. Nico cleared his throat as they stood in the elevator. “I, um...” He frowned to himself. “So, I sort of need to-”

“Ask us about our birthdays?” Thalia chuckled. “It's cool, Nico. Leo and Rachel send out memos in our emails for these things. Not all of us can keep up with everyone's birthdays.” She shrugged. “But it's good that people like Ethan can remember, that way we can take care of shopping early.”

“I swear, if that woman touches me...” Ethan trailed off, fiddling with the keys in his hands.

Thalia waved him off. “Don't mind him.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “I don't really know what to get Butch.” He looked between Ethan and Thalia. “When is his birthday?”

Ethan stared at him with a bored expression. “The fifteenth.” The taller Lost Boy shrugged, stifling a yawn. “Just get him a gift card, or something.”

Thalia rolled her eyes. “What a completely guy thing to say.” She turned to Nico. “I'll help you find something, Nico.”

Nico smiled at her as they exited the elevator. Ethan clicked a button on his keychain to unlock his car. It was a rather nice looking black sports car, though, since Nico didn't know cars that well, he couldn't tell anything else really about it. Thalia let him slide into the front, while she climbed into the back.

Nico made a face as Ethan turned the volume up to near deafening levels as they pulled out of the parking garage. He traveled through a lot of stations before giving up and plugging in his phone to listen to his own music. Ethan liked rock music, or it seemed that way from the selection he had on his phone. All Nico knew was that every song that Ethan had was loud. Very loud.

They didn't talk the entire way to Aphrodite's Boutique, but perhaps that was the way Ethan had wanted it. Ethan parked the car and turned off the ignition. He stared at Thalia through the rearview mirror. “Well, here you are.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You can come in, you know.”

The Asian narrowed his brown eye at her. “I'd rather not.”

Thalia chuckled as she got out of the car. Without warning, she slung Ethan's door open and dragged him out of the car. “Come on, have a little fun once in a while.”

“There's a difference between fun and torture, Thals,” Ethan muttered as they crossed the street.

As they opened the door, they found the skinny figure of Aphrodite behind the counter, flipping through a magazine of half-naked men. She looked up from her magazine with a bored expression, though it quickly changed to excitement upon noticing them.

“There you are!” She exclaimed. She shimmied her way out from behind the counter. “So, I hear you are in need of some Christmas attire for little Nico here.” She winked one of her green eyes at the raven haired boy. “And I take it that your costume went over well with the boss?”

“I'm going to be sick,” Ethan groaned.

Aphrodite's bright green eyes drifted past Nico, to stare at the Asian Lost Boy. “Well, well, Ethan, it's been a while.”

Ethan narrowed his eye at her. “Not long enough.”

The blonde bit down on her cherry red lip and walked over to Ethan. “Still as grumpy as ever.” She smiled and ran a perfectly manicured nail down his chest.

Ethan's one good eye looked murderous as he grabbed Aphrodite's wrist and flung it away. “What have I told you about touching me?” He growled.

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. “Life of the party as always, Ethan.” She cleared her throat. “Now then, shall we find you something adorable to wear?”

Nico stared at her in annoyance. “I don't want to be some cute and adorable thing.”

The blonde tapped a finger to her lips. “What about some cute Santa shorts?” She walked farther into the store, mumbling to herself. “Maybe a hat to go along with it.”

While Aphrodite began roaming around the store, searching for anything that she thought might suit Nico, Thalia began poking around on the girls' side of the store. Nico arched an eyebrow at her. Having been in this business a month now, he still wasn't comfortable enough to casually browse around this place like it was a clothing store.

He glanced to his left, his eyes narrowing at a small piece of cloth with an elephant over the crotch area. It even had a trunk. Nico squeezed it and it made a squeaking sound. He let out a sigh before looking around the store. Ethan had moved over to a corner, where he stood with his arms over his chest.

“Hey,” Nico said quietly, approaching the other Lost Boy.

“Sup, little man?”

Nico let his fingers trail along the items of a nearby rack as he walked around the area Ethan stood. “So, you know Aphrodite? It sounded like you two knew each other.”

Ethan scratched at his head with a frown. “Something like that.” His dark brown eye roamed over to where Aphrodite was, narrowing at the sight of her. “I think she had a lot to do with me swapping professions.” He shook his head. “I don't have time to deal with people like her.”

Nico stopped moving and turned back around to face Ethan. “You used to strip?”

The taller Lost Boy brushed his thumb across his lip. “Yeah, for a little while. Not very long. Percy ended up swapping me out.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Why? You're...attractive.”

Ethan chuckled. “Thanks, little man.” He sighed and uncrossed his arms, leaning back to prop himself up with the wall. “Nah, Percy just saw that I wasn't cut out for the job.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “But then again, I wasn't supposed to flip clients over my head.”

Nico's eyes widened. “You...flipped a customer over your head? Why?”

Thalia turned her head at the sound of Nico's raised voice. Ethan frowned and waved his hand at her, signaling to her that everything was fine. He let out a sigh. “I didn't like them touching me.”

Nico took a step back. “Oh.”

Ethan chuckled, lighting up his features from his usual moody appearance. “No, you're fine. It's a little more complicated than that,” he explained.

The pale boy nodded. “Was Percy...mad?” Nico asked, barely above a whisper.

Ethan clicked his tongue, pressing his shoulder to the wall. “Maybe a little annoyed, but Percy is a man of patience.” The Lost Boy chuckled. “Clarisse said he actually laughed when he saw it on the video tape, before they came into the room.”

“What happened?”

The Asian young man shrugged. “The customer was upset, but mostly she was stunned. She wasn't stupid enough to press charges or anything, but Percy did offer to pay for her hospital visit.”

Nico blinked in surprise. “It was a woman?”

Ethan nodded, arching an eyebrow. “Yeah, why?”

“You did that to a woman?” Nico hissed.

Ethan nodded again. “What, are you going to complain about it? Clarisse and I have had to get physical with women in our jobs, you know.” He lifted his hands in a shrug. “For all their talk of feminism and equality, women still find it appalling if a man hits her, or something. They hit and abuse men, and it's just looked over, for the most part.” He rolled his good eye. “How is any of that equal?”

Nico's brow furrowed as he opened and closed his mouth, not really sure how to respond to that. He had never really given it any thought. His mother had just always drilled into his head what it meant to be a gentleman.

A hand was placed on Nico's shoulder. The shorter boy turned his head to stare at a smiling Thalia. “Is he on another rant on women?” She chuckled. She let out a dramatic sigh. “Ethan, you're going to take away all hope that he might ever come around to liking vagina.”

Both Ethan and Nico made a face at that. “We can only hope,” Ethan muttered.

Thalia grinned at him. “Come on, Nico, we need you to try some stuff on.”

When they neared the dressing rooms, they found Aphrodite already trying to fill up one with holiday apparel. Thalia shook her head. Nico looked at the Lost Girl with pleading eyes. He really didn't want to have to go through this horror again.

Thalia rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Aphrodite, but we're on a bit of a tight schedule today.”

Aphrodite came back out of the dressing room with a pout, a bell collar and antlers in her hands. “Damn,” she muttered. “Fine, fine. I did put some things in there. Go ahead and take a look, Nico.”

Nico quickly slipped past the blonde woman and closed the door behind him. He looked around the dressing room with a frown. Some things? How much did she consider a lot? The bench and chair had both been piled with clothes and accessories. He sighed and began sifting through everything.

“How much stuff do I need?” Nico called through the door.

“A few things, but make sure you get enough to cover for all three positions. You could end up working bar, so you should find something family friendly,” Thalia called back. “Maybe five or six outfits? You'll do several stage numbers if you end up stripping, so prepare for that.”

Nico sighed as he dropped an elf costume on the ground. He supposed it was decent enough to be worn at the bar. Nico held up a nutcracker costume and tilted his head to the side. This one wasn't so bad, and he could probably wear it on either the stage or at the bar.

As he was stripping himself, the door swung open and Thalia slipped inside. “What the hell?” Nico yelped.

Thalia waved a hand dismissively at him. She sat down on an empty chair. “Figured we could make this faster if I sat in here.”

Nico quickly finished getting the nutcracker pants on before glaring at her. “I don't know how I feel about this.”

Thalia tilted her head to the side, a smirk on her face. “What, the customers can stare at you, but one of your own can't?” She rolled her eyes before crossing her legs, in an unrefined manner. “I've seen all the other boys' junk, Nico, it's not something I haven't seen.”

“Unfortunately for you, I don't have to get naked.”

Thalia arched an eyebrow and waved a red speedo at him. It had a black line at the top, designed to look like a belt, and white fur around the leg holes. Nico narrowed his eyes at her and snatched them out of her hands. “I can try those on later.”

The Lost Girl rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever.” Her eyes flashed dangerously as Nico held up a skimpy looking Santa outfit. There was no shirt, only suspenders to place on his shoulders. The shorts probably wouldn't reach very far down Nico's thighs, but that was probably the point. “Try it on.”

Nico sighed and got out of the nutcracker costume, depositing it on the floor. He shimmied his hips into the tight shorts, frowning at his reflection in the mirror. He covered his crotch, afraid that something might fall out of his briefs and the shorts.

Thalia spun him around, and Nico turned his head to look at his backside in the mirror. The shorts clung to his rear very tightly, but complemented his ass. Thalia smirked and placed a Santa hat on top of Nico's head. The pale boy turned back around, where Thalia popped his suspenders. Nico glared at her.

“I like it,” the Lost Girl said with a smile.

Nico slid the suspenders off of his shoulders, his lips tilting down. “What's up with Ethan?”

Thalia frowned from where she was sitting, trying to sort through some outfit options. “What do you mean?”

“Does he not like being touched?”

She sighed and pursed her lips. “It's just one of those things, Nico. Complicated.” She tossed some things aside. “He has some issues, just like the rest of us do.” She looked up at Nico with a serious expression. “Just please don't go bluntly asking him about his past, like you do with some of us.”

Nico frowned as he slipped on another outfit. “That bad?”

“Yeah,” Thalia whispered. Her brow furrowed.

“So, is he gay?”

Thalia clicked her tongue and tossed a small hat at Nico's face. “Something like that.”

It took nearly half an hour after that before Nico convinced Thalia that he had enough things. As they were being checked out by Aphrodite, the woman sighed. “I suppose I won't be seeing you again until Valentine's Day, little Nico.”

Thalia slung an arm around his shoulders. “Unless we need to get him some more outfits.”

“I can only hope,” Nico said sarcastically.

Aphrodite clapped her hands together. “Don't worry, Nico, I'll find you something super adorable to wear for my favorite holiday.”

“Oh god, please don't.”

The woman smirked to herself as she slipped Nico's receipt into his bag. She winked at Ethan as he grabbed one of Nico's bags. The Asian made a face and flipped her off. “See, that wasn't so bad,” Thalia mused as they exited the building.

“I think I lost a few years off my life,” Ethan grumbled. He cracked his neck and unlocked his car. “At least it's over and we can go shopping for Butch.”

They had barely buckled up before Ethan shot out of the small parking lot. Nico's eyes widened as Ethan zoomed around some cars. Thalia, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm as she messed around with her phone.

It took nearly fifteen minutes of bickering before Thalia and Ethan could decide on a good store to try. Finally, Ethan caved and pulled up to a store that Thalia had picked out. They all got out and Thalia slipped some quarters into the parking meter. The doors slid open as they walked in, and both Lost Boys were dragged into the store by the Lost Girl.

Ethan and Thalia found something for Butch rather easily, but Nico was having a hard time with it. He suddenly felt like he knew nothing about Butch, and perhaps he didn't. He sighed heavily as he looked around the shelves in front of him.

“Problem?” Thalia voiced, stepping up beside Nico.

“I don't know what to get,” Nico confessed. He blew out another breath. “Is it going to be like this for everyone?”

Thalia shrugged. “Maybe. Leo's birthday is at the end of the month, so get ready to relive this.”

Nico groaned. “When is Percy's birthday anyways?”

The Lost Girl chuckled at him and ruffled his hair. “Figures you'd want to know that.” She shrugged her shoulders. “You actually just missed it before you got here.” She grinned wider when Nico frowned. “Yep, just a few weeks prior to your arrival, the eighteenth of August.”

Nico pursed his lips and continued looking around the store. Thalia finally smiled and picked up a box, handing it to Nico. His brow furrowed as he looked at the box. “This? It's a set of horse bookends.”

Thalia nodded. “Yeah. Butch loves horses.”

The raven haired boy waved the box in front of her face. “But bookends?”

She shrugged. “He likes to read.” The girl chewed on her lip as the began walking again. “I mean, he didn't get the chance to read very much growing up. So, when Percy helped him learn, he sort of made it his hobby. He loves them, and comics. He just likes to read.”

Nico slowly nodded and clutched the box closer to himself. Perhaps this was a good present then. Ethan was waiting for them at the front of the store to check out. “Can we go home now?” Ethan grumbled as the checkout girl finished up with Thalia's purchase. She smiled flirtatiously at both of the Lost Boys, but Ethan seemed to ignore her.

Thalia rolled her eyes before thanking the clerk. They walked out of the store and made their way back over to Ethan's car. “You should get out more,” Thalia sighed, sliding into her seat.

Ethan turned around to place his purchase into the seat beside Thalia, making sure to sneer at the girl as he did so. “I'm happier at the hotel.”

\------------------------------------------------------------

Nico walked into the Lotus on Friday, having been dropped off by his sister. He stopped when he spotted Percy sitting in one of the lounge areas with that young man that Nico had seen with Clarisse the other day. Chris? Percy was discussing something with him.

Nico hadn't seen much of Percy over the past week, and he really didn't know why. It didn't feel like the young man was avoiding Nico. But he had, maybe, managed to see the manger three times during the entire week. And only brief moments.

Nico walked over to them hesitantly. He never knew when he might be stumbling on something secret with the people around here. But Percy just smiled at him and signaled to him that it was okay to approach. He tugged on one of Nico's belt loops when the brown-eyed boy was close enough, yanking Nico down on the couch beside him.

“Nico, this is Chris,” Percy introduced them.

Chris smiled at Nico. “We've met.”

Percy tilted his head to the side and looked at Nico, who nodded. “Yeah, a few days ago, when Clarisse was taking me to school.”

Percy's lips tilted up as his green eyes darted back over to Chris, who ducked his head. “Is that so?” Percy said with a grin.

Chris shrugged. “Just talking.”

Percy slowly nodded his head. “Of course. So you've said before.”

Chris just rolled his eyes and leaned across the space between the couches to shake Nico's hand. “Still, it's nice to formally meet, Nico. We didn't get much a introduction last time.” He leaned back and smiled. “Chris Rodriguez.”

Nico nodded. “Why aren't you a Lo-”

Percy's hand was clapped over Nico's mouth, a charming smile on his lips. “Chris was very fortunate to not have to endure a life on the streets.” He shot Nico a look to keep his mouth shut.

Nico nodded and Percy took his hand away. Chris eyed them funny. “Yeah. It really sucks that some of my co-workers weren't as fortunate,” he replied casually.

Percy rested his elbow on the arm of the couch, dropping his cheek onto his fist. “Chris works under Clarisse and Ethan for my security team, and he's been helping me keep an eye on Jason when I'm busy.”

Chris smiled and stood up. “Speaking of which, I guess I need to go do that. Thanks again for offering me a promotion, Percy. I'll think it over and get back to you.”

Percy nodded and Chris walked off. He slid an arm around Nico's shoulders, his eyes drifting closed. “You need to watch your mouth.” He smirked. “There are staff members in this hotel that don't know about the top floor, you know.”

Nico pursed his lips and nodded. “Sorry, it won't happen again.” He turned his head to watch Chris board an elevator. “What kind of promotion is he getting?”

Percy opened his eyes and looked down at Nico. “I was thinking about exposing him to what really goes on around here. But, that's his call. Clarisse and Ethan need some more help, and I think he's a good man for the job,” the manager explained. He let out a long breath. “Perhaps certain Lost Kids won't be happy about it, but I feel it's a good call.”

Nico tilted his head to the side as he stared up at Percy. “Who would complain?”

A smirk crept onto Percy's lips. He leaned in closer, until Nico could feel the young man's breath on his face. “Don't worry yourself over that,” Percy whispered. He leaned back and smiled. “How was school?”

“Boring, as always. Daedalus has started to tutor me in Microeconomics.” Nico scratched his cheek. “I'm going to go over to his house next Sunday for tutoring.”

Percy smiled. “Good. I'm glad to hear that you're taking the initiative on keeping your grades up.” He ran his middle finger along Nico's thigh. “Also, I look forward to your performances tonight. I hear they will be quite interesting.”

Nico rolled his eyes with a smile. “Maybe you should get a private show.”

Percy chuckled. “Maybe another time.” Percy grunted as his phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared at Leo's name on the screen. “Yeah? What's up?” He patted Nico on his thigh before standing up. “Yeah, I asked her to drop by today. I wanted to make sure she was okay for the party.” The green-eyed young man rubbed at his eyes, stifling a yawn. “Okay, I'll be right up.” He hung up the phone before sliding it back into his pocket.

“Business calls?” Nico asked, arching a brow.

The young man smirked at him. “You're learning.” He bent down so that he was at eye level with Nico. “I'll see you later tonight.”

Nico waited until Percy had gotten on an elevator before standing up. He slung his backpack onto his back before heading over to the elevator himself. But, before he reached the elevators, he decided to change course.

He made his way through the hotel, until he reached the door to the outside bar. He was hoping that Ganymede was working. He had wanted to ask the bartender about something that he needed answered. And, to his luck, the dirty haired blond was standing in the small cabana, clad in a grey and white striped tank top.

But, before Nico could make his way over to the cabana, Leo flagged him down. The short Latino was sitting at a small table with his mother. He stepped over to their table, having been noticed by Ganymede by this point. The ex-Lost Boy smirked at Nico as he worked on someone's order.

“Hey there,” Nico said.

Esperanza smiled at him. “Come, mijo, sit.”

Leo frowned as he sucked on his smoothie. “Mom, he's probably busy.”

The woman frowned and offered Nico a chair. “Nonsense. Come, sit, sit.”

Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, guess I can spare a few minutes.”

He turned his head to look at Ganymede, who had his head propped up on his palm. He watched Nico in amusement, probably suspecting why Nico was there. That, or Nico was giving him the wrong impression. And in this place, the latter was probably the more likely.

“So, Nico,” Esperanza began, her accent coming out quite thickly, “Leo tells me you've found your sister again.”

Nico smiled and nodded. “Yeah, she's dating my friend at school.”

The woman nodded. Her face was a little dirty, probably from working on something. “Good, that's very good. I trust that you're going to keep in contact with her.” She waved an authoritative finger at Nico. “Never forget that family is important.”

“Unless they are assholes,” Leo mumbled.

Esperanza smacked him upside the head. “Watch your mouth. You know my rule about language in front of me.”

Leo ducked his head. “Yes, ma'am.”

Nico attempted to hide his laughter. Esperanza smiled at her son. “But, I suppose he's right. Some of those parents are pendejos.”

Nico nodded his head. “What about you two? Did Leo find you after coming here?”

Leo mumbled something in Spanish. He then remembered Nico couldn't understand him and cleared his throat. “Not quite. Percy just happened to bump into me one day. No big deal.”

The Latina woman said something that Nico guessed was profanity in Spanish. “'No big deal', he says. Ha.” She turned her finger on Leo. “You collapsed on the street and Percy saved your butt.”

Leo rolled his eyes, earning him another smack to the back of his head. “Ow!”

“I've told you about rolling your eyes at me, Leo Valdez.”

Nico smiled. “I like your mom.”

Esperanza smiled. “Thank you, sweetie.” She took a sip of her drink. “I haven't seen you down at the shooting range. Did Percy forbid you from coming down there? He looked pretty upset about your injury.”

Nico shrugged. “Just haven't come down, I guess. Shooting guns isn't really my thing.”

“Good, keep your nose clean.”

“Okay, mom, I think we bothered Nico for long enough,” Leo mumbled.

Esperanza smiled. “Don't be a stranger now, Nico. If you ever get bored, come see me.”

Nico chuckled as he stood back up. “I'll keep that in mind.” He smiled politely. “It was nice talking to both of you.”

Leo and his mother smiled at him as he walked off. Nico slowly made his way over to the cabana, where Ganymede was waiting for him with a blueberry smoothie. “I thought you might want another one of these.” The blond leaned across the counter. “Unless you came here for more...personal affairs.”

Nico narrowed his eyes as he slid the drink over to himself and took a sip. “I just wanted to talk. Thanks for the smoothie, though.”

Ganymede smiled at him. “My pleasure.” He drummed his hands onto the counter. “So, what can I do for you?”

“You used to be a Lost Kid, right?”

The man shrugged. “Yeah, why?”

Nico frowned as he traced the top of his glass with his finger. “Is this what Lost Kids do after they reach thirty?”

Ganymede flashed a bright smile. “Is this about some of the other staff?”

The raven haired boy nodded. “It's just that some of them, like Circe, remind me of some of the Lost Kids, by their actions.”

The bartender nodded. He tapped his finger to his chin. “Well, Circe was actually a Lost Girl when I first arrived here. It wasn't until about five years ago that she took up the position at the spa,” he explained. Nico nodded, quietly sipping away at his smoothie. “And Dionysus quit a few years before that.”

Nico choked on his drink. Ganymede had to slap him on the back to get him to stop. “Di-did you say Dionysus?” Nico asked in disbelief. For some reason, he had a hard time picturing the chubby bartender as a Lost Boy.

Ganymede shrugged. “Yeah?” He rested his arms on the counter, leaning in towards Nico. He smiled again. “He wasn't always overweight, you know. He was actually pretty cute when I first got here.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “But you still look amazing, as does Circe.”

Ganymede grinned at him and struck a pose, like some Adonis statue from a Greek museum. “Thanks, cutie.” He let out a sigh and returned to his previous position of leaning on the counter. “Well, some of us have a hard time coping.” The blond made the action of tossing back a drink.

Nico's brown eyes widened slightly. “Alcoholism? I thought Percy-”

“Percy wasn't here back then,” Ganymede reminded him. He shook his head with a shrug. “Not every manager has those rules, you know.” He waved a hand dismissively. “But, yeah, he got into drinking. That, and some other problems.”

Nico's eyes scanned the counter, as if it would show him the answers to all of his questions. “Wow,” he breathed out.

The tall bartender nodded, a faint smile on his face. “So then, how was your day? You're still in high school, right?”

The raven haired boy nodded. “Yep. It's been a little quiet, surprisingly.”

Ganymede grunted. “Give it some time, I'm sure the hotel will fix that.”

Nico shrugged. “Not much happened this week for me. I went over to Aphrodite's Boutique-”

The man brightened. “Oh yeah? How is she?”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Did you used to go to her when you were a Lost Boy?” Aphrodite didn't look that old. But, then again, Ganymede had just resigned earlier that year.

Ganymede chuckled. “No, no. Well, yes, but that was towards the end of my time. We used to perform together a lot during the bigger weekends.”

Nico's eyes widened. “She was a Lost Kid, too?” He hissed.

The man raised his hands in a shrug. “Are you really surprised?”

Why hadn't anyone mentioned this to him before? Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised, though. Things like this were becoming very common around the hotel.

Ganymede leaned in closer. “So, I hear Apollo took you under his wing when you first got here. I did the same with him when he first arrived.” The blond tilted his head to the side. “But you don't seem to act like either of us.”

Nico's eyes moved down to his drink. “We had a bit of a falling out.”

The blond's eyebrows rose. “That's right. I heard about that little ordeal.” He drummed on the counter. “Hate to cut this short, cutie, but I need to get back to work.”

Nico sighed and nodded. “Can I come back and talk again?”

The man scrunched his lips and shrugged. “Sure.” He smirked at Nico. “I do enjoy the company of attractive people, such as yourself.”

Nico went back into the hotel and headed up to his floor, where he was greeted by Octavian and Piper. The girl had a large, white beanie on her head, while the blond had accessorized with a grey tweed cap. In the Lost Girl's hand was a backpack. As Nico made to walk past them, they grabbed him by the arms to stop him.

“Nico!” Piper greeted him. “Come eat with us.”

Nico hesitated. He glanced from Piper to Octavian, arching an eyebrow at the blond. He didn't seem to be paying Nico that much attention, busying himself with adjusting his bangs that were poking out from behind his cap. He smirked, catching the brown-eyed boy staring at him.

“We just got back from shopping,” Octavian said.

Piper tapped Nico's shoulder. “You should come with us next time.” She smiled. “You should get yourself some winter fashion.”

Octavian scrunched his lip as he tugged on Nico's shirt, looking him over. “I'm thinking a scarf and a beanie. Black, maybe grey.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “How original.” She frowned at Nico. “You should look into some other colors. You already wear a lot of dark colors.”

Nico stared down at his dark red shirt with black designs on it. “I like dark colors,” he frowned.

The girl tugged on Nico's dark locks. “Way to not fit the goth and emo stereotypes, Nico.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at her. “I am neither of those, dammit.”

They both chuckled at him. “Anyways, food?” Piper asked.

The brown-eyed boy rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, just let me put my bag in my room.”

The two other Lost Kids stepped into step beside him as he walked towards his room. “You should just get changed now,” Piper suggested. She held out her backpack. “You can toss your wardrobe choices for the night in here.”

Nico blew at his bangs, setting his backpack on the floor. “Fine. Just give me a minute to change my underwear.”

As he was shutting his bedroom door, a pale hand shot out and stopped it from closing. The brown-eyed boy looked up, in the middle of pulling his pants off. Octavian slipped inside and shut the door. Nico arched his eyebrow as he tossed his jeans onto his bed.

“Can I help you? I need to change?”

Octavian stared at him in silence. He finally inhaled deeply. “I wanted to talk to you,” he said quietly.

Nico's brow furrowed. “Well, can you at least turn around?”

The blond rolled his icy blue eyes. “I've seen the others naked. Grow up.” Nico grunted and started going through his underwear drawer. He pulled out a speedo, only for Octavian to grab it and toss it onto the bed. “Wear something else.”

Nico blinked. “Like what? I always wear speedos.”

Octavian sighed. “Exactly. Try something else.” He moved forward and pulled out a black thong. “Here you go.”

Nico made a face, refusing to take the offered garment. “No way.”

The taller Lost Boy placed a hand on his hip. “Stop being a baby and put it on. If you want to be one of us, you need to start learning to wear things like this.” He spun Nico around and yanked down the back of the boy's blue boxer-briefs. “You have a nice ass, use it. Show it off.”

The brown-eyed boy pouted as he sighed and took the offered piece of clothing. “Okay, well, I need to change.”

Octavian grinned at him before shoving Nico onto the bed. He ran a hand up the boy's thigh and grabbed the blue boxer-briefs. He rolled himself into Nico, yanking down the underwear in the process. “There, I helped you with something,” Octavian said with a grin.

Nico glared up at the other Lost Boy. “This isn't what I wanted, jerk.”

Octavian grinned more and leaned down to lap his tongue into Nico's bellybutton. “Are you sure?” He bit down on his lip, his gaze traveling down. “It sure seems like you want it.”

Nico shoved Octavian off of him with a huff. “I'm a teenage boy, that doesn't count.” He slid on the thong that Octavian had offered him, while the blond stared down at Nico's exposed body. The raven haired boy sat down on his bed. “What did you want to talk about anyways?”

Octavian blinked. “Oh, yeah.” He took a deep breath. “I just...sort of...wanted to thank you about last weekend.” He gestured with his hand. “With Luke, I mean.” He made a face, like his next words were hard for him to get out. “Maybe you're not so bad.” He sighed dramatically. “I need a drink.”

Nico arched an eyebrow and chuckled. He shrugged his shoulders. “Luke is my friend. I didn't want him to be upset.”

Octavian's brow furrowed. “Friend?” He held his chin and tapped a finger to his cheek. “I see. Interesting.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “How about a deal? I call a truce, if you do a better job of avoiding my brother?”

The brown-eyed boy's brow furrowed. “Why? I didn't do anything. I like your brother. He's fun to be around, when he's not being an asshole.”

Octavian looked at Nico, his eyes a sea of clouded emotion. “Things are just complicated, okay? You'd be doing me a favor.”

“But-”

“Just think it over. You'll have me off your back, and I think I could help you with some things you might not know about around here.”

There was a knock at the door. “Are you two done in there? Stop messing around so we can eat,” Piper called through the door.

Nico rolled his eyes and slid his jeans back on. “You can come in, we're not doing anything,” Nico called back as he finished buttoning his pants.

Piper opened the door with an arched eyebrow. “What's a girl to think when Octavian follows you back to your room, knowing you're going to be getting naked?”

Octavian smirked. “Believe me, it wasn't from a lack of trying.”

Piper frowned as she looked Nico over. Her eyes traveled back up to his face, studying him for a moment. “Well, I suppose we should get going.”

Nico quickly grabbed the outfits he would need for the night and tossed them in Piper's backpack. As they were leaving Nico's room, Jason's door slowly opened. The blond was being held up by Chris, who had Jason's arm draped over his shoulder.

“Hey, Chris,” Piper greeted him with a smile.

Chris smiled warmly back. “Hey, Piper.” He attempted to straighten the blond out. “Just helping Jason get himself to the bathroom.”

Piper pursed her lips as she looked Jason over. “Poor guy. Maybe he'll be better in another week.” She patted the dark haired young man on the shoulder as he neared the bathroom. “Take it easy, Chris.”

The young man nodded at them. Nico sighed and followed after Octavian and Piper. He wasn't so jealous of Jason at the moment. The blond wasn't even capable of standing by himself. He slowly slid the door shut behind them, his lips tightly pursed.

“You okay?” Octavian asked.

Nico blinked and looked up. “What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine.”

The other two eyed him for a moment before leading him towards the elevator. They boarded in silence, which persisted all the way to the hotel's restaurant. They sat down at a table, Piper depositing her backpack in a spare chair.

Octavian ordered himself a glass of wine, while Piper and Nico declined. “Sure you don't want some?” Octavian asked Piper, waving his glass in front of her face.

Piper wrinkled her nose at the crimson liquid. “No thanks. You know I hate the stuff.”

Octavian let out a sigh. “It's not going to hurt you to drink on occasion.”

The Lost Girl shrugged. “And I choose not to. It's not a big deal. I'm fine, Octavian.”

The blond deposited his cheek into his palm, taking a small sip of wine. Piper poked around at her sushi, choosing to avoid further eye contact with the blond. Nico eyed both of them. “Don't all of the Lost Kids drink?” He mumbled.

They both blinked and turned their attention on him. “Not all of us,” Piper replied. “I don't, and neither does Juniper.” She shrugged. “Will doesn't drink that much, only on really bad days.”

“I think he's trying to quit,” Octavian added.

Piper smiled and nodded. “Good for him.”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Your hatred for the substance never ceases to amaze me.”

The brunette frowned. “I don't hate the substance. I dislike what it does to people.”

Nico swallowed a bite of his food. “Why?”

Piper chewed on her lip nervously. “I don't want to talk about it right now, Nico. It's not a good topic for public ears.”

Octavian looked around incredulously. He gestured around them wildly. “Them? What are they going to do?” He asked, raising his voice slightly. “They don't give a shit about us, other than...you know.”

Piper slid down into her chair, trying to hide her face. “Stop that,” she hissed, “people are staring.”

The blond rolled his eyes. “I can't believe you're not over this yet.”

The Lost Girl glared at Octavian. “It's not that, and you know it.”

The tall young man waved a hand dismissively. “Fine, fine. My apologizes.”

The girl sighed and went back to eating her food. Nico stared over at Octavian, who watched Piper intently. The blond had his lips pursed and his finger tapped against the table. The table fell into an awkward silence, no one moving to say anything. Finally, Octavian stood up.

“I need to go change.”

Nico frowned as the blond walked off. “Why didn't he do that earlier?”

Piper shrugged. “He's working the bar tonight. I suppose he didn't want to eat in his work clothes.”

Nico swallowed and nodded. “So, what's up with him anyways? He doesn't seem to like me being around his brother. He's sort of an-”

“Asshole?”

Nico chuckled. “Yeah. Sometimes.”

Piper smiled and nodded. “Yeah, they both can be.”

“Luke's not so bad, when he's not around his brother.”

The Lost Girl chuckled. “I suppose that's true. Luke just cares about his brother. Octavian has his brother wrapped around his finger, and he knows it.” She scrunched her lips. “Luke just feels guilty, so he tries to do everything he can to make Octavian happy.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Why would he feel guilty?”

Piper shook her head. “You don't want to go there, Nico. Luke and Octavian's story is one you really don't want to hear.”

“Thalia said something similar about Ethan.”

The brunette nodded, her face solemn. “She's right. The Castellan brothers, Ethan, and Annabeth; they are all stories you don't want to hear. Trust me, you really don't.” She licked her lips, poking around at her food. “Silena's wasn't much better. But, you already heard Hazel's. And then there's...mine.” Her lips tilted down.

“I've heard a lot of bad stories already,” Nico whispered.

“You don't want to make us relive these stories, Nico,” she said so quietly that Nico almost missed it. She stared down at her plate. “Your dad wasn't a monster, Nico. You haven't seen what a real monster is just yet.” She looked up at him with dark eyes. “And let's hope that you never have to.”

Nico rubbed his arm to get rid of a chill he was feeling. He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Why does Octavian want me away from Luke, though?”

Piper pursed her lips, her brow furrowed. She opened her mouth, but didn't say anything for a moment. “He didn't feel jealous before. He didn't have to share his brother. Luke's not that social. He only is when he needs to be.”

“So, he's jealous?”

“In a sense,” Piper replied. “He's worried, I guess.” She shook her head. “I really don't want to talk about it.” She smiled at him warmly. “But he can't really keep you away from Luke.”

Nico frowned. “Why not?”

“Because, he knows Luke's position here.” She shrugged. “Luke's one of the four siblings. He's the sword and shield. Apollo is the emotional support, Annabeth mitigates with us-and some with Percy, and Thalia makes sure everyone tries to stay in a good mood.” She smiled. “So, Octavian knows he can't keep Luke away from you. The blond has a role to fill.”

Nico frowned as he picked up his drink. “He can still pawn me off,” he mumbled.

The girl pursed her lips. “I suppose they can. But Luke will be there if you need him. He can be a royal asshole at times, but he cares about his family.”

“He did punch that bully for me.”

Piper nodded. “And made sure you were taken care of when Apollo pulled his stunt.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I don't place the blame solely on him, you know.”

The Lost Girl forced a smile onto her face. “I figured as much. Anyways, it doesn't change my point.”

“He said it was for Percy.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you really think Luke's going to be sappy? Sure, some of it was probably for Percy, but he's protective.”

Nico chewed on his lip before smiling. “I don't think he'd like to hear this.”

Piper chuckled. “No, he really wouldn't. So, please, don't mention it to him.” With a sigh, she stood up. “We need to get to work.”

Nico grabbed the backpack for her and they headed out of the restaurant. Once at the top floor, Piper followed him up the boys' stairs. They walked backstage, where Piper deposited Nico's clothing onto the couch before heading through the door to the girls' side.

Apollo, Will, and Connor were already there and dressed for their first performance, the group number. Apollo sighed. “Hurry up and get dressed, Nico,” he said.

Nico slipped his shirt over his head. He kicked his shoes off and began undoing his pants. As they were nearly down to his knees, he remembered he had a thong on. He quickly pulled the pants back up, but it was too late. The others raised eyebrows at him, grinning broadly.

“I like the clothing choice, Nico,” Apollo chuckled.

Nico glared at him, searching for a place to change. Will moved over to the boy and slid his arm around Nico's shoulders. “Come on now, Nico, we're just going to see it on stage.” Will's eyes lit up. “Oh, and good for me, I've got you in a separate number.”

Nico's eyes widened, stumbling back, away from Will. “Dammit,” he cursed under his breath.

Apollo rolled his eyes. “I've already seen you naked, Nico. And Will and Connor have both seen you in your underwear.”

“No, I saw him naked,” Connor interjected.

Apollo frowned. “Oh, that's right.”

Will frowned at Nico. “How come they got to see you naked?”

Nico rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Whatever,” he mumbled, letting his pants drop.

Will bit down on his lip as he walked around to look Nico's backside over. Nico stood there, doing his best not to seethe. He jumped when he felt Will's warm hands rub his butt cheeks. The blond hummed in his ear before wrapping his arms around Nico's waist. “My room later?” He purred.

Nico turned his head to glare at the blond. “Doubtful.”

Apollo and Connor laughed at Will's failure. Apollo shook his head with a smile. “What did I tell you, Will?”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Charming.”

The curly haired blond walked past, patting his roommate on the shoulder. “Just be yourself,” Apollo whispered into Will's ear, but Nico managed to catch it.

He whined and struggled his way out of Will's grasp. He grabbed his black velcro pants from the pile and slipped them on. Nico grabbed the bow tie and stepped over to the mirror, where he attempted to put it on.

When Apollo saw him struggling with it, the blond walked over. “You really need to learn how to do this,” the blond mumbled. “I believe we've had to help you every time you have had to wear one.”

“Not my fault, no one ever showed me how to tie one.”

The blond nodded. “Well, I suppose I'll give you a lesson then.”

Nico watched and listened as the blond went about tying his tie. The blond finally smiled at him in the mirror. “Thanks,” Nico said with a smile.

Apollo smiled again and placed a hand in Nico's hair, attempting to style it. “You know, looking at you, I can't help but see the improvement in you. It feels like just yesterday that you came in here, starved half to death. And look at you now.”

The brown-eyed boy gave him a small smile and turned around. “Thanks, for everything.”

Apollo's eyebrow rose slightly, his lips thinning. “You shouldn't thank me, and you know that.”

“I get it, though. About Percy, I mean.”

The blond's blue eyes seemed to grow deeper. He nodded his head lightly. “Again, I'm sorry.”

Nico pursed his lip. “I think I'm ready to move past it,” he sighed.

Apollo's brow furrowed. “Really?” His lips tilted down and he began rubbing his arm. “That's...great.” He chuckled when Nico looked at him curiously. “Sorry. I just wasn't expecting that, you know.”

The shorter of the two nodded his head. “Well, you were right the other night, I pretty much act like a kid still. Maybe I need to do some growing up.”

Apollo let out a long sigh. He leaned in closer. “Trust me, you're not the only one. Besides, you already are growing up, whether you see it or not.” He placed a hand on top of Nico's head. “You've also grown an inch since you've been here.” He cleared his throat and took a step back. “Come on. We have a show to put on.”

The Lost Boys made their way out onto the stage. The curtain was still closed, so they had to stand around in darkness. Nico took his place beside Apollo. Will stood on his roommate's other side, while Connor stood on the far end. Beyonce's “Crazy in Love” began to play, just as the curtains rose.

As the trumpets played in the song, all four of them took their poses and waited. Jay Z began singing the opening of the song, while the Lost Boys continued to stand there, the stage still dark. As soon as Beyonce began singing, the lights flashed on and the boys began moving.

Nico placed his hands on his head and shook it back and forth. All of them slowly slid their hands behind their heads and tapped their right leg. Every so often, they would have to freeze and strike a pose. Nico slid his hand up into his hair, circling it around to the other side before bringing it down in front of his face.

Apollo and Nico slid to the left, while the other two slid to the right. Will and Apollo took Connor and Nico's respective hands and lowered the boys to the floor. Nico and Connor slowly guided their legs into the air provocatively. Will and Apollo grabbed onto Nico and Connor's ankles, raising their legs into the air.

Nico and Connor had to pull off a handstand, which Nico had to bite his lip through. Apollo spread his legs, while running a hand down the back of his thigh. Nico was just glad that the audience couldn't see his strained expression. Apollo shoved his legs off to the side, helping him get back onto his feet.

The blond moved in behind him and placed his hands on his hips, while Nico had to sway them back and forth. Apollo grabbed a chunk of Nico's hair and pulled the boy's head back. Nico masked his facial expression with one of pleasure as the blond acted like he was biting his neck.

Nico's hand jumped around behind him to cup Apollo's hips. He tugged the curly blond's pants off of him, while Connor did the same to Will. Nico had to fight the urge to do a double take when he saw what Will had on under his pants. A jockstrap. He cleared his throat as he realized his eyes had widened.

His pulse quickened as Apollo's fingers worked to play with Nico's pants. The raven haired boy rolled his shoulders in a lewd manner. He caught Percy's eye in the audience, just as Apollo yanked his pants off. Those green eyes of Percy's slowly drifted down Nico's body, a smirk on his lips. He looked back up at Nico's face with an arched eyebrow.

All four of the Lost Boys separated again and went back to their individual dancing. Nico knew his hips would probably be sore after this performance, as they usually ached after each of their practice numbers. The song called for him to continuously pop his hips back and forth, in the signature Beyonce booty shake.

He was just thankful when the song finally came to an end. He did a small bow with the rest of the Lost Boys before gathering his pants and getting off the stage. He walked backstage, all the while trying to get himself back into his pants.

“Schoolboy uniform, Nico,” Will purred into his ear.

Nico glared at him as he passed. Connor quickly slipped himself into a basketball uniform and went back onto the stage. The raven haired boy let out a sigh as he walked over to the couch and found the schoolboy uniform that he hated so much.

Will still hadn't told him anything about the routine. He had just requested that Nico wear the costume. Basically, he didn't like it. When the Lost Kids plotted, bad things happened. Shaking his head, Nico slipped into his costume and waited.

After Connor was done, the curtains closed again. Nico narrowed his eyes as some things were moved onto the stage in the dark. The blond that he was performing with gestured for him to come over. He hesitantly walked over, where the blond grabbed him and took him onto the dark stage.

Will leaned him up against something cold and metallic. Nico narrowed his eyes in the dark, but, of course, Will couldn't see it. It was light enough that Nico caught the blond's smile. “Stay right here,” Will whispered before leaving Nico alone on the stage.

When the curtain opened and the lights turned on, Nico saw that he was standing up against a locker, like one he would find in his high school. His eyes darted from side to side as he looked around. There was a bench to his left, but that was about it. He had a bad feeling about this.

Nico arched an eyebrow as Kiss's “Calling Doctor Love” came on. Nico's eyes widened as Will walked out onto the stage. Oh dear god, Nico thought. The blond was dressed in a blue football jersey and a pair of tight, white football pants. The blond had even drawn black lines under his eyes and carried a helmet under his arm.

The blond walked up to Nico and closed his mouth, which he hadn't even realized had been open. Will shoved him up against the lockers, dropping his helmet in the process. He turned Nico around and yanked his hips back. Nico then felt Will run his hands up Nico's legs, and then up to his ass.

Nico was jerked back around, where the blond bit down on his lip and leaned against the lockers. Nico's eyes were still wide by this point. As much as he hated jocks at school, this was kind of hot. He swallowed and turned his head to look at Percy, who was staring at him in amusement. He chuckled and whispered something to Leo, who grinned back.

Nico's eyes returned to the blond in front of him as Will ripped the front of his jersey open. A moan escaped from Nico's lips as he stared down at the blond's lean torso. Will smirked and leaned in, running his tongue along Nico's parted lips.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the crowd seemed to love it, as a lot of money was being tossed onto the stage. This was also followed by whistles and loud noise. Will popped the buttons on Nico's shirt and let the material fall off of his shoulders.

Will then turned around and began swiveling his ass. The blond bit down on his lip and hooked his thumbs into the back of his football pants. Nico swallowed a lump in his throat as Will peeled back the white fabric, exposing the jockstrap and the top of his ass. Nico watched, mouth agape, as Will continued to swivel his hips in a lewd fashion.

The blond leaned forward slightly and yanked the pants off, leaving himself in nothing but the jockstrap. He ran his fingers down Nico's torso before shoving the shirt off the boy completely. He pressed himself up against Nico, rolling his hips into the brown-eyed boy.

Will leaned in and rested his mouth near Nico's ear. “Are you sure you don't want to come to my room tonight?” He whispered.

Nico felt his legs shake and the blond grabbed him. He heard Will chuckle in his ear. “I, uh...I don't think that's, um, a good idea,” Nico fumbled quietly.

Will groaned quietly before pulling back. Nico swallowed another lump as the blond leaned in. Their lips ghosted against each other as the song came to an end. Nico was in the process of leaning forward when Will pulled back. He let out a groan as the blond smirked and waved at the audience, shaking his ass for good measure.

Will helped Nico gather their things so they could get off the stage. “I hate you,” Nico breathed out.

Will smiled. “Don't be mad, Nico.” He winked. “I had fun tonight. I think that might be one of my favorite performances.”

Connor appeared beside them and slung an arm around Nico. “So, when are you going to perform with me and Travis? I already have some ideas.”

“Dammit, I regret this already,” Nico grumbled. The other three Lost Boys grinned at him.

When things were starting to wind down, Luke came backstage to go to the backrooms. Connor sighed when Leo came backstage to tell him to do the same. Nico ended up breathing a sigh of relief when they were done for the night. He was still a little turned on from Will's performance, but mostly, he was tired.

“I'm so glad it's the weekend,” he yawned.

“Amen to that,” Will said quietly.

Nico brushed some of his bangs out of his eyes. “Is there anything going on this weekend?”

Apollo shook his head. “Not really. You should just get some rest, catch up on some homework.”

The brown-eyed boy let out a moan. “I don't plan on waking up until work tomorrow night.”

The two blonds chuckled. “Sounds like a good idea,” Apollo agreed.

Nico stretched his arms above his head. “So, is there anything I should know about this pa-” There was a scream that came from behind the door to the backrooms. “What was that?”

Apollo's brow furrowed, already making his way towards the backrooms. Nico and Will followed after the curly haired blond. Apollo took off running when another scream pierced the air. Nico jogged to keep up, bolting around a corner. His eyes widened.

Luke and Connor were holding a tall, muscular man back by his arms. His shirt was undone and his hair a mess. Across from him was Silena, pressing herself into the corner behind her. The girl was topless, covering her chest with her arms. She had a pair of panties on, but that was the extent of her clothing.

Annabeth was crouched down next to Silena, whispering something to the girl. Reyna did her best to stand in between the man and Silena, yelling threats and obscenities at the man. Apollo instantly jumped in to help hold the man back. Nico stepped forward, but Will placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Silena!” The man yelled, struggling against the Lost Boys. “Just tell them. Be with me, baby. I can take care of you.” He grunted and attempted to yank his arm free. “You don't need this life anymore. I love you!”

The dark haired girl pressed her hands to her temples and frantically shook her head. Annabeth took off her shirt, leaving herself in a bra, and handed the shirt to Silena. The blonde had to help the other girl into the shirt, as she was too distraught to do anything about it.

“I said no,” Silena hissed, glaring at the man with tears in her eyes. “You're crazy.”

The man frantically shook his head. “No, baby, I'm not. You know what we had in there was real. You said you wanted me. You said all those things. I know you meant them.” He attempted to elbow Luke in the stomach, but the blond twisted his arm. “You just need to see, Silena. Nobody makes me feel like you do.”

Nico jumped and turned around when the door behind him swung open so hard that it sounded like a gun went off. Percy, Ethan, and Clarisse stormed towards them. Before either Ethan or Clarisse, or anyone in the room for that matter, could react, Percy had shot forward and jerked the man out of the Lost Boys' grasp.

As if the man weighed nothing, he slammed him against the wall. Percy's eyes blazed with an anger that Nico had yet to see. “What did I tell you about this shit, huh?” He yelled.

“She loves me. I keep trying to tell- Ah!”

At some point, Percy had pulled out a knife. He pressed it against the man's throat and held it there. “I don't give a shit about what you think, Mr. Simmons. I told you not to cross the line. We've had this discussion before, several times.”

The man swallowed, causing the knife to cut into his skin. A faint red line formed on his throat and blood began to trickle down. Nico caught his hands shaking. He looked around. No one was moving, no one attempted to say anything. They just stood there, even Clarisse and Ethan.

“Get her the fuck out of here,” Percy growled. “Now!”

Luke moved forward and Silena shot into his arms. His brow furrowed as he wrapped an arm around her. They moved past everyone to leave the hall. As they walked by, Nico caught Silena's eye. The girl looked terrified. Her eyes were full of tears and her body was shaking.

Percy moved the knife up to the man's cheek, sliding it across his skin. “Now then, if I ever catch you around here again,” he jabbed the knife into the man's arm, “I'll kill you.”

Percy yanked the knife out and shoved the man over to Ethan and Clarisse. The two of them dragged the injured man from the hall without any resistance. Percy rubbed a hand down his face. His dark green eyes turned on Nico, like he had just noticed the boy there.

The manager stared at him with his cold gaze. “Get him out of here,” he whispered. His gaze flickered to Apollo. The blond was shaking, his eyes frantic. His fingers were threaded into his hair. “Apollo!” The blond's eyes widened and turned to Percy. “I said get him out of here. Take him to his room, calm him down.” He looked Apollo over. “Both of you calm down.”

The curly haired blond swallowed and nodded. “Come on, Nico,” the tall blond whispered, tugging on the boy's arm.

Nico let himself be led away, frowning at Percy as he did so. The others gathered around him just as the door shut behind Nico and Apollo. The blond didn't even stop to grab their things. He just pulled Nico along until they reached the elevators.

It wasn't until they were in Nico's suite that Apollo let go of him. The blond began pacing around, taking deep breaths. Nico pursed his lips, watching the blond. “Apollo,” he whispered. The blond didn't seem to hear him. Nico reached out and grabbed the blond by his arms. Apollo stared back at him with wild eyes. “What is going on? I mean, I get that the man was crazy, but-”

“He was obsessed.”

Nico let his hands drop from Apollo. “Obsessed? Is that sort of like when Lost Kids get presents? Hazel talked to me about that.”

The blond shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “Worse.” He sighed and sat down on the couch, practically burying his face into his lap. “Our jobs are complicated, Nico.”

The raven haired boy swallowed. “Does this happen a lot?”

“Thankfully, no. It's worse than the presents.” The blond wet his lips. “The presents are usually the first sign. You learn to get worried when you get them.” He pursed his lips and looked up at Nico. “But they just don't get it sometimes. They become truly obsessed...with this fantasy that can never be. We're just doing our jobs.”

Nico sat down beside the blond. He stayed silent for a while. He just couldn't find the appropriate words or questions. “Why?” Was all Nico could think of to ask.

“We're easy to fall in love with, some of us anyways. I mean, I guess that's why. Some of the others don't have the problem, people like Luke.” The blond leaned forward. “It's our angle that appeals to them.”

“You're a romantic.”

Apollo turned and blinked at him. He opened his mouth once, only to close it.

“Hazel told me.”

The blond pursed his lips. “She's a sweet kid. She shouldn't have to go through this.”

“Why should any of you?”

The older Lost Boy swallowed a lump. “Maybe I deserve it?” Tears were starting to appear in his blue eyes. “I just need a distraction sometimes...from Percy. He's something I can't have, and the customers are a good distraction.” He turned a harsh gaze on Nico. “Don't ever do this if you end up where we are. Do you hear me?”

Nico nodded his head. “Yeah.”

The blond stared into Nico's brown eyes for a while, searching for something. “You're a sweet kid, Nico.” He smiled and patted Nico's leg. “You don't know how easy someone might fall for you.”

“This happened when I first got here, didn't it? I saw Calypso's wrist.”

Apollo's brow furrowed for a moment before realization hit him. “Yeah,” he finally whispered. “The guy just got a warning. First offense.” He sighed and ran a hand down his mouth. “Just remember, just because we can separate our feelings during all of this, doesn't mean the clients can do the same. They will fantasize about you, desire you, and worst of all, they could snap.”

“Is there anything else?”

Apollo wiped at his eyes before standing up. He turned back around with a sad smile. “Yeah,” he breathed out, “when you tell them to stop, they are supposed to stop. While they can purchase time with us, we do decide where boundaries lie within this business.”

Nico's heart pounded in his chest as he stood up. “Thanks for talking with me.”

Apollo gave a single nod. “You needed to know.” He smiled and ruffled Nico's hair. “Take care of yourself, Nico. And get some sleep.”

Nico smiled and nodded. Apollo walked away and opened the door. With a wave, the blond disappeared out the door. Nico's shoulders slumped as he rubbed at his face. Why couldn't things just go back to the way they were when he first got to the Lotus?

As he made his way back to his room, Nico thought about setting up an appointment at the spa. He could use a massage and a day of relaxation. Life around the hotel was so hectic and chaotic, he thought. He closed his bedroom door and collapsed onto his bed. He pulled his leg up and began taking off his shoes before moving on to his pants.

After a quick trip to the bathroom to brush his teeth, Nico stripped himself of his shirt and slid under his covers. He chewed on his lip, just sitting there for a moment. Now that everything had calmed down, his arousal had returned.

His hand traveled down his stomach and reached into his boxer-briefs. He peeled the fabric back and exposed his erection. It was the weekend, so it wasn't like he couldn't stay up a little longer to take care of himself.

His eyes drifted closed as his hand pleasured himself. A small moan escaped from his lips. His other hand traveled lower, pressing a finger against his entrance.

“Having fun?”

Nico jumped and covered himself, looking up with wide eyes.

Percy had his shoulder pressed against the doorframe, a smirk on his face. He arched an eyebrow at Nico before taking a step into the room. “Oh, don't stop on my account. I was enjoying the show.”

Nico scowled at Percy, pulling up his underwear under the covers. “Don't you know how to knock? What gives you the right to just barge in like that?”

Percy crawled onto the bed, hovering over Nico. The brown-eyed boy swallowed, doing his best to hold Percy's gaze. Percy smirked at him. “Well, that's simple, Nico. Because I wanted to.”

Nico felt his eye twitch. “You're so frustrating.”

Percy tilted his head to the side, a smile on his face. He let a finger slide down Nico's pale chest. “Don't be mad. Like I said, I was enjoying the show. Maybe you should do this for me more often.”

Nico crossed his arms over his chest, sitting up against his headboard. “I'm assuming you had something you actually wanted to talk about?”

Percy chuckled and sat between Nico's legs, his legs resting underneath him. “I just wanted to make sure you weren't freaking out too much. I assume Apollo calmed you down? Or perhaps you calmed him down.”

Nico pursed his lips. “He did talk to me about everything,” he answered. He looked into Percy's eyes. “Did you have to stab him, though?”

Percy frowned at Nico before brushing some of the brown-eyed boy's hair out of his face. “I already warned him several times. Last time, I threatened him financially. As you can see, that didn't work.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Sometimes, physical threats are more effective. Besides, he won't be back.”

Nico chewed on his lip, nodding his head in response. He sat up more and crossed his legs, letting the cover fall into his lap. “I'm guessing you don't have to get violent with customers that much?”

Percy smiled. “No, not really. Most people know better. It's just the-”

“Obsessed ones?”

The green-eyed young man chuckled. “Yeah, them.” Percy cleared his throat. “I brought your stuff back. It's in the living room.”

Nico smiled and nodded. “Thanks.” As Percy was climbing off his bed, Nico grabbed his wrist. The manager blinked at him before returning to his place in front of Nico. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Percy shrugged. “Sure. Ask me anything.”

Nico fiddled with the covers in his lap. “So, uh, I was wondering...would you want to do something sometime? Maybe spend some time with me, just the two of us?”

Percy smirked and leaned in towards Nico. The brown-eyed boy leaned back, letting himself be pressed against the headboard. “I suppose something can be arranged.” His tan hand pulled the covers back and tugged on Nico's underwear. “I mean, I have some time, if you want to do something right now.”

Nico blushed and shook his head. “No. I-I didn't mean like that. I just...thought we could spend some time together, like we used to. Non-sexual.”

Percy blinked. He pulled back, his brow furrowing. He gave Nico an odd look, like he didn't understand what the boy had just said. “What?” He finally blurted out.

“Maybe go get dinner? Outside of the hotel, if you can.” His cheeks turned pink. “I-I mean, not like a, uh, date, but just hanging out.”

Percy continued to stare at him like he had grown a second head. He sat back on his haunches and scratched his head. “You want to spend time...with me? Just hanging out?” His brow furrowed again. “And you don't want to do anything sexual?”

Nico nodded.

The green-eyed young man's mouth opened, only for him to shut it. “Are you sure that's all you want?”

Again, Nico nodded. “I understand if you're busy.”

Percy shook his head, a frown now on his face. “No, it's...it's fine.” He scratched the back of his head again. “I'll clear my schedule for later today.” He smiled. “I'll take you out to eat. How about that?”

Nico nodded, a bright smile on his face. “That would be great.”

Percy chewed on his lip, his brow furrowing again, and tilted his head slightly to the side. “I guess I'll let you get back to what you were doing,” he said, finally standing up. “I'll see you later today.”

Nico nodded as Percy walked towards the door. The young man gave him another odd look before turning off Nico's light and closing the door. Nico heard Percy open Jason's door. He smiled and slid into his bed, rolling onto his side.

\---------------------------------------

Nico sat across from Percy, feeling slightly underdressed. The young man hadn't told him he was going to take Nico to a five-star restaurant. The green-eyed young man wasn't dressed that differently than Nico, but the boy just felt awkward. He had had enough sense to dress nicely, but it didn't feel like enough.

Percy smiled at him from across the table. “You're fine, Nico. I wasn't expecting you to dress up super fancy. I don't want you to.”

Nico let out a small groan and pursed his lips. “I don't fit in at places like this,” he mumbled.

The young man across from him arched a brow and took a drink. “Why would you ever want to fit in? You're meant to stand apart from the crowd.”

The brown-eyed boy let out a sigh. He really didn't have a response to that. He chewed on his lip in silence until the waiter brought them the bill. He went for his wallet, but before he could grab it, Percy slid his card into the bill folder. Nico frowned at the young man as the waiter walked off.

Percy smiled and crossed his legs, leaning back in his chair. “Calm down. I do this with all of my Lost Kids whenever I go somewhere with them. You're not burdening me, if that's what you're thinking.” He shook his head. “Besides, I'm much better off financially than you.”

Nico sighed and took a sip of his drink. “Can we do something else before we go back to the hotel?”

The young man shrugged. “Sure. What did you want to do?” He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. “I think we could squeeze in a movie.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “How cliché. Good thing this isn't a date.”

Percy chuckled. He thanked the waiter when the man returned with his card. Percy gave his signature before standing up. He held out his hand and helped Nico up before leading the boy out of the restaurant. The two fell into step beside each other, walking down the sidewalk. The sun had started to set while they had been inside.

“Well,” Percy began, “I suppose it's a good thing it's not a date. I really wouldn't have a clue what to do on one.”

One of Nico's eyebrows rose. “Haven't you ever been on a date?”

Percy gave a small smile, swiping his thumb across his lips. “Not particularly, no. I've never been in a relationship with anyone.”

Nico's eyes widened and he froze for a second. He quickly caught back up to Percy and frowned up at him. “The Percy Jackson has never even been on a date?” He chuckled when Percy gave him a dirty look. “Sorry, it's just hard to believe.”

Percy let out a long breath. “Well, I didn't really have an opportunity. I was already working for Gaea by the time I went through puberty. I didn't even go to public school.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Then how did you learn? You seem pretty smart.”

The tall young man slid his hands into his pockets, letting a smile grace his lips. “Gaea had me taught from her home. I had some of the best tutors you could imagine. And, by the time I was sixteen, I was already going to a university.”

Nico blinked a few times. “Damn. So young?”

Percy shrugged. “Like I said the other week, Gaea had been preparing me for this for a while.” He clicked his tongue. “I didn't get to finish my education in Europe, though. Since I transferred here before my eighteenth birthday, I picked up my education out here.” He turned his head to glance down at Nico as they continued to walk around the city. “My predecessor was very nice about it all, and he even stayed on part time when I took over, so that I could finish up with my education.”

“So, what did you do before you had Leo and Rachel?”

“Drank myself away.” Percy chuckled at Nico's face. “Kidding. I had my predecessor's secretaries. After I found Leo and Rachel, they were replaced.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “You just let them go?”

Percy scrunched his lips. “Not exactly. I'd never just toss someone out. I make sure my people are taken care of.”

“Like with Aphrodite?”

Percy stopped and smiled at Nico. “Yeah. Well, technically I was still a Lost Kid when I got her a job. But, my predecessor let me make the call, since I was going to be taking over for him soon.” He shrugged. “She was good with wardrobes, so I got her the job doing what she loves.”

“And Dionysus and Circe?”

The taller of the two nodded his head again. “I see you've been finding some things out recently.”

Nico stared up at Percy, who just stood there, staring at him with his hands in his pockets. “I finally figured out what you meant by being a Lost Kid forever.”

Percy's lips tilted down. He reached out to touch Nico's face, but tilted his head to the side and let his hand drop back to his side. “You shouldn't aim to do the same, Nico. You don't belong here.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Maybe I want to be around you.”

Percy's forehead wrinkled as he gave Nico an odd look. “I'm not worth throwing your life away for, Nico.” His lips formed a thin line. “I don't want this place to destroy you.”

Nico rubbed his arm, but not from the chill in the air. He looked back up at Percy with a frown. “You seem fine with keeping Jason there.”

Percy's lips turned back up. “Jealous?”

The shorter of the two scowled. “No,” he mumbled. “You just spend a lot of time with him. He gets a lot of attention. When I first got to the hotel, you handed me off to the others.”

Percy smiled and placed an arm around Nico, pulling the brown-eyed boy against his chest. Nico felt Percy's chest rumble as he laughed. “You are jealous.” Percy started walking again, pulling Nico along with him. “Jason needs help right now, Nico.”

“But-”

“You didn't. You're capable of taking care of yourself.” Percy let Nico move away from him. “I had faith you'd be strong enough to handle the place without me breathing down your neck all the time.” He smiled. “But, I was there when you needed me.”

Nico stared up at Percy from behind his bangs. That was true, Percy had been. His first night there, Percy had been there for him when that customer had been yelling at him. Nico let out a long sigh. “What about Chiron?”

Percy scratched at his nose. “I can't say that Chiron has ever been in my bed.”

Nico made a face. “That's not what I meant!”

The manager smiled. “Calm down. I know what you meant.” He slipped one of his hands back into his pocket. “Chiron was never a Lost Kid. He used to work at the bar that is attached to the hotel's restaurant, but I had him moved up to where he is now when I took over.”

“Why?”

Percy shrugged. “He's good with the Lost Kids. He helped me out a lot when I was working, so I thought he could do more good working more closely with my Lost Kids.” The green-eyed young man rubbed at his neck. “He doesn't judge you, he just listens. He's a source of emotional support that the others sometimes need. He can be there when I can't.”

The Lost Boy pursed his lips. “So, you want to do the same with Chris?”

Percy blew out a breath. “No, not the same. I just could use more security working around the Lost Kids. He would be nice to have around the bar, or maybe the kink room. Clarisse and Ethan can only do so much, covering three floors.” A small smirk played across Percy's lips in the fading light. “But, it's also for fun.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Fun?”

The young manager nodded. “Yeah.”

“You said someone was going to be upset with you about it.”

Percy nodded. “It's for their own good, though.” He stopped moving, as did Nico. Percy ran his fingers through his bangs. “Come on, we need to get you back before work.”

Nico smiled and started walking back to Percy's car. “Thanks for spending some time with me, Percy.”

The drive back was relatively quiet. Once they were back, Percy walked Nico to his suite. They stood in the doorway, Percy leaning an arm against the frame. “Have fun at work tonight, Nico,” Percy said with a smile. His eyes flickered down to Nico's lips. He leaned in closer and Nico felt his heartbeat quicken. But Percy never kissed him. He stood there with a sly grin. “Bye.”

Nico gawked as Percy began to walk off. “Is that it?”

Percy turned around and started laughing. “What's wrong, Nico? You look like you were expecting a kiss.”

Nico made a face, gesturing wildly, as if to say: duh!

Percy shrugged, his smirk back on his face. “But you said it wasn't a date.”

Nico's mouth fell open. “Are you serious?” He glared at Percy. “So, if I had called it a date, you would have kissed me?”

Percy shrugged as he started to walk backwards towards the elevators. “I suppose we'll never know. Sorry, Nico.”

Nico shut his door rather harshly, leaning back against it with a loud groan. He raked his fingers down his face, feeling extremely frustrated.

\----------------------------------------

Nearly a week later, Nico found himself in the conference room. The fifteenth had finally rolled around, and now it was time for Butch's birthday party. Nico had actually never been in the conference room before. It was on Percy's floor, directly across from the young man's office. He had wondered what some of the other doors on the floor were used for.

Nico sat at the long table, with Hazel and Travis. Butch stood at the head of the table with Percy, Reyna, and Will. The birthday boy had his arm around Reyna's slender waist, though his eyes followed Percy around whenever the manager moved about the room.

“So,” Travis began, “I hear you went on a date with Percy.” The brunet rested his temple against his index finger. He stared at Nico with a blank and dull expression.

“It wasn't a date,” Nico mumbled, taking a sip of some of the punch they had.

The brunet rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Neeks.” He frowned at the pale boy. “A little unfair, though.”

“Why?”

Hazel patted Nico's shoulder. “No one has ever gone on a date with Percy.”

“It wasn't a date!” Nico slapped a hand over his mouth. Everyone turned to stare at him, including Percy. The green-eyed young man raised a brow at him. Nico slumped in his chair with a groan.

Hazel chuckled as everyone went back to their conversations. “Well, whatever you call it, it typically doesn't happen.”

Nico frowned. “But he said he paid for everyone when they did stuff.”

Travis arched a brow. “Yeah, when he takes us places. You asked him.” The brunet sighed. “Well, did you two finally do it?”

Nico scowled at him. “None of your business.”

The taller Lost Boy grinned at him. “Isn't it, though? I would so enjoy working with you, Neeks.”

The brown-eyed boy let out a huff. “We didn't have sex.”

Travis shrugged. “Oral then. Still, lucky dog.”

Nico sighed, getting pat on the shoulder by Hazel. Was it so hard for them to believe that Percy and Nico spent time together without it involving sex? Hazel clicked her tongue. “Do you think we could take Percy on not-dates?” The Lost Girl pondered.

Travis straightened in his chair. “That's a good idea.”

Nico let out a breath, frowning to himself. What had he done? He had just wanted to get to know Percy better, while spending some time with the guy. Now, they were going to use this to their advantage, which meant having more sex with Percy.

Nico decided to stand up, so that he could give Butch his present. He walked over and held the wrapped box out. Butch blinked down at it before accepting it with a smile. “Thanks, shortie.” He reached out and squeezed Nico's shoulder, letting it linger there for a moment.

As the buff Lost Boy began unwrapping his present, Nico began chewing on his lip. “I hope you like it. I didn't really know what to get.”

Butch held up the unwrapped box and stared at it. A smile finally graced his lips. “I like it.”

Nico breathed a sigh of relief. Reyna chuckled. “Don't worry, though, Nico, Percy probably outdid you. He usually goes for big presents.”

Percy smiled and leaned back on the table. “What did you get him, a trip to go ride horses?” Will asked.

“Not quite,” Percy replied.

Butch chuckled before wrapping an arm around Reyna again. He sat down on the table next to Percy, bringing the Lost Girl in between his legs. Nico watched as Butch let his shoulder brush with Percy's. The large Lost Boy turned his attention back on Nico.

“Still, thanks for the present, man. It was thoughtful.”

Nico wanted to open his mouth and ask questions, but reconsidered. It was the guy's birthday, he didn't need to be burdened with questions that might upset him.

There was a knock at the door. Leo poked his head in and searched the room until his eyes landed on Percy. “She's here.”

Percy stood up. Butch's brow was furrowed as Percy took a few steps away. “Who?”

Percy turned back around with a frown. “I just need you to stay calm, okay?”

Butch stood up, guiding Reyna out of the way. “Percy, what's going on?”

Percy pursed his lip. “Promise not to be mad? I can explain afterwards.”

Butch sighed and nodded. Percy nodded back and walked over to the door. He leaned his head out the door and whispered to someone. Everyone in the room fell quiet, all of them wondering what was going on. Percy finally leaned back into the room and closed the door slightly, standing in front of it. He let out a long breath before standing aside and opening the door.

An olive skinned woman walked into the room. She had long black hair and warm brown eyes. A pair of glasses sat on her nose. She was of medium height, standing as tall as Nico. She was relatively thin and had a small smile on her face.

Butch's face hardened. “Hello, mother,” he grunted. The Lost Boy crossed his arms over his chest tightly.

A lot of the Lost Kids went back to talking and eating cake, pretending like they weren't watching the scene in front of them. Percy cleared his throat. “Surprise.”

Butch's gaze turned on Percy. “What the hell, Percy?”

“Butch,” his mother began.

The Lost Boy growled. Percy sighed. “Your mother is better now, Butch.” He placed a hand on the woman's back. “Isn't that right, Iris?”

The woman gave a small smile, nodding her head lightly. “Percy found me and put me through rehab.”

Butch frowned and looked between the two people in front of him. “Why didn't you tell me?”

The green-eyed manager raised a brow. “I wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday.”

Iris pursed her lips. “Sweetie, I know you're probably angry with me right now, but-”

“Just a little bit,” Butch interrupted.

Percy sighed and shook his head. “But, we both think that you two should spend some time together. Try to patch things up. She is your mother, and she wants to make amends.”

Butch frowned. “I'm not leaving the Lotus.”

Percy held up a hand in defense. “I'm not asking you to. I just want you to spend some time with her.”

“It would mean a lot to me,” Iris added. “I know I was a bad mother growing up, but I'm not using anymore. And Percy even helped me get a nice job.”

Butch's brow furrowed as his gaze turned on Percy. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Percy gave a single nod. Iris's lips tilted up on one side of her mouth and her head tilted off to the side. “You've grown up to be such a handsome young man.”

Butch rubbed the back of his neck, a minute smile on his face. Percy smiled and slid his hand into his pocket. “Happy birthday, Butch,” he said, clapping the young man on the back. He walked over and sat down on the table again.

Nico blinked at Percy. “Wasn't that risky? What if it had gone bad?”

Percy let his head dip to the side. “I know my Lost Kids.”

Nico nodded. He wondered how well Percy knew him. He had only been at the Lotus for nearly three months now. It didn't seem entirely fair, though. Percy knew them so well, it seemed, but Nico, and possibly the other Lost Kids, probably didn't know anywhere near half of what there was to learn about Percy.

Nico's eyes focused on Percy's lips as they tilted up into a sly smirk. It was like the young man knew what he was thinking.

Maybe he did.


	25. Your Eyes are Sure Looking Green

Slowly reaching out, Nico picked up a small picture frame that sat on the desk in the room. It contained a picture of his sister with her arms around Daedalus. They were both smiling at the camera. Nico pursed his lips and sat the picture back down. The rest of the pictures were of Daedalus's family. A tall, lanky man with glasses and a young looking woman stood in one picture.

The man looked similar to Daedalus, though he did not have the athletic build that his son had acquired. He had brown hair like his son, though his was gelled and styled to the side. His eyes were different, a deep blue color. He was a little tanner than his son, but carried the same warm smile that Daedalus did.

The woman, Daedalus's mother, was radiant. Her long black hair was draped over her left shoulder in the picture. Daedalus had, apparently, gotten his grey eyes from his mother, as she had a matching pair. She was paler than the man next to her. The woman had a beautiful, bright smile.

Another picture caught Nico's attention. In this one was a young boy with dark brown hair that looked like he had just rolled out of the bed. His eyes were also grey, but a lighter color than Daedalus's eyes. He was short, possibly not having hit puberty yet. He was tanned, slightly sunburned in the photo. He smiled up at camera with a toothy grin.

“That's my nephew, Perdix.”

Nico turned around to find Daedalus standing in the doorway. He smiled and offered Nico a glass of lemonade. “Thanks,” Nico mumbled, taking the offered drink. He sat the picture back on the desk.

“If you stay a while, you might be able to meet him.”

Nico nodded. “Sister or brother?”

Daedalus's lips tilted down. He cleared his throat, glancing at the ground for a brief second. “My sister's, and she's not with us anymore.”

“Oh.” Nico pursed his lips. “I'm sorry.”

The brunet shook his head. “It's fine.” The boy adjusted his glasses, while letting out a breath. “My parents do the best they can at raising him now.”

The raven haired boy's brow furrowed. “His father passed as well?” He shifted his weight, letting the room fall silent for a moment before proceeding. “Do you mind if I asked what happened?”

Daedalus sat his lemonade down on his nightstand before turning back to Nico. “Plane crash,” he said quietly. “A few years back. Something ended up going wrong with the wings of the plane.”

Nico stared down at the picture of Perdix. “Where's he at now?”

“Off seeing his father's parents. My dad took him. They live two hours away, so it'll be a while.” He cleared his throat. “My mom should be home soon, though.”

Nico took another drink from the drink he had been offered and took another look around Daedalus's room. The brunet had an average bed in the back right corner of his room. His desk sat in front of a window, and above it hung an old-fashioned flying machine. A large bookcase sat next to the desk, filled to the brim with books. Beside his bed was a basketball and tennis shoes. It felt like home.

“You have a nice room.”

Daedalus blinked at him. “Thanks.” He smiled brightly. “It's not the luxurious place you're staying at, but it suffices.”

Sunday had arrived rather quickly for Nico. And he would be off for Thanksgiving break for the upcoming week, which meant he could catch up on sleep and upcoming projects. But Daedalus had wanted to get a jumpstart on Nico's tutoring.

The raven haired boy had arrived around ten that morning, and it was just now reaching one in the afternoon. He had gotten a slight headache, but he wasn't going to complain. He had probably given Daedalus one as well, but the brunet had been a good sport about it overall. Nico felt good about this arrangement, and not just because it would keep his grades up. It now gave him an opportunity to spend some more time away from the hotel.

Nico turned around at the sound of a door opening in the house. Daedalus jumped off the bed with a smile. “Come on, that should be mom.”

Daedalus led Nico back through his home. The brown-eyed boy glanced around a lot, at everything. The brunet's house was nice, it felt warm. They had hardwood floors, all polished to perfection. Daedalus's parents had a lot of books, which seemed to be located randomly throughout the house, rather than stored on shelves. There were several family portraits, some of which included a girl with brown hair. Nico was going to assume it was Daedalus's sister.

“Hey, mom,” Daedalus greeted the woman from the photo. He grabbed a bag of groceries from her and walked the woman into the kitchen, which was also perfectly tidy.

The mother smiled and kissed the brunet's temple. She blinked when she spotted Nico, quickly clearing her throat and offering Nico her hand and a smile. “And who do we have here?”

“Oh.” Daedalus sat down the bag of groceries and moved to stand at the island beside Nico. “Sorry. This is Nico. Nico, this is my mom.”

Nico shook the woman's hand with a smile. “It's nice to meet you, Mrs.-”

“Oh, sweetie, just call me Minerva.” She released Nico's hand before turning to her son. “Has your father gotten home yet?”

The brunet shook his head. “No, but he'll probably be soon.”

Minerva nodded and began putting away her groceries. “So, Nico, Daedalus tells me he's dating your sister. Most boys get protective over things like that.”

Nico chuckled and turned to glance at Daedalus. “He seems nice enough, so I'll let him slide, for now.”

The mother smiled. “That's good to hear. I raised him to be a gentleman, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.” Her brow creased. “I hear you're not living with your parents anymore.”

“Mom,” Daedalus said warningly, a frown marring his features.

Nico shook his head. “It's fine. No, Mrs.-” Nico clamped his mouth shut, receiving a look from Daedalus's mother. “Er, I mean, Minerva. I'm not living with my parents.”

“That's a shame.” The woman pursed her lips and shot a look at her son. “Well, if you ever need a meal or somewhere to sleep, you're welcome here.”

The raven haired boy smiled. “Thank you, but I'm fine.”

From the way Daedalus refused to look up from the island, Nico was going to assume the boy hadn't told his mother about his living conditions in their entirety. Nico was most grateful for that. There was just one problem with this situation.

“I, um, would just like to ask that you don't mention me to my parents, if you see them.”

Minerva looked between Nico and Daedalus. “Well, they were actually coming over here for dinner tonight.” Nico swallowed a lump in his throat, his face paling. Minerva pursed her lips. “I don't know what went on exactly, Nico, but if I need to call child services-”

“No!” The brown-eyed boy quickly shook his head. “No, I'm fine. I'd just rather not talk about it.”

The dark haired woman sighed and nodded his head. “I suppose you'll be out of here by the time they get here then?”

Nico swallowed again. “I guess so.”

Minerva nodded as she finished putting away her groceries. “Very well, I won't say anything. Just keep yourself out of trouble, Nico. If you need anything, just give my son a call. I'll send him along, even if it's the dead of night.”

Nico smiled brightly at the woman. “Thank you.”

Daedalus nudged the raven haired boy and nodded his head back towards his room. Nico gave the woman a final smile before following his friend back down the hall. Daedalus closed the door upon their arrival, letting out a sigh.

“Your mom is nice,” Nico decided.

The brunet chuckled. “That's what most people tell me.” He shrugged his shoulders. “She can be quite strict when it comes to my education, though.”

Nico sat down on the brunet's bed, gripping the sheets in his fingers. He stared around the room, while the other boy opened his laptop. This place was nice, unlike his old home. It didn't feel dangerous, it didn't feel unsafe. It felt like home. Why couldn't he have had a home and a family like this?

That wasn't to say he didn't love Bianca and his mother, they were great, but he couldn't be with him. All because of his father. He shivered in thought of his father. Nico began chewing on his lip, his gaze trained on his lap.

“You okay?”

Nico looked up to find Daedalus staring at him from the desk. He quickly nodded, throwing on a smile. The brunet looked at him with concern. “I'm fine, I promise.”

Daedalus pursed his lips, but didn't say anything. “So we should hang out again while we're on break. Maybe if Jason's feeling better, he can join us.”

“Yeah.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “I'll see how he's feeling when I get back and I'll let you know.” Nico's phone went off in his pocket. He pulled it out and stared down at the screen. Octavian had texted him, letting Nico know he had arrived. “My ride is here.”

Nico quickly gathered his things, with some help from his brunet friend. Daedalus opened his door again and stepped outside to walk Nico down the hall. As they neared the door, Nico's brow furrowed. Footsteps were heard outside, along with some voices. The door opened a moment later, and in a small brown headed blur ran inside the house. Behind the small boy stood the tall man from the photograph in Daedalus's room, with Octavian in tow.

The man smiled and stepped forward. “Ah, you must be Nico. I'm Daedalus's father, Quintus.” He shook Nico's hand with a firm shake. “I found your friend here outside.”

Octavian gave the man one of the traditional Lost Kids' fake smiles. “I really was fine waiting in the car, sir.”

“Nonsense.” Quintus hefted the small boy that had run inside up into his arms. “It would be un-hospitable to leave you out there, waiting for who knows how long.”

Nico smiled. “Well, I'm ready to go.”

“Great,” Octavian said, still through his forced smile.

The child, Perdix, blinked at Octavian. “You're really tall. My dad was tall.”

Octavian's smile faltered. “Is he?”

“Was,” Quintus said quietly. Octavian pursed his lips, shooting Nico a glance.

Perdix didn't seem fazed by any of this. “Yeah, and you have the same color hair.” He quickly flailed his arms, trying to get a handful of the slim blond's hair.

Octavian's lips tilted back up, but this time it wasn't forced. Nico blinked. Had he ever really seen Octavian smile? A real smile?

Quintus chuckled and hoisted the child up higher in his arms. “So, Octavian was it? You said you were interested in studying politics?”

The smile that was fascinating Nico vanished, replaced by a blank look. “I said I had some interest in politics. Haven't quite decided if I want to venture into that career path just yet.”

Minerva came around the corner with a smile. She kissed her husband and took Perdix from the man. “Quintus is trying to get into politics.”

The man chuckled. “Just County Committee Member, nothing too exciting.”

The blond eyed the man carefully before nodding. “Good luck.” His eyes flickered over to Nico. “Ready?”

Nico nodded. Minerva put a hand on Nico's shoulder. “Feel free to come back any time, Nico.”

The child in the woman's arms leaned into her ear. “Isn't Daedalus's girlfriend's brother named Nico?”

Nico pursed his lips. Minerva had done the same as she stared at the child. “It's complicated, sweetie. We'll explain it later, okay?”

Perdix grinned and nodded. “Yeah.”

Octavian tugged on Nico's shirt. “Well, I've got to go,” Nico announced. He gave a lopsided smile to his friend. “Thanks for the help.”

Daedalus smirked and nodded. “I'll catch you later, man.” He walked the two over to the door and closed it behind them.

Nico followed Daedalus down the short stone path that led to the street. Octavian had parked his car on the curb. The raven haired boy stared at Octavian over the roof of the car, while the other pulled his keys out to unlock the vehicle.

Nico opened his door and climbed inside. “I didn't know you were interested in politics.” Octavian remained silent. “Why aren't you pursuing it?”

“Waste of time.” The blond cranked the car.

The raven haired boy frowned. “You could get out of the hotel.”

Icy blue eyes cut across the car. “And why would I want to do that?”

“Why are you always so evasive?”

“Why are you so annoying?”

Nico huffed. “I thought we were on a truce.”

Octavian smirked at him. “Fair enough.” He pursed his lips. “It's complicated.”

Nico stared at the blond from the passenger seat. “You didn't seem to like Daedalus's father.”

The blond shrugged. “I wouldn't say that.”

The short boy arched an eyebrow. “You looked irritable when you walked in.”

“He was trying to talk to me about politics,” Octavian mumbled. He reached back with his left hand and ran a hand through the back of his hair. “Why are you always asking questions?”

Nico sat back in his seat, frowning slightly. “I'm just a curious person.” The brown-eyed boy sighed. “All of you know these things about each other, so why can't I? I'm supposed to be included in this family, or that's what everyone keeps telling me.”

Octavian pulled his gaze away from the road to stare at Nico. He opened his mouth and let it hang open for a moment, quickly shutting it a second later. “You need to understand something, Nico.” The way he said it caught Nico slightly off guard. He had never heard Octavian speak so gently before. “We grew up with each other, not literally, but within the hotel. You were the first new addition to arrive in almost a year. We know these things about each other because we shared in each other's pain.”

“So, Jason will be treated similarly to me?”

The blond chuckled. “Jealousy does not become you, Nico.” He blew out a breath. “I don't know what the future holds, but if I had to guess, I'd say probably so.”

Nico turned his eyes to stare out the passenger window. “I'm still the outsider, though.”

“Maybe you should learn to adapt.” Nico heard Octavian sigh. “You'll never survive in this place at the pace you're going.”

“I'm fine,” Nico said softly. He began tapping a finger on his leg. “I can make it just fine.”

Octavian turned his head to give Nico a brief glance. “You say that now. Come find me when you change your mind. I can teach you a few things.” He chuckled when Nico turned around, mouth open, ready to remark on that. “Non-sexual, I promise. You're not as cunning as you might think you are, though.”

The raven haired boy narrowed his eyes. “I don't need any help.”

The blond shrugged. “Then I guess someone else will just pull another stunt on you like Apollo did.”

Nico averted his gaze with a frown. “I'll....I'll keep what you're saying in mind.”

Octavian smirked at him. “Good boy. Maybe you're not a complete loss.”

Nico's brown eyes shifted to the front window when the hotel came into view. “Will you at least tell me why you and Luke didn't come here at the same time?” His brow creased. “Out of everyone, you two talk the least about yourselves.”

“Maybe because we don't like thinking about it.” The older Lost Boy shivered, causing the car to swerve slightly. He let out a long breath, returning his blue eyes to the road. “Don't talk to him about it, please,” he said, barely above a whisper.

“What...happened?”

The blond pulled into the parking garage and found a parking spot. He shifted the car into park and let his gaze fall to his lap. “Luke...he had his job, long before we got here.” He turned to look at Nico with frantic eyes. “She...” The blond shook his head, breaking his eye contact with Nico. “Never mind.”

Nico stared after the blond as he got out of the car. He swallowed the lump in his throat before grabbing his things and getting out on his side. Octavian locked the door when Nico's door was closed. Nico didn't say anything else. It was just one of those moments where he knew if he asked another personal question, he might set off something he wasn't ready for just yet. He would let it go, for now.

\--------------------------------------

Nico climbed out of the pool the next day. He shook his head, sending droplets of water flying everywhere. Juniper and Rachel laughed at him. “You looked like a wet dog,” Rachel said with a smirk.

Nico frowned at her. “Shut up.”

The red headed girl ran her fingers through his wet black locks. “Maybe you should get a haircut soon.”

The Lost Boy tugged at one of the strands hanging down into his face. “I'll give it another week, or two.”

Rachel patted him playfully on the cheek. “Just go see Circe, she'll fix you up.”

Nico sat down on one of the chairs beside the pool, in between Rachel and Juniper. It had been a quiet day so far, though it was far from over. He grabbed his towel and ran it through his hair. He was very thankful for his break, it was very much needed.

Rachel picked at one of her nails. “So, Juniper, have you tried to get a date with Percy yet?”

Nico frowned. Juniper chuckled and shook her head. “Not yet. I think he's busy today.”

“Oh yeah.” Rachel clicked her tongue. “I forgot Luke came to see him earlier.”

“Date?” Nico looked between the two Lost Girls.

“Well, not-date is the correct term, as you put it.” Rachel shrugged. “Should have seen this coming, Nico. The others saw an opportunity, so they took it.”

Nico turned to face the other girl. “Are you going to?”

Juniper gave him a sad look. “I was thinking about it,” she said softly.

“Don't be mad at her.” Rachel swatted his thigh lightly. “The others are just upping their game, you'll need to learn to adjust.”

Nico pouted. “Well, why does Percy have to oblige them with this?”

“He can't give you special treatment, Nico.” The red headed girl smirked at him. “As much as I'm sure you'd like that, it just can't be.” She sighed and leaned back to enjoy the sun shining down on her. “Just relax, Nico, you're fine. You worry too much.”

Nico frowned, clutching at his swim trunks. Part of him wished he had never asked Percy to spend time with him. It seemed to just make things worse. Now the others just had another opportunity to bond with Percy. He had wanted it to be special.

Rachel stood up with a grunt. She bent over and picked up her phone, which had been lying on her towel. She sighed and scowled down at the device. “Shit,” she cursed. “I've got to go.” She playfully punched Nico's shoulder before jogging out of the pool area.

“What's up with her?”

Juniper smiled sadly at the door that Rachel had left. “Her father is coming to town.”

“Does he want to see her?”

The Lost Girl shook her head. “No, and that's the issue. He's going to be staying here, but made it clear to Percy that he didn't want to see his daughter.”

Nico pursed his lips. “That's horrible. I mean, I know he disowned her, but that's just wrong. She has to stay invisible while he's here?”

The girl shrugged, running a hand through her drying hair. “I wouldn't say that is very uncommon. Percy does the same with Apollo-”

“He didn't last time.”

Juniper looked back at Nico with sadness. “Typically, he doesn't let Robert see Apollo.” She sighed. “He'll probably have Rachel and Leo swap their night jobs. So, Rachel will probably be sitting in with the boys while her father is here.”

“That's sad.” Nico pursed his lips and stared at the waves in the pool. While it was sad, perhaps it was for the best. He wasn't sure he would want to see his father if the man showed up at the hotel either.

He blinked when he felt someone tap his leg. He looked up to see Juniper smiling down at him. “Ready to go? Don't want you turning into a tomato.” She giggled when Nico quickly looked himself over.

Nico stood up with a scowl. She waited for Nico to slide his shirt on before starting to walk towards the exit. Nico stepped in beside her, walking in silence for a few steps. “So why come here?”

Juniper tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean? I told you why.”

“I know that Percy asked for you, but you told Bianca you still had a family. Why move away?”

Juniper sighed. “As long as they are being taken care of, that's what really matters. I can see them when I can.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Taken care of?” He shifted his eyes from side to side. “Why would they need to be taken care of?” His eyes widened. “Oh god, your parents didn't get in some kind of trouble with Gaea, did they?”

The Lost Girl chuckled. “No, no, nothing like that.” She let out a breath. “Maybe another time, Nico.”

Juniper had just pushed the button to call the elevator, when an elbow rested on Nico's shoulder. “Oh, cutie, you look so adorable in your swimming clothes.”

Nico sighed and turned to face Ganymede, prepared to deliver a witty comeback. It fell short, though, when he stared into the ex-Lost Boy's eyes. Instead of meeting hazel eyes, Nico was staring at two different shades. His left was dark blue, while his right eye was green. A pair of glasses sat on his nose.

He smirked at Nico. “It's not polite to stare, you know.”

“Your eyes are different colors,” Nico stated bluntly.

Juniper and Ganymede chuckled at him. “Heterochromia iridum is the proper term that I think you're looking for.” He leaned in, still smiling. “And I really don't like being stared at.”

Nico blinked, his cheeks turning pink. “Sorry.” He opened his mouth, but the elevator arrived. “Uh, I'll catch you later, Juniper.” The girl nodded at him, her eyes darting between the two males in front of her. Ganymede smiled at her as the doors closed. “Um, so you wear contacts.”

The man shrugged. “They were irritating my eyes this morning, so I had to wear my glasses.”

Nico swallowed, catching himself staring again. “They, um, look really...nice.”

Ganymede smirked at him. “Really?” His smile fell with a shrug. “So I've been told, by plenty of customers.” The dirty haired blond let out a heavy sigh. “Apparently, it's a turn on for a lot of customers, especially men. Getting a blowjob from a guy with two different color eyes is super hot, or so they say.”

Nico had his lips pursed. It was hot, he thought. “Er, so why the contacts?”

The man shrugged, scrunching his lips. “Didn't really like being stared at so much. It made me a little uncomfortable.”

The raven haired boy looked at the blond with skepticism. “Really? A Lost Kid that doesn't like the attention?”

Ganymede cocked his head to the side. “You'd be surprised.” He smirked, flashing his bright teeth. “So, where are you headed?”

“Up to my room. You?”

“Same.”

Nico arched a brow. “You live here?”

Ganymede chuckled. “You really didn't know that? Some of the staff do live here, Nico, not just the Lost Kids.” He narrowed an eye and gave Nico a funny look. “You know, if I'm right, you should have my old suite. Maybe even my old bed and room.” He bit down on his lip.

“Pervert.” Nico rolled his eyes. “I probably have your suite, not sure about the room.”

The ex-Lost Boy hummed and pushed the call button for the elevator. “You could come up to my room.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I'm sure it would completely remain innocent,” he said sarcastically. “Which staff member do you live with?”

“No one.” Ganymede shrugged. “We all live on the same floor, but our rooms aren't as big, and we don't take up an entire floor.” He motioned to the elevator when it arrived. “You're welcome to come have a look, in case you ever need to find me when I'm off the clock.”

Nico blew out a breath. He eventually boarded the elevator and watched as Ganymede hit the button to the twentieth floor. “Why this floor anyways? Why not keep you guys closer to the Lost Kids?”

The man shrugged. “Well, this floor has the single rooms.”

“How many?”

Ganymede smiled. “Just myself, Chiron, Circe, and Dionysus.” He sighed contently. “Though, I hear Chris might be moving in soon.” The blond mumbled something to himself.

Nico cocked his head to the side. “What was that?”

The elevator stopped. The other smiled at him. “Nothing, cutie.”

Nico looked at him warningly. “No sex. Just a quick look and then I'm out.”

“So hurtful. That's not much of a reason.”

Nico sighed as he followed the taller male down the hall. They went to the end of the hall before stopping. “I suppose it would come in handy to know where you live. You've been...insightful.”

Ganymede smiled, pushing his door open. “That's what I'm here for.”

The raven haired youth entered the room, staring around at the room. It was definitely not like the suites the Lost Kids had. It was just a luxury hotel room. There weren't a bunch of rooms, there was only the bedroom and the bathroom. The bathroom looked nice. It had glass walls like the showers upstairs, but the shower had been combined with the bathtub.

The bed was the same size as the one Nico had. The TV was an inch or two smaller than the one he had in his bedroom, though Ganymede had his hanging on the wall. There was a small kitchen area in the left corner of the suite; a refrigerator, microwave, sink, and stove.

Ganymede flopped down on his bed, crossing his feet. “Well, this is where the magic happens. Clothing is optional.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Why don't any of you ever leave?”

The man's smile vanished. “You've been talking to Percy.”

“A while back.”

The man grunted and stared up at the ceiling. “It's just-”

“Complicated.” Nico pulled a chair out from a small table, sitting down in it. “I hear that a lot.” Nico stared at the blond man, still slightly fascinated by the eyes. “So, you used to be a Lost Kid, and you said you taught Apollo what he knows, right?”

Ganymede shrugged. “More or less.” He sat up and crossed his legs, still frowning. “I'm taking it you want to talk about Apollo?”

The brown-eyed boy shook his head. He shifted in his seat. He kept his eyes on the floor as he attempted to find the words to ask what he wanted to know. “The other night, I got to witness this obsession that some of the customers have with us.” He noticed Ganymede's eyes darken. “I was just wondering if you had the same experience, since you mentored Apollo.”

Ganymede put his hands in front of his mouth, his fist pressing against his palm. “He was such a sweet kid when he first got here.” His eyes seemed to search his comforter for something. “You know, sometimes we wonder if we create monsters, us older ones. He wasn't so different from you, you know? He had the same lovestruck look on his face when he stared at Percy.”

“I'm not in love with Percy,” Nico grumbled. Ganymede gave him a disbelieving look. Nico frowned at his lap. He didn't know anymore, he really didn't. Perhaps he should give it some thought at some point.

“He was so infatuated with Percy when he first got here,” Ganymede continued. “It hurt to watch, when it all came crashing down for him.”

Nico's brow creased. “Crashing down?”

“Percy didn't want him, at least not in the way Apollo wanted him to. And he's like you, or was. He put sex and romance together in his head. This place wasn't easy on him at first.”

“He seems fine now.”

Ganymede shrugged. “Like we've established, I taught him. Percy handed him off to me one day, told me to work with him.” The blond's gaze flickered over to the kitchen area. When Nico followed his gaze, he found that the blond was staring at a bottle of liquor. “He was a sweetheart; cute, young, and adorable.” Ganymede sighed and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through it for a moment before pointing the screen in Nico's direction.

Nico stared at a younger-looking Apollo. His hair was shorter than it was now, just a hint of curls in his blond hair. The blond's tan was less prominent, though, which surprised Nico a little. Nico assumed the picture had been taken shortly after Apollo's arrival at the hotel, because the blond still had faint traces of dark circles under his eyes. But most of all, he looked sad.

“He didn't take it so well, when Percy turned him down.” The phone was locked and placed on the bed. “Percy explained things to him, but it still hurt Apollo. It wasn't easy, teaching him.” The ex-Lost Boy's eyes grew distant. “He shook a lot, while I worked with him. He cried a lot of nights, and Percy didn't help him by letting him get comfort from his bed.”

“Why?” Nico swallowed. “Why would Percy want to have that done to Apollo?”

The blond's different colored eyes shifted up to Nico. “He had to, if Apollo wanted to stay here. Apollo was an intimate person, and there's not much room for that here.” 

“He can still be sweet.”

Ganymede shrugged. “True, but that's part of his appeal. He just needed to learn how to get it right.” The man sighed and fell back on the bed. “He was angry with me for a long time after that, Percy too. Should have seen it coming.”

Nico furrowed his brow. “Seen what coming?”

Ganymede seemed to realize what he had just said. He sat up and frowned. “You should go.”

“What should he have seen coming?” Nico stared at Ganymede with determination. This felt important, and he didn't want to let it go.

The blond ran a hand down his face. “Just...promise not to repeat this, yeah?” Nico nodded his head. “Later, when Leo came to the hotel, Apollo got a little angry with Percy one night.” Nico felt the hairs on his arms begin to stand up. Oh god, he thought, was this what they were fighting about? “Apollo...Apollo coerced Leo to go back to his suite with him. Leo was supposed to be doing some paperwork for Percy, concerning some important documents.”

“He got Leo in trouble?”

Ganymede held up a hand, keeping his head lowered. “Just let me finish. He got Leo to go back to his room, and they ended up having sex.” The blond's eyes drifted off to the side. “Left the poor kid heartbroken after that.” His eyes returned to Nico's face. “And, yeah, he got Leo in trouble with Percy.”

Nico frowned. “Why would Apollo want to get Leo in trouble?”

The ex-Lost Boy shook his head lightly. “It wasn't meant to hurt Leo. The paperwork was very important for Percy.” The man pursed his lips. “Let's just say that Apollo's little stunt with you wasn't the first time he wished he hadn't upset Percy.”

Nico let his eyes drop from Ganymede's face. “I, um, need to get back to my room. I've got to get ready for work.”

Ganymede stood up at the same time Nico did. He grabbed the boy by his shoulder to keep him still. “Just remember to keep quiet about what I just said. You are a curious kid, and I don't mind helping you connect some dots, but I don't want to get burned because you go and run your mouth.”

Nico pursed his lips and jerked his shoulder away. “I'm not going to rat you out.” He averted his eyes when he looked up at the blond's eyes again. They really were fascinating to look at.

Ganymede followed him to the door, leaning on it as they stood in the doorway. “You're not quite like the others, Nico.” He furrowed his brow. “Word of advice, don't let Apollo take you under his wing.” He stared down into Nico's eyes. “Don't turn out like the others. I can't quite place it, but there's something about you, something refreshing.” He smiled. “I think I'm starting to see why Percy wants to protect you so much.”

Nico stared at the door with a mixture of confusion and concern. He watched Ganymede let it close in front of himself before walking back down the hall. As he reached out to press the button to his floor, something occurred to him. Why had all of that caused such a sore spot between Leo and Apollo? The blond had gotten punished, so why would they still fight about it? He thought that the Lost Kids were supposed to be accustomed to that sort of thing.

Nico froze when the elevator opened. He was immediately greeted by a thud. His brow furrowed as he crept out of the elevator and peered around the corner to the boys' hall. His heart sank a little in his stomach at what he found happening up against Luke and Octavian's door.

Percy had Luke's hands pinned above his head. The two were fiercely biting and sucking at each other's lips. Luke tossed his head back, another thud echoing in the hallway. Percy grinned and moved in to attack the blond's neck, pressing his knee into the blue-eyed young man's crotch.

Percy suddenly pulled back, bringing forth a small whine from Luke. He smirked and ran a hand under the blond's shirt. “It seems we have an audience.”

Nico's heart stopped. But Percy and Luke didn't look at him, they looked down the hall, to their right. Luke's blue eyes narrowed. “Enjoying the show, Will?”

Nico peeked out farther. Sure enough, the younger blond was standing in his doorway. He shrugged with an innocent smile. “Don't mind me. Carry on, gentlemen.”

Percy chuckled and slid his hands into his pockets. “Luke, door. We need to hurry before you have to get to work.” Luke grumbled and pulled out his key card. Percy slid a hand into his hair. “And you can come out now, Nico.”

Nico's eyes widened. Percy hadn't even been looking in his direction! Luke frowned when Nico stepped out from around the corner. “Twerp,” he mumbled. Nico narrowed his eyes.

Percy smiled and ran a hand through Nico's hair when he was close enough. “I didn't know you were into voyeurism, Nico.” The two blonds snickered. Percy smiled again before moving into Luke's suite.

Luke crossed his arms and stared at Nico. “Move along, kid.”

The raven haired boy huffed. “My name isn't kid, it's Nico. It's not that hard, even for your brain.”

Will raised a hand to hide his amusement. Luke turned a deathly glare on the other blond. “Is there a problem there, Will?”

The shorter blond chuckled and shook his head. “Nope, none at all. Go, have your fun.”

Luke's icy blue eyes returned to Nico. “Before I forget, Thalia wants you go shopping with her tomorrow.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “What for? We just went shopping.”

The tall blond rolled his eyes. “Thanksgiving is Thursday, brat. She wants to get a few things for decoration. Now, get your ass moving, unless you care to join us.” He bowed and motioned to his door with both of his hands.

“No thanks,” Nico mumbled. He tossed Luke a glare before shoving past him. He attempted to bump Luke's shoulder roughly, but it felt like he made contact with a brick wall. He winced and rubbed his arm.

Luke smirked before rolling his eyes and entering his suite, shutting the door behind him. Will cocked his head to the side as Nico walked to adjacent suite, his suite. Will held his hands behind his back and moved towards Nico, taking long strides. Nico turned his head to look at the blond when Will invaded his space.

“How are you doing, Nico?”

Nico arched his brows and shrugged. “Fine. Why?”

Will stuck his lips out in a semi-pout. “Not upset, seeing Percy practically fucking Luke up against his door?”

“Do you have a point to this question?”

Will leaned against the doorframe and grabbed Nico by his waist, pulling the shorter boy closer. “Just curious.” His expression faltered when the shorter boy yanked his way out of the blond's hold. “Why pursue the unobtainable, when there's something just as good in front of you?”

Nico gave the blond a curious look. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” Will sighed. He cupped Nico's cheeks and brought his face dangerously close to the other Lost Boy's. Nico sucked in a breath and pursed his lips. He pressed a hand to the blond's chest, attempting to create some distance. “It's just a kiss, Nico.”

“I highly doubt that. It seems like all of you are just trying to have sex with me, so Percy will be forced to keep his end of the agreement.”

Will leaned in again, but this time didn't attempt to kiss Nico. “It can't get broken if no one finds out.” His brow furrowed. “I told you, I'm not Apollo. I'm not going to rat you out.”

Nico gave the other Lost Boy a disbelieving look. “Apollo said something similar to me on the night he was giving me those lessons.”

Will sighed and released Nico. He reached up and ran a hand through his short hair. “I can't even have a chance? Just a chance, to show you that I won't do that.”

“You sided with the others that night,” Nico reminded him.

Will let his head turn to the floor for a few seconds before raising his eyes to look at Nico. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Honeyed words?”

Will held up his hands defensively. “Okay, how about a compromise? You go on a date with me, and I won't make a single attempt to get into your pants.”

Nico pushed his door open with his back. “I don't know, Will. Let me think on it.” He placed a hand on the blond's shoulder.

Will smiled. Before Nico could fully register what happened, Will leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. Nico blinked a few times, the blond just standing there, grinning. “I'll see you later, Nico.”

Nico rolled his eyes as the blond slung his arms behind his head and made his way back to his suite. He let out a sigh and took a step backwards, letting the door close. He took in a deep breath before shaking his head. Nico nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of a crunch, like one would hear from biting into an apple. He turned around with wide eyes.

Jason sat at the kitchen island, a half eaten apple in his hands. His eyebrows rose as he looked at Nico. Nico pursed his lips at the blond's appearance. Jason had dark bags under his eyes, like he had hardly slept in the past few weeks. His hair was wet, probably having just had a shower. Nico couldn't remember even seeing the blond take one during his time being incapacitated. Jason's skin had lost some of its color, but the track marks seemed to have vanished. Due to Jason's shirt, Nico couldn't be sure if the same could be said about the cuts.

Jason blinked once. “You two looked cozy.”

Nico sighed, offering the other a smile. “Glad to have you back on your feet.”

The blond gave him a lopsided smile. “I feel like shit.” He let out a groan and buried his face in his hands. “I can't believe I was out of commission for nearly three weeks.”

Nico shrugged. “You didn't really miss anything.” He moved closer, resting his elbows on the island. “So, when do you start working?”

Jason took another bite of his apple. His words came out mumbled around the pieces of apple in his mouth. Nico arched an eyebrow at him. The blond chuckled and swallowed his food. “Don't know yet.” He groaned and rubbed at his temple. “And Daedalus?”

“Just a little curious. I talked to him. He thinks you've been really sick. I didn't really know what to tell him about the situation, though.”

The blond blew out a breath. “You couldn't make up something? Jesus, I thought you guys were supposed to be great liars.”

“I'm new,” Nico mumbled.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Clearly.” He let out a sigh.

“You know, it might help if I knew what the real story was. At least then I could know areas to stay away from.”

Jason's blue eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. “I told you, my dad was an ass. What more do you need to know?”

Nico crossed his arms. “What about Thalia, does Daedalus know about her?”

“No.” The blond leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as well. “Why would I want to tell my best friend about the sister that abandoned me?”

“I'm...I'm sure she tried.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Yeah,” he spat out, “I'm sure she tried so hard. She could have done something. She could have distracted him. We could have both gotten out.”

Nico arched a brow. “Distracted your father?”

Jason shook his head. “Just drop it, it's not important.” The blond sighed and stood up. “No, she abandoned me. She left me there...with him. With both of them.” He ran his tongue along the bottom of his teeth. “Yeah, great sister.”

“You don't know, she could have-”

“Where's Percy? I need to talk to him.” Jason's eyes dulled as he reached out for his phone.

Nico sighed. “He's with Luke.”

Jason shrugged and made to move towards the door. Nico arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh.” He blinked a few times. “Oh. Uh, never mind.” The blond's lips tilted down, his eyebrows drawing together. “I'll talk to him later.”

Nico gave the other an odd look. “What was that?”

The blond's eyebrows rose. “What was what?”

Nico gestured to Jason. “That! The expression you made. It's like annoyed, or something.”

“I'm not. I just forgot that,” he gestured at Nico's lower half, “that was how Percy conducted business around here.” He blew out a breath. “Just great,” he mumbled.

The raven haired Lost Boy scrunched his lips. “It feels like you're disappointed about that.”

Jason grunted and stretched his arms above his head. “Whatever. I'm going to go...do something. Anything. I've been in my room for too long.”

“You're just a ray of sunshine,” Nico mumbled as Jason headed back towards his room. Jason turned his head to give Nico a dirty look.

Great, Nico thought, this was just what he needed. His roommate was back on his feet, which meant that Percy's attention could resume with the blond. Or maybe it would falter. Jason was feeling better now, so maybe it would work in Nico's favor. Doubtful, Nico thought, things didn't seem to have a habit of going his way lately.

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Nico stood in front of Annabeth and Thalia's door on Tuesday afternoon. He reached up and knocked on the door. He stood there for about a minute, not receiving any answer. He let out a sigh and reached up to knock again, when a hand slid a card into the slot.

The raven haired boy turned to find Annabeth standing beside him, an unreadable look in her eyes. “Afternoon,” she greeted him.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled. “I'm ready to go whenever you two are.”

Annabeth nodded and pushed the door open a little. “Well, Drew will be tagging along with us, so you can start your happy dance over there in the corner.” She actually pointed over to where her couch sat. Annabeth was capable of humor?

The blonde closed the door behind Nico. This was the first time that Nico had been inside Annabeth and Thalia's suite; it felt strange. Not in a bad way, just new. Unlike most of the boys' suites, their suite didn't seem to have many personal items. Perhaps their bedrooms were different? A few books were scattered around; one laying on the coffee table, while one sat on the arm of the couch, and another sat on the stand with the TV. A switchblade sat on the coffee table with the book, possibly Thalia's.

Annabeth was in the process of opening her mouth when the bathroom door opened. The sound of a shower running filtered into the room. But more importantly, Percy stumbled out of it, carrying Thalia in his arms. And more importantly still, they were both completely wet and naked.

Nico pursed his lips as he witnessed Percy lower and raise the Lost Girl on his manhood. His heart felt like it might break when the raven haired girl bit down on Percy's neck. Another thrust, another piece of his heart broke. There was a heavy lump in his throat that he just couldn't seem to get rid of.

They both laughed as Percy stumbled into the wall, banging Thalia's back against it. Annabeth sighed and rolled her eyes. “Charming,” she mumbled.

“Piss off, Anna-” Thalia shut her mouth when she spotted Nico standing in the middle of the living room.

Nico averted his eyes to the floor as Thalia forced Percy to put her down. The brown-eyed boy pursed his lips and crossed his arms, drawing in on himself. Annabeth sighed and shook her head. “I swear, you're all idiots.”

Thalia shot her a dirty look as she darted into her room to grab their underwear. Percy kept staring at Nico as he slipped on his boxers. As Nico began to chew on his lip, Percy narrowed his eyes. “I swear to any god that will hear me, Nico, if you run, I will tackle you.”

Nico scowled at him before averting his gaze again. Thalia had managed to get her panties on, so Nico didn't want to look up just yet, not with her breasts still out. Thalia began chewing on her lip. “I-I'll be just a second, Nico.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “I'm going to get Drew. Hopefully this train wreck will be over by the time I get back.” The blonde reached out for Nico, but a grunt from Percy stopped her. She dropped her hand, gave Nico a look, and headed out the door.

Thalia brushed her hair behind her ear. “I'm going to get dressed.” She stepped into her room and tossed Percy's pants at him, hitting him in the face with them.

The manager glared at her and worked his legs into them. He stumbled into the living room, where Nico was sitting himself down on the couch. Nico wiped at his nose, his eyes becoming blurry. He didn't want to cry, he just couldn't help it.

“Nico.” The boy didn't look up. Percy tilted his head, trying to catch the boy's gaze. “Nico, look at me.” The brown-eyed boy sadly shook his head. Percy bent down and cupped Nico's chin, forcing the boy to look up. He swiped a thumb across Nico's cheek with a frown. “Why are you so upset? You know this is what goes on.”

“It still hurts.”

The young man sighed heavily. “You really need to stop walking in on me with this stuff.”

Nico frowned up at him. “Why can't...” He groaned and cradled his head. “I just want to be different, special.”

Percy stared down at him, his brows furrowed. “You are different, and you are treated special. If you weren't, don't you think you'd be doing the same job as the others? You'd be selling your body for my profit if you weren't.” He cocked his head to the side, arching a brow. “So, do you want to rephrase that statement?”

Nico stared up at the young man, doing his best not to cry anymore. “I really like you, Percy.”

“I know,” the green-eyed young man said softly. He weaved his fingers into his hair, giving Nico an exasperated look. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you. That's all I want.”

“You-” Percy shut his mouth. His brow furrowed again. His eyes, it was like he didn't understand what had just been said. Nico stared up at him in wonder. Something felt wrong. This had happened the other night, and Percy never had trouble with words.

“Shit, what did you say to him?”

They both looked up to find Thalia lowering her shirt. Percy threw on a smile and stood back to his full height. “Just making sure he's not traumatized from seeing your vagina.”

Thalia chuckled. “Maybe he'll come around.”

“Gross,” Nico mumbled, wiping at his eyes to get rid of any leftover tears.

Percy laughed. “Well, it seems he's feeling better.” He squeezed the back of Nico's neck when the boy stood up.

Thalia grinned and grabbed Nico by the wrist, dragging him towards the door. “Come on, Nico, we have an adventure to complete.”

“We're just going to get Thanksgiving decorations,” Nico mumbled.

Thalia waved her hand over her shoulder as she closed the door behind herself and the two raven haired males. “Just take all the fun out of it.”

Annabeth came up and leaned against the wall with a sigh. “I was starting to think you had convinced Nico to have a threesome with you two.” The girl's comment made said boy wrinkle his nose.

Drew let out a sigh, busily inspecting her nails. “As much as I do enjoy shopping, I don't like having to stand around.”

Thalia rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, calm yourself down, slut. There's plenty of dicks for you to insert into yourself later.”

Drew shot the shorter Lost Girl a dirty look. Nico chuckled, drawing a grin from Thalia. Nico and the three Lost Girls were headed down the hall, when Percy cleared his throat. “Nico.” The brown-eyed boy froze, unsure if he wanted to turn around. He ultimately decided against it. “Don't go to bed after work. I feel we need to have a long talk about a few things.”

Nico pursed his lips, nodding his head lightly. The others looked at him with a variety of looks. Nico felt Percy ruffle his hair as he passed. They all boarded the elevator, Percy pressing the button to his floor first before pressing the button for the garage. Thalia leaned towards him.

“You know, we didn't get to finish. Boys shouldn't be left with blue balls.”

Percy just shrugged. “I'm fine.” He didn't look at her, just stared at a space on the wall. The elevator came to a stop at Percy's floor. The young man tossed everyone a wave before making his exit. Nico watched Percy for as long as possible, until the elevators doors blocked his view.

Nico turned towards Thalia. “So, what is it we are shopping for exactly?”

The Lost Girl shrugged. “Just a few things. We'll probably swing by the mall, if you want to get anything.”

“Octavian was talking about outfitting me in some things, but I'm not sure I want to go with it.”

Thalia beamed at him, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Annabeth rolled her eyes. “He's busy right now.”

The blue-eyed girl shrugged. “Then I won't call him.”

She scrolled through her phone and clicked on someone's name. She clicked speakerphone and held the phone out in front of her. The phone began ringing. On the fourth ring, it was accepted and they were greeted by a groan. “Hello?”

“Yo, jerkface, go fetch your brother for me. He needs to come shopping with us.”

Nico blinked at the phone as he heard Luke groan again. There was the sound of covers being thrown back before the low thud of feet hitting the floor. Drew let out a heavy sigh as the sound of Luke opening his door echoed from the phone. Nico looked up to find Annabeth holding the button to keep the elevator from moving.

Nico's eyes widened at the sound of a door being kicked in, followed by loud yelling from Octavian and Reyna. “What the fuck, Luke? I'm a little busy right now.”

“Thalia wants you to go shopping with them.”

“Fuck that.” Nico's face screwed up as he heard moaning. “I'm busy. Tell her I can't.”

Luke let out a sigh. “Thalia? He says he doesn't want to go.”

Thalia frowned. “Can't you work some magic, or something? Please? For me?”

The blond on the phone grunted. The sound of the phone being placed down soon followed, the room on the other end of the phone becoming quiet for a brief second. “What the hell are you doing?” Octavian yelled. Nico's eyebrows rose at the sound of something breaking. “Put me down, you bastard!”

Reyna let out a sigh. “Whatever. Call me when you get back.”

“Fuck you, Luke!” The younger brother let out a yelp. “Stop carrying me! We are not cavemen, dammit! We are supposed to be civilized.”

The phone was scooped up. “Yeah, I'll have him to you in just a second.”

Octavian let out another yelp, and it sounded like he was tossed onto the leather couch. Annabeth shook her head and hit the button to their floor. Thalia grinned to herself and hung up the phone. The elevator arrived at their floor again. As they were rounding the corner to the boys' side, the first door on the left opened.

Luke shoved Octavian out, the shirt hanging on top of the skinnier blond's head. “I hate you,” Octavian grumbled, his brother blocking the entrance to their suite.

“Just making sure you have fun.”

Octavian glared at him. “I can just get back in, I have my key.” The pale blond reached to pull his wallet out. Luke arched an eyebrow and held up a keycard in between his fingers. Octavian's mouth fell open. “You asshole!” He let out a sigh. “Fine, whatever, let's do this stupid shopping trip.”

Luke smirked. “Have fun.”

“You're not even coming?” Octavian yelled, punching his brother in the chest.

“I was sleeping.”

“I was having sex!”

Luke smirked. “And now you're not. Have fun.” The door was shut and locked in front of Octavian.

Octavian turned around to glare at the four other Lost Kids. “I hate you all.”

“Believe me, I didn't ask for you to come,” Drew drawled.

Thalia smiled and wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulders. “Nico here wanted you to help him pick out some things you mentioned.”

Octavian narrowed his eyes at the raven haired boy. “Sorry,” Nico mumbled.

The blond groaned before running a hand through his hair and marching off towards the elevators. The Lost Kids boarded the elevator again and set off for the parking garage. Octavian let out a sigh when they came to a stop. “Let me guess, we're also doing your little Thanksgiving shopping trip.”

“Yep,” Thalia said cheerfully.

Octavian tossed Nico another dirty look as he shoved the shorter Lost Boy into the back of Thalia's car. The blond slid in beside him, while Drew sat on his other side, already busy applying a new coat of makeup. Thalia turned around in the driver's seat to grin at the three Lost Kids in the back. “Who's ready to have some fun?”

All three of them grumbled their response. With a smirk in Annabeth's direction, Thalia cranked the car and pulled it out of the parking garage. Nico just sat there, picking at his jeans. He felt awkward sitting in between Drew and Octavian, neither of them being the friendliest of people.

The raven haired boy scrunched up his lips and turned his gaze onto the back of Thalia's head. “What are we getting, anyways? And what for?”

Thalia smiled at him through the rearview mirror. “Thanksgiving, duh.”

“What do we do exactly on Thanksgiving?”

Thalia tilted her head to the side. “Have you never had a Thanksgiving before?”

Annabeth sighed and shook her head. “I think he means what do we do for Thanksgiving.” She turned her body slightly to face the back of the car. “We'll have dinner together after work.”

“Like one big happy family,” Octavian droned, facing his window.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Apollo's going to be looking for some music for us to listen to while we eat, but we wanted to go get a few things to set the mood.” She waved her hand casually. “Just stuff like candles. As you can imagine, there's not a lot to decorate with for the holiday. All of the food is going to be prepared by the kitchen staff, so there's not a lot for us actually to worry about.”

Drew clicked her tongue. “A night off work. That just means it's a night I can't get some more money. I'm glad we didn't celebrate this holiday.”

“As loving as ever, Drew.” While Thalia didn't turn around, Nico could practically feel the eye roll from the girl. 

“So, do we make a deal out of every holiday?” Nico asked.

“Most of them.” Annabeth shrugged her shoulders. “Christmas is always a fun holiday around here. Percy spares no expense in fully decking out the hotel. He'll even get a huge Christmas tree to put in the lobby.” The blonde gave a soft smile. “But, I think all of the holiday celebrations are more for Percy, than they are for us. He didn't really get a lot of this when he was a kid.”

Thalia grinned. “New Year's Eve is always fun. We all get plastered.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “I think I'll pass on that.” His brown eyes locked with Annabeth's grey ones. “What about Valentines Day?”

“Work?” The blonde chuckled. “We each buy the others some candy and stuff like that, but that's about it.”

“Well,” Octavian turned away from the window, “no one usually sleeps alone on that day.”

Nico blinked. “Does Percy do something similar to what he was going to do on Halloween?”

“Uh, no.” Annabeth's lips thinned. “It just goes back to what we've been trying to drill into your head, Percy doesn't do love. At least not the romantic love.”

Thalia's eyes cut over to Annabeth. “That's not the only reason,” she mumbled.

Annabeth sighed and began curling a strand of hair around her finger. “Yes, well, he doesn't like talking about that.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What?”

“Nothing,” Octavian, Thalia, and Annabeth all said at the same time. Nico only frowned in response.

The car fell quiet for a while after that, Thalia maneuvering the car towards the mall. Nico was hoping to get Thalia alone on their trip. There were a few things from what he and Jason had talked about yesterday that he was hoping the sister could shed some light upon. Of course, it felt like he had things he wanted to ask all of them, but that was because he did. They were all mysteries, even the ones who had disclosed some of their pasts to him.

When they arrived at the mall, Drew was the first one out of the car. “Let's hurry this holiday shopping along. There are better things for us to be doing, like shopping for clothes, or accessories.” She inspected her wrist with a frown. “I think I need a few more bracelets.”

Octavian, who was walking next to Nico, grunted. “What, you're actually going to pay for them?”

“I don't believe she actually said the word pay, Octavian,” Thalia pointed out.

Nico blinked. “Wait, is she talking about stealing?”

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders. “Possibly. Who knows with her? She might just be making a list for what to ask for from clients.”

The tall blond beside Nico slung his hands behind his head. “Oh great manipulative bitch, you never cease to amaze me.”

Drew turned to sneer at Octavian. “Like what you do is any better.”

Octavian stared back at her, blankly. “That's just a game. I like to see who is smarter. I mean, if they are looking to try and run things, they should be of decent intelligence.” He placed a hand on his chest. “I don't go around trying to coerce them to do things for my benefit.”

“Whatever. You're not fooling anyone with your honeyed words.”

Octavian tapped a finger to his lips. “You know, I feel like there's a man in China that was asking about you, Drew. Perhaps I should look into contacting him for you. I'm sure he would be delighted to come find you.” Drew's face paled, her mouth shutting tightly. Octavian smirked and slung his hands behind his head again. He looked down at Nico, who was staring up at him. “And that, Nico, is the power of information. It's why Percy values it so much. It holds so much power over people.”

“It feels dirty.” A frown spread across Nico's face. “It's like preying on people's mistakes.”

Octavian chuckled. “It gets the job done. Perhaps they shouldn't be doing some of these things.”

“But people make mistakes, it's what makes us human.”

Thalia clicked her tongue. “Not everyone sees these things that he's talking about as mistakes. People do bad things, things they don't regret.” The Lost Girl lightly chewed on her lip as they entered the mall. “People aren't always nice, Nico. There are bad people in this world, I figured you would have seen that by now.”

“People come to the hotel to deal in slavery and the production of weaponry,” Octavian added. “The people who purchase children to do their work, abuse, and fuck, are they nice people?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Or what about the dictators that you might find doing business in one of Gaea's hotels? What of the people who buy missiles, and then turn around and bomb villages of innocent people? Are they good people, Nico?”

Nico stared at the tiled floor of the mall. “That's different. What you just did with Drew sounds like something different.”

Octavian cocked his head to the side. “How?”

“If she wasn't trying to hurt someone, or if it's not something she's proud of, if it's not something she wanted to do, it's not her fault. It shouldn't be held over her head for the rest of her life.” Nico's eyebrows drew together. “That's not nice. I know people do bad things, but that's different from mistakes.”

Annabeth turned to blink at him a few times. “He's got a point. Besides, your brother should take a page from that book.” She turned her grey eyes on Octavian, cocking a brow at him. “Or maybe you should.”

The tall blond pursed his lips. “I...I don't hate Luke for what happened. He's my brother, and I still love him.”

“Doesn't mean you don't hold a grudge.”

Octavian tore his eyes away from Annabeth. “He shouldn't have left without me.” He stared down at the ground, mumbling his next words. “Maybe that's why he and Thalia get along so well.”

The raven haired girl stiffened, but didn't stop walking. “Way to sour the mood,” she mumbled.

Thalia looked up at Octavian, the two of them glaring at each other for a moment before the girl sneered and walked into a Bath and Body Works. Drew immediately began picking through various lotions, while Octavian drifted around the store, looking very bored. Nico stuck with Thalia and Annabeth, as both Lost Girls began looking through candles. Every now and then they would pick one up and smell it before offering it to the other for inspection.

Nico's eyes followed Octavian for a moment. “Why is he like that?”

Annabeth picked up another candle. “Like what?”

“Bitter?”

Annabeth sniffed the candle, turning her head towards Nico. She blinked before following his gaze over to the blond Lost Boy. “Well, we're all bitter, just in our own way. We all cope with our issues differently.”

“If he's still upset with his brother, why does it seem like Luke is the only person Octavian truly likes?”

Thalia sighed. “First, you need to understand that we can't always know the consequences of our actions, Nico. Luke did run away from home, but he had good reason to do so.”

Annabeth put the candle back, a frown on her face. “Not all of us were kicked out. Some of us ran, too afraid to stay at home anymore.” She looked to Thalia, offering her a weak smile. “Not all parents love their children.” Her eyes returned to Nico. “You grow up, believing all of these things about your parents, but they all just turn out to be false hopes.”

Thalia stared at Annabeth with a broken look. “It's not always the parent's fault, though. Like Nico was saying, people make mistakes.”

“Costly mistakes,” the blonde whispered, poking through more candles. Nico noticed her purse her lips. Her grey eyes glistened, like she might start crying soon.

Thalia placed a hand on the other Lost Girl's shoulder. “Don't try to think about it.”

Annabeth gave her a weak smile in return. Thalia squeezed the blonde's shoulder before pulling Nico away. Nico stared at her, the girl letting out a heavy sigh. “Where are we going?”

“Just looking for anything else that might be good to get.” She cleared her throat, throwing on a smile. “Can you think of anything?”

Nico scratched his cheek, looking around the store. “Not really. But I did want to talk to you.”

Thalia sighed. “Of course you did.”

“Never mind.”

The Lost Girl shook her head. “No, go ahead. Ask me anything.”

Nico swallowed before opening his mouth. “What's up with you and Jason? I guess you were right about him being upset with you.”

Thalia pursed her lips. “Can you believe he didn't want to see me after waking up? He didn't even ask for me.” She let out another sigh, her gaze dropping. “I know how Luke feels. We both fucked up. I probably could have done more. He was all I had left of a real family, I should have done more.”

Nico's forehead creased. “What happened on the night you left? He seems very adamant about that being what has him upset.”

“Our father happened.” Her eyes slowly darted back and forth, as if they were following an invisible object. “But he can't hurt anyone now, Percy made sure of that. But, that night, I got away from him, after so many nights of crying myself to sleep and just thinking that I'd never manage to do it. I was just a kid, where was I supposed to go?”

A woman came up to them and asked if they needed any help with anything. She wore a strained smile, and Nico couldn't help but compare it to the ones the Lost Kids wore. She couldn't hold a candle to some of them. It was obviously fake, obvious she didn't want to be doing this. Thalia and Nico just shook their heads and the woman walked off.

Nico wrapped his arms around himself. “So, he's just mad that you left him to live in that life, being a prostitute for his father?”

Thalia opened her mouth, but it just hung there for a moment, no words coming out. She stared down at the ground and shook her head. “No, it's a little more fucked up than that.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “So why didn't you take him? What stopped you?”

“Heracles.” Her eyes were distant, as if she wasn't fully focused on the conversation at hand. “As odd as it might sound, Nico, this is the best family I've ever had. It's more loving than my old one. We fight, but we still love each other.” She smiled at him. “Never forget that we'll be there if you need us, like Luke with your bullies.”

The brown-eyed boy nodded. There had been a time where he had a hard time believing that statement, but he was starting to come around to the notion. Several of them had gotten involved for helping him with the bullies. And Octavian had offered to help him with several things, though it was at the price of staying away from Luke. Annabeth had even offered to give him advice.

“About earlier,” Thalia continued.

Nico shook his head. “I was being stupid.”

The Lost Girl pursed her lips. “You're far from stupid, Nico.”

“Doesn't mean I can't make stupid mistakes.”

Thalia brushed some of her hair behind her ear. “I just figured you would have gotten over this by now.” She studied Nico's face, her brow furrowing. “Unless, you really do like him.”

Nico tilted his head. “What do you mean? Of course I like Percy. Why is that unusual?”

“It's just that most of us don't truly have feelings for Percy, at least not in the healthy sense, or perhaps the romantic sense. Luke is in lust with Percy. Apollo thinks he's in love with Percy, or wishes he could be. The twins ended up shifting their feelings into a brotherly bond with Percy. And-” Thalia clamped her mouth shut. “Never mind.”

“Why is this a big deal?”

“It's complicated.” Thalia pursed her lips. “I don't know. You've talked to Apollo. Percy is...Percy is acting different.” Her eyes met Nico's own. “Especially lately.”

“He doesn't seem happy with me right now.” Nico rubbed at his arm. “Should I be worried about what he wants to talk about?”

Thalia shrugged. “I don't know, Nico,” she said softly. “The only advice I could give would be to talk to Rachel. She's...good at reading people. Maybe she can help you out.”

“Chiron said that no one can know what Percy's thinking.”

The Lost Girl chuckled. “No, but reading someone is different. Besides, Rachel isn't just anyone.”

Nico gave her a lopsided smile. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Not a problem, short stuff.”

Nico arched a brow, gesturing to Thalia's body. “You're one to talk. And I'm getting to be taller than you now.”

Thalia sighed and placed a hand on her hip. “The curse of being a girl. I'm done growing, and I feel like a child with my height.” She grinned wickedly. “But, you know what they say, it just means that I'm fun sized.”

Nico chuckled and nodded his head. Annabeth walked over and deposited several candles in Thalia's arms. “The best I could find was pumpkin scented. How does that sound?”

Thalia shrugged. “Works for me.” She nudged Nico's shoulder. “You can take the other two and get a start on shopping, if you want. Annabeth and I will be along shortly.”

Nico nodded and maneuvered around a few stands to get to Octavian and Drew. “I'm just saying that I think it was uncalled for,” Octavian grumbled to Drew, who was inspecting a few products.

The Asian shrugged. “Not my fault that Frank doesn't like you.”

“He banned me from entering Asia!”

Nico cleared his throat. “Um, we can go ahead and shop now, unless you two are busy.”

The blond snapped his fingers. “Come along, shortie, I want to go ahead and get this over with.”

Drew scoffed as they exited the store. “Please, it's going to take me a few hours to get an adequate new wardrobe.”

Octavian rolled his eyes. “Never the light spender, are we, Drew?”

Nico blinked at both of them. “Aren't we running on a tight schedule to get back?”

“Thankfully, yes, or else we'd never get to leave this place.” Octavian sighed and shook his head. “She'd buy the entire place if she could.”

Drew snapped her fingers at them a few times before dashing into a nearby store. Octavian let out another sigh before grabbing Nico and following after the Lost Girl. But, by the time they got inside the store, Drew had disappeared. Nico's eyebrows rose as he looked around for her, but couldn't even get a glimpse of her.

“Damn, she works fast.”

Octavian nodded in agreement before nodding his head towards the men's section. “I figured you could manage what I mentioned on your own.”

“I didn't actually ask that you come along. Thalia just sort of did it.”

Octavian shrugged and began sort through some jeans. “Well, I don't need anything, so just look around and find stuff you like.” He pursed his lips and held up a pair of dark skinny jeans. He held them out in front of Nico, letting the legs of the pants fall down. He tilted his head and admired them for a second before folding them back up and shoving them in Nico's hands.

Nico looked around the store once more for Drew before returning his attention to the other Lost Boy. “So, why a scarf exactly? It was a little random.”

“I just thought you'd look good in one.” The blond casually walked over to a rack with a lot of scarfs. “Dark colors, dark colors,” he kept mumbling to himself as he picked through them. With a click of his tongue, Octavian pulled one out and wrapped it around Nico's neck. The blond tapped a finger to his lip as he studied the raven haired youth. “Yes, I like it. Now you need a beanie to match it.” The tall Lost Boy scrunched his lips up, his hip jutting out slightly to the side. “You could also put that with a pea coat.”

Nico tugged lightly on the scarf, pulling it from his neck. “Maybe when it gets a little colder. The scarf and beanie are fine for now.”

Octavian tilted his head to the side and studied Nico again, his brow creasing. “Huh, you really are perfect, aren't you?” His icy blue eyes seemed to pierce into Nico. “Innocent, hopeful, sees the good in people, and now you don't display any desire to live luxuriously.”

“But I do live luxuriously, at least compared to how I used to live.”

“And yet I really don't see you ever spending that money you make. What do you plan on doing with it exactly?”

Nico shrugged, grabbing a grey scarf from the rack. “I don't know, haven't thought about it. Maybe save it? I'm not sure how long I'll be here, making this money. I'd rather not end up broke with no money again. And maybe-” He shook his head. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to think about how Percy could be right about his future, about how he should think about leaving the hotel, about leaving Percy. But if things got to be too much, he needed an escape.

Octavian sighed and led Nico towards another rack, this one with beanies on it. He picked up a few, placing a black one on top of Nico's head. “I don't really understand you, Nico, and I'm really good at knowing people.” He adjusted the beanie on Nico and pursed his lips. “That one will do.”

“This feels strange.”

Octavian cocked a brow and removed the beanie from Nico's head. He stared down at it and ran the material between his fingers. “Feels fine to me. What's the problem?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Not with the hat. I mean you. You're being nice.”

The blond shrugged and placed another beanie on Nico's head. “If you prefer, I can go back to being an asshole.” The blond exhaled and removed the grey beanie that he had put on Nico. “I did say we were on a truce, and you're keeping your end of the agreement.”

“I still don't like it.” Nico frowned at the blond, who turned around and started walking. Nico huffed before following after him. “I'm supposed to be friends with Luke, even if he is an ass sometimes. I like being around him.”

Octavian turned his icy blue eyes on Nico with a blank look. “You're more trouble than you know, especially for my brother. And the worst part is that you don't even realize it.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “Are you and your brother intimate like the twins, or something?”

Octavian gave him a funny look. “We've had sex, if that's what you mean.”

The raven haired boy shook his head. “No, that's not it. I mean-never mind. It's not important.”

Octavian smirked and began walking again. He sighed and rose on the balls of his feet, looking around the store. “Fucking hell, Drew, where did you go?” He grunted before lowering himself and looking at Nico. “Good luck on that front.”

“What front?”

“The twins. If you're smart, you won't try being direct with them. They like mind games. You want in their inner circle, you'll have to learn to play along with their games.” Octavian narrowed his eyes as Drew emerged from a few clothing racks. “Are you done yet?”

Nico's eyes widened as he took in all the clothes that Drew carried in her arms. Not only that, but she had one of the store worker's carrying another armful for her. Poor guy didn't even have a chance. Drew smiled at the young man sweetly as he placed her large pile of clothes on the counter. Nico and Octavian watched as the young man dashed around behind the counter to ring Drew up.

The Asian Lost Girl flipped her hair back, turning to face the Lost Boys. “And that, gentlemen, is how you go shopping.”

Nico quirked a brow. “Looks more like how you go broke.”

Drew scoffed. “Please, I'll never be broke.”

Octavian shook his head with a frown. “She's got a lot of wealthy men wrapped around her finger,” the blond whispered.

By the time the young man was finishing up with Drew, Annabeth and Thalia entered the store. “Sorry we took so long, but we knew that would happen,” Annabeth said, pointing to Drew's large amount of bags on the counter. “So, we stopped off at the bookstore.”

“And Hot Topic.” Thalia clapped Nico on the back with a grin. “Have fun?” She eyed the few scarves, beanies, and the pair of pants that Nico had in his hands. “That's all you're getting?”

“That's what I said,” Octavian sighed.

Nico frowned and placed his things on the counter, while Drew slid her card through the machine. “It's all I need. I don't see what the big deal is.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, I might buy a game system soon, but I'm still trying to decide. I don't really have a lot of time to play anything.”

Annabeth chuckled. “This one wasn't too much of an ass, was he?” She gestured to the tall blond beside Nico.

Nico blinked up at Octavian briefly before returning his gaze to Annabeth. “Actually, he was...nice.”

Thalia felt of Octavian's forehead. “Are you sick?”

Octavian glared at the short Lost Girl, smacking her hand away. “I can be nice, dammit!” The cashier quirked an eyebrow at them as he worked on checking Nico out. The raven haired Lost Boy chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

Drew pulled out a charm bracelet and slid it onto her arm. “Are we done now?”

Thalia turned to Annabeth, who shrugged. “I suppose,” the raven haired girl replied.

Without even bothering to wait for them, Drew made for the exit. Nico rolled his eyes at her and picked up his single bag. The rest of the group slowly exited the store, not really bothering to catch up with the Asian girl.

“Have fun today, Nico?” Thalia turned to him, waiting for an answer.

Nico smiled and nodded. “Yeah, actually, I did.”

\------------------------------------

“Stop it,” Nico mumbled. He narrowed his eyes at the elevator door as his assailants continued to grind their butts against his sides.

“What's the matter, Neeks, you can get naked on stage, but you can't have a little fun?” Travis grinned and turned around, grinding his front against Nico's backside.

Nico let out a heavy sigh, Apollo chuckling in his ear. “I hate you all, so very much.”

Zoë rolled her eyes. “You're all children.”

Apollo chuckled and stopped moving, resting his chin on Nico's head. “Feeling left out, Zo?”

Travis grinned wickedly and inched closer. The Lost Girl gave the brunet an icy glance, pressing a hand to his chest. “I will castrate you if you try.”

Travis pouted. “But then we wouldn't be able to have any fun.”

“How will I ever survive?” Zoë droned. The elevator opened and the Lost Kids made their exit. Ethan greeted them from behind his podium, but Clarisse was nowhere to be seen.

“I wouldn't go up there just yet,” Ethan called over his shoulder.

Apollo frowned and turned around. The blond slung his hands behind his head. “What's going on?”

“Percy and Clarisse are getting into it.”

Zoë sighed. “Silena?”

Ethan shook his head. “Working the bar, can't get her.”

Apollo sighed and shook his head. He bounded up the stairs, and the other three quickly followed after him, leaving Ethan to do his job. Nico nearly bumped into Apollo at the top of the stairs, the blond having come to a stop. Travis quickly steadied him, preventing the youngest Lost Kid from tumbling down the stairs.

Clarisse and Percy stood in the center of the room. Rachel was standing a foot away from Percy, close enough to be at hand, but far enough away to stay out of the brutal storm that was Percy and Clarisse. Percy stood, arms crossed, with a bored look on his face. His eyes were dark and piercing into Clarisse, unblinking. Clarisse had a fist clenched at her side, while she was using her other hand to shove Percy's shoulder.

“What the fuck, Percy?” The girl yelled. “You couldn't even clear this with me first? I thought we were cool, but you have to go and be an ass!”

Percy's eyes were nearing a deep emerald color. Apollo wasn't even attempting to get involved like he had the other night with Silena. Instead, he stood frozen in place, lips tightly pursed. Neither Travis or Zoë seemed all that eager to jump in either. A few of the Lost Kids were poking their heads out of the back door, trying to get a view of the growing disaster.

Percy squeezed his hand into a fist for a split second before stretching his fingers at his sides. “Clarisse, I want you to drop the issue. Now.” The young man popped his neck, his eyes never leaving Clarisse.

“Fuck you, Percy! He doesn't need to get involved in this!” Nico's eyes widened when Clarisse actually shoved Percy hard enough to make him stumble backwards.

The young man's eyes looked near murderous. His lip twitched as he straightened himself out. “I understand that you're mad, and I'm willing to let you blow off your steam, but I suggest you find other ways to deal with that anger.” The green-eyed young man crossed his arms over his chest. “Am I making myself clear?”

“This is fucking stupid! What the fuck? You knew I'd hate you for this.” The Lost Girl poked Percy hard in the chest, bringing their faces extremely close together. However, Percy didn't even bat an eye. He just stood there, staring coldly at her.

“I said, am I making myself clear?” Percy asked in an eerily calm voice. “I've told you before, I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my hotel. Stop trying to act like your father.”

Clarisse's nostrils flared. She got a tight grip on Percy's shirt and the two just stood there, staring at each other. The tall Lost Girl glared at Percy for a while before releasing her grip on his shirt. “Whatever,” she grumbled, walking away from the young man.

Percy watched her shove past Nico and the others before letting his shoulders relax. Zoë sauntered over to him as he was running a hand through his hair. “Problems?”

He smiled at her and slid a hand under her shirt, caressing her back. “Of course not. Just having a friendly discussion.” He let out a sigh, letting his eyes close. “I want everyone to be getting ready by the time I open my eyes. Understood?”

The back door quickly swung closed. Apollo nudged Nico to head towards the bar room. Zoë ran a hand through Percy's hair before smiling and following Apollo and the others out of the room. Dionysus sat in his usual chair, a huge grin on his face.

“Oh my, it sounds dreadful out there.”

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Like you weren't listening at the door.”

“Oh, it seems you've caught me, Apollo. I know, I'm a horrible person. How will I ever live with my shame?” The man placed the back of his hand to his forehead and leaned back in the chair. With his eyes shut, he raised a glass of alcohol to his lips and sipped from it. “Delicious.”

Apollo grunted and yanked his shirt over his head. Nico would be lying if he said he didn't look. Apollo had a nice, lean body. Reyna and Annabeth pushed through the door, immediately copying Apollo's actions. Within mere seconds, the room's occupants, save for Dionysus, were stripped down to their underwear.

Apollo walked over and poured himself a shot, downing it in an instant. Dionysus let out a sigh. “Ah, to be young.”

Apollo's blue eyes turned on the bartender. The blond rubbed at his neck, letting his eyes shut and trailing his hand down his torso. He smirked at the man and sat the shot glass down. “Unlike you, I don't plan on ruining this figure.”

Dionysus's lips tilted up. In response, Apollo's lips fell. The blond cleared his throat and quickly walked towards the door, brushing one of his curls out of his eyes. Nico eyed him funny, watching until the blond had left the room. His eyes shifted, eventually falling on Annabeth, who was giving the bartender a blank look.

Something about the way the blonde always did that got under Nico's skin. It was completely unreadable, void of all emotion. And unlike most of the other Lost Kids, Nico had yet to see Annabeth actually get upset or angry. She was always so calm, even more so than Percy.

Annabeth blinked and her eyes flickered over to meet Nico's. The raven haired boy's face turned a little pink and he looked away. Annabeth's brow furrowed. “All right, everyone, let's get to work.” Giving Nico another brief glance, she pushed through the door on the girls' side.

Reyna and Zoë followed after the blonde, leaving Nico and Travis alone with Dionysus. The man smiled. “Ah, Nico, I hear your new roommate has finally woken up. I shall very much like to meet him when he starts working.”

“I bet you will,” Travis mumbled. He nudged Nico's shoulder. “Come on, let's get out of here.”

Dionysus inspected one of his nails. “Oh, Travis, you and your brother are never any fun.”

The brunet narrowed his eyes and stormed out of the room, Nico following close behind. “Travis?”

The elder twin turned and blinked at Nico. “Hmm?”

“What's up with Dionysus? Why does everyone dislike him so much?”

Travis sighed and ran a hand through his curly hair. “It's-”

“Complicated,” Nico mumbled, “go figure.”

Travis grinned at him. “You're learning.” His hands moved down to rest on his hips. “Anyways, he's just messed up. Careful what you say to him, it might come back to bite you. He's not a very nice person, even if he tries to come off as such.”

Nico pursed his lips. “But he used to be a Lost Kid. Everyone seems fine with Circe, Ganymede, and Aphrodite, so what's the issue with Dionysus?”

The twin's smile faltered. “Besides being an evil genius and getting inside your head and under your skin?” Nico quirked a brow at him. “Well, he's...he's...” Travis grabbed his chin. “He's like temptation. As much as I hate it, there's the Bible thing with the snake and the apple.” Travis waved his hand through the air absently. “He's like that.”

Nico's head fell to the side. “But, aren't we the same? Temptation, I mean. I thought that's what our job was.”

Travis chuckled. “Perceptive little bastard, aren't you?” The brunet scrunched his lips up. “It's a little different, in a way.” He smiled again, but Nico just blinked at him. The brunet sighed and placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. “Just trust me, okay?”

Nico nodded his head. Travis smiled again before walking off. Nico sighed when he spotted Apollo, already tending to Percy's table. Nico moved past said table, offering the green-eyed young man a smile. Percy glanced up at him for a brief second before his eyes returned to Apollo. Nico's smile faltered, his shoulders slumping slightly.

Was Percy mad at him? Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything earlier. In the back of his mind, he knew Percy probably wouldn't return his feelings, but it didn't hurt to try. Right?

As the music started for the night's performances, Nico made his way to his first table. The table's occupants didn't seem very eager to make conversation, so Nico made quick work of scribbling down their drink orders. It did not really bother him that they weren't eyeing him over, his mind seemed to be in a million other places.

As if on auto-pilot, Nico drifted back towards the bar room. His eyes stared down at the floor, his brow drawn tightly together. There was something, tugging in the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place it. Odd, he thought.

Nico pushed into the bar room and handed Dionysus the drink orders, not really looking at the man. “Everything all right there, Nico?” The man asked.

Nico blinked. “Huh? What?”

Dionysus tilted his head to the side. “You seem awfully distracted.”

“Just have a lot on my mind.”

The chubby man gave him a lazy smile. “Do tell. Perhaps I can help.”

Nico frowned, gripping his notepad tightly in his hands. “I don't know if I should.”

“Oh? Well, typically, when someone wants help with a problem, they ask for advice.”

The raven haired boy sighed. “It's just Percy, nothing really new.”

The smile grew. “I hear you two went on a date, which would explain why the others are working so hard to get Percy to go on one with them as well.” Dionysus began pouring one of the drinks. “And he has seemed a little stressed lately. I wonder if the two could be related.”

“Percy has a lot to deal with. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the other Lost Kids.”

Dionysus's eyes flashed with a spark. “Perhaps, but could it have anything to do with you? Are you troubling him, Nico?”

The Lost Boy fumbled with his mouth. “I-I, er-I didn't-” He let out a sigh. “What could I have done?”

“I don't know, Nico, what could you have done?” He smiled as he mixed another drink. “I'm sure that new boy, Jason, will be getting a date soon.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I didn't even go on a date with Percy. I explicitly said that it wasn't a date.”

“How unfortunate for you. It seems the other Lost Kids don't wish to play your game.” He quirked a brow. “Does it bother you that they get to have sex with Percy after their 'not-date' is over?”

The pale boy frowned. “We didn't even do anything,” he mumbled.

Dionysus stopped what he was doing, his smile falling. “You didn't?” He blinked a few times, sounding unsure of what had just been said. “Are you sure?”

Nico cocked an eyebrow. “I think I'd know if I had sex or not. We didn't do anything. I don't know, Percy has seemed bothered or something lately.”

The man clicked his tongue, starting on the final drink. “Interesting.”

“I...guess? I don't understand why this seems so fascinating.”

The man hummed to himself. “I hear you walked in on Percy having sex again.”

“I hear you used to be a Lost Kid,” Nico countered. He crossed his arms. Two could play this game.

The bartender frowned and gave him an annoyed look, shoving the tray of drinks towards him. “Touché, Nico. I don't know who you've been talking to, but I'm not sure I approve.”

Nico smirked and shifted the tray closer to himself. “What, it's only fair that you know so much about everyone else? And, to be honest, I wasn't asking about you, it just came up in conversation. Though, I did have small suspicions.”

“I see.” The man let out a sigh, returning to his chair, a drink in hand. “Well, that was a long time ago. Ancient history. No need to concern yourself with any of that.” Nico took the tray and headed for the door. “Oh, and, Nico?” The boy turned around. Dionysus swirled his drink around in his hand. “Careful to play with fire, one typically ends up getting burned.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he pushed his back against the door, exiting the room. Was that a threat? If it was, it was the first one he had gotten from his quest to discover things. Either way, perhaps he should tread more carefully. It didn't seem like Dionysus was someone he wanted to have problems with.

The first hour passed by relatively quickly, and that tugging feeling had grown. He finally placed it, though. It was the feeling someone got when they were being watched. Nico just couldn't figure out why he had this feeling. It could have been from some of the customers, who would glance at the passing Lost Kids on the floor from time to time. A lot of the customers liked to watch them walk away. But that wasn't it, or at least Nico didn't think that it was.

He tried looking around, searching for the source, but no one really stuck out to him. He never caught anyone looking his way, yet the feeling still remained. The Lost Boy tried ignoring it, but it did not seem to help any. If anything, the suspicion grew as the night progressed.

By the time the clock was nearing midnight, he was starting to think he was becoming paranoid. Was he losing it? Nico stood in one of the corners of the room, having had wiped off a table after a customer left.

“If you don't move soon, I'm going to suggest we rent you out to an art gallery.”

Nico blinked and looked up, finding Apollo slipping some cash into a small lockbox they kept for money. The raven haired boy frowned. “Have I been standing here that long?”

The blond shrugged, pressing his palm on the counter and leaning on it. “Only about five or ten minutes.”

“Damn,” Nico cursed under his breath. “I just have this weird feeling like I'm being watched.”

Apollo quirked a brow. “Good. We usually want people staring at us, Nico.”

The boy shook his head. “No, not like that.” He groaned and scratched the back of his head. “It's been like this all night, I just can't find anyone staring.” He looked up when the blond didn't respond. The blond lips were tightly pursed, his eyes a shade darker. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” the blond mumbled.

“You're lying. Do you know something?”

Apollo shrugged. “Don't worry about it, Nico, just get back to work.” The blond closed the lockbox and slid it back under the counter before heading back onto the floor. 

Nico found it hard to stare at the stage tonight. He kept glancing over to Percy's table, who seemed to be busy or distracted every time that he looked over. He was hoping that Percy wasn't going to distance himself or pull away. Nico felt like he had been making very good progress on getting to know Percy. It would be bad if all of that were thrown out the window.

When the night finally came to an end, Nico ended up sitting at a table Apollo and Beckendorf. Apollo was slumped down across from him, eyes closed. Beckendorf was scribbling on a napkin, caught up in whatever he was doing. Rachel was running over some last minute business with an exhausted looking Percy. The young manager let out an exasperated sigh, sliding out of the booth.

“That will be all for tonight, Rachel,” he said, holding up a hand.

The Lost Girl closed her mouth, pursing her lips. She gave a nod and folded her hands in front of her. Apollo let out a yawn and opened his eyes. “Can we crash now?”

Percy nodded and the three Lost Boys worked on making their way down the stairs. “Not you, Nico.” The Lost Boy froze. He gulped and turned around. “You and I still need to talk.” He patted Rachel on the cheek before sliding his hands into his pockets and walking over to Nico.

The young man gestured for them to continue on, so Nico resumed his descent down the stairs. Once they were in the elevator, Percy hit the button for their floor. Percy never spoke the entire way to Nico's room, which was bothering Nico to no end. He was nervous and beginning to panic.

When Nico opened the door to his suite, Jason looked up at them. He smiled at Percy, who returned it with one of his own. “Hey, Percy. I was hoping you would drop by.”

Percy smiled wider. “Well, I'm afraid that this visit concerns Nico, but I'll catch up with you in a minute.”

Jason blinked, his gaze dropping to Nico's face. He stared at his roommate, who only pursed his lips and averted his eyes. The blond gave a nod before returning his attention to the TV. Percy lightly shoved Nico in the back, urging him on to his room.

Percy shut the door softly behind them. Nico sat down on his bed before looking up at the young man from behind his bangs. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

Percy tilted his head to the side. “For what? You haven't done anything wrong.” He rolled his eyes when Nico relaxed his shoulders. “You're not in trouble, Nico.”

“Then why are you here?”

Percy smiled. “Well, if you don't want to talk to me...”

“N-no, I didn't mean-what do you want to talk about?”

The green-eyed young man chuckled. “You're cute.” He sighed and ran a hand into his hair. “Nico, Nico, Nico, what am I going to do with you?” He paused, not bothering to look at the boy on the bed. “You seemed troubled tonight.”

Nico frowned. “How would you know? You weren't paying me any attention.”

Percy just smiled wider. “Anyways, we need to talk about these feelings that you're developing.” He sighed again and sat down on the bed with Nico. “You may think you have these romantic feelings for me, Nico, but I assure you that they-”

“I know how I feel, Percy.” Nico's forehead creased, his frown increasing. He scooted an inch away from the young man beside him.

“I'm not healthy for you. I don't get why you don't understand that. And most of the Lost Kids get out of this phase by now.” The manager exhaled and glanced over at Nico. “You need to get over this. You want me, I get that, but I can't give you what you want. I can't give you an exclusive relationship. I can't be with you.”

Nico swallowed a lump in his throat. “You're not as bad as you think you are. I think you're a good person.”

“I'm not,” Percy grumbled, turning his face away from Nico to stare darkly at the wall. “You just haven't gotten that through your head yet. You'll just have to learn.”

“I'm not going to learn that, because it's not true.” The boy frowned and stood up, moving to stand in front of Percy. “If you weren't a nice person, you wouldn't help all of us to get off the streets.”

“And I put them all to work selling their bodies.”

“You take care of us. You protect us.”

Percy stared darkly up at Nico. “It doesn't change anything. You and I cannot be together.”

“Do you like me?”

Percy sighed. “I think you're a nice person that-”

“That's not what I meant!” Nico shouted. He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze not faltering when Percy stared up at him again.

The young man ran a hand across his face. “I know what you meant, Nico.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “It doesn't matter. The bottom line is that I'm dangerous for you. It would be like drinking poison.”

Nico reached out to touch Percy, only for the young man to grab his wrist. Percy's dark green eyes stared back at him. He moved Nico's hand away from him before releasing the boy's wrist. “Why are you so difficult?”

Percy smirked. “Why are you so stubborn?” The young man sighed and stood up. “So smart and yet so blind.”

“Are you calling me stupid?”

The young man smiled wider, shaking his head. “No, not at all. Just let this all go, okay?”

“I don't want to.” Nico's brow furrowed.

Percy reached out and brushed Nico's bangs to the side. “You really are going to be the death of me.” Percy pursed his lips and let his hand fall back to his side.

“You're not even going to answer my question?”

Percy stepped around Nico, moving closer to the door. “And what question would that be?”

Nico stared up at the other raven haired male. “How do you feel about me?” Percy stared at Nico for a long time, unmoving, unblinking. Nico glared at Percy's retreating form. “I'm not letting this go.”

Percy stopped in the doorway and Nico caught a smirk on the corner of his lips. “I figured you wouldn't.” He turned around and gave Nico a real smile. “I'll see you later, Nico.”

Nico collapsed on his bed when his door shut. This was so frustrating. Why did Percy want to push him away so much? And, yet, he had never flat out told Nico to stop with all of this. If he had really wanted Nico to back off, he would have said so, wouldn't he? He was the boss, so he could have made Nico do so, but he hadn't.

The raven haired boy rolled over onto his stomach, resting his chin on his arms. His mother had always told him that real romance wasn't easy. It wasn't meant to be something simple. It wasn't a fairytale. People didn't get together in some simple story and live happily ever after, they had to work for it. It was like a challenge, his mother had always said.

Well, Nico would accept this challenge, until the time came that Percy actually denied having feelings for him. If that time ever came.


	26. A Night to Forget

Dark brown eyes blinked, his hands dangling above his head as he hung upside down on the jungle gym. His legs were hooked into the bars, while his hair blew in the breeze. His gaze fell upon Daedalus and Jason, as the two tossed a football back and forth. It was quiet at the park today, it was nice.

Bianca came into his view and cocked an eyebrow at her brother. Nico winced as her hand smacked against his stomach. “Is my baby brother developing a hint of abs?” She smirked when Nico did his best to cover his stomach with his shirt.

Nico righted himself and sat upright on the metal bars. “I've just been taking care of myself.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” The girl climbed up and sat down beside her brother. Nico smiled lightly when she reached an arm out and pulled him closer, so that he was leaning against her. “You were always so scrawny when you were at home.”

Pale lips tilted down as brown eyes shifted to the ground. “And you always tried to get me more food.”

“Someone had to take care of you.” Bianca reached up and adjusted the green cap that rested on her head. “It's nice to see you without bruises.”

The raven haired boy rubbed his hands together. He unconsciously reached up and touched his cheek, like he was expecting to find one there. “How are things at home?”

“Quiet, for the most part.” Brown eyes darted over and met her brother's own brown ones. “Mother looks at a picture she kept of you whenever father isn't around. I'm not sure he would be happy if he knew she kept it.” A sigh escaped her lips as she looked over to her boyfriend. “He told everyone that you decided to leave home. I don't think he noticed, but Daedalus's mother gave him a very hateful look when he told them that.”

“I would worry about the police looking for me, but this is Los Angeles that we're talking about.” Nico looked up at the cloudy sky. “Will you see me for Christmas and my birthday?”

Bianca smiled and squeezed him closer. “Of course. I'll make sure to get you a nice cake, too.”

They both jumped when the football sailed into the jungle gym, just a few inches away from them. Jason and Daedalus both laughed as they jogged over. Bianca scowled and smacked her boyfriend upside the head. Jason nudged Nico with his elbow. “We'll need to be getting back soon. Tonight's my first night on the job, and I need to go talk to Leo beforehand.”

The raven haired boy nodded his head and jumped down from his perch. Bianca smiled and ruffled his hair. “Hey, Jason, you'll keep an eye on him for me, won't you?” The blond smiled and nodded. “Don't hesitate to let Daedalus's know if something is wrong. I know this one won't be so willing to tell me if he's having problems.” Nico scowled as Bianca's hand came in contact with the back of his head.

“I love you, too, Bianca,” Nico mumbled, rubbing the spot his sister had hit.

“You better, dork.” She made to hit Nico in the arm, but ended up swinging her arm around him and pulling him into a hug.

Daedalus reached out and squeezed Jason's shoulder. “I'm sorry to hear about your dad, man. If you need to talk about it, give me a call.”

Nico gave Jason a quizzical look, but the blond chose to ignore him. “Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.” He slung his arm around Nico and pulled him away from Bianca. “We'll see you two later.” Nico frowned up at the blond as he was led away. Jason grinned and waved at Bianca and Daedalus until they were a good distance away.

“What did you tell him?” Nico opened up the passenger door to Jason's car-a blue sports car, big surprise-and turned to face his roommate. He supposed the others had been right about Jason probably having a car.

The taller Lost Boy turned to Nico once the car was cranked. He adjusted the heat, as it had been a little chilly today. “That my dad died in a car wreck, which was slightly true.” Pink lips scrunched up as he shifted his car into drive. “Well, sort of. Anyways, I told him that Percy had taken me in after that, and that was sort of what Percy did. That part was pretty much true.” The blond let out a sigh as he began poking around his car. “You see, Nico, that is how you lie.”

“I'll be sure to take notes.”

They both grew quiet when a pack of cigarettes fell from the visor above Nico's head. Jason blinked and plucked them from Nico's lap, raising them to his face for inspection. “I figured Percy would have confiscated these.”

“You smoke? Shouldn't you refrain from that if you're into sports?”

Blue eyes rolled before they glanced over at Nico. Jason shoved the pack into a space beneath the radio, turning his attention back to the road. “Just enough to take the edge off.” Nico's eyes wandered down to stare at the cigarettes. “There were just some really bad days, and I needed something to help.”

“There are better ways to cope with your issues.” The Lost Boy reached up and brushed his long bangs out of his dark eyes. “Percy said he didn't like us smoking.”

Jason rolled his eyes and the two started a glaring contest. “What, are you going to run and tell on me? If I recall correctly, he said he didn't approve of it, not that he didn't allow it.” Nico began to frown as he turned his head away. “Besides, he left them in here. I'm pretty sure if he cleaned out all of my drugs from my stuff, he would have checked my car.”

Nico's brow furrowed before he met Jason's gaze again. “Aren't you going to smoke one then?”

The blond chuckled and reached for the pack again. He tossed it up once and caught it before placing the cigarettes between his legs. “I found them. I never said anything about smoking them, at least not right now.” A calloused hand raised and rubbed across his mouth. “There's a difference between thinking about doing something and actually doing it.” Jason let out a breath before giving Nico a brief glance. “Thinking about doing something bad doesn't make you a bad person, Nico. It makes you human.”

“But they're bad for you,” Nico reasoned, scowling at his roommate.

Jason laughed loudly. He let his head fall back against the headrest with a lick of his lips. “People do unhealthy things all the time, Nico. Just look at America. We love our fast food.” Nico followed Jason's hand as he gestured to some of the fast food chains that they passed.

“I suppose.” His brown eyes returned to Jason's perfectly sculpted face. “Are you going to smoke them?”

Letting out a breath, Jason glanced down at the cigarettes. “You know, Nico, you don't always need to know the answer to things.” He turned towards Nico with a grin. “I mean, I don't, and it's my decision.”

Nico blinked when his phone began to vibrate. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, spotting a text from Apollo. “Apparently, I have practice in a few minutes.”

“I guess it's good that we decided to come back.”

Nico typed out a reply, letting Apollo know that they were pulling into the garage, and let his phone drop into his lap. Jason flung his car into the first parking space he found and shut off the car. He grabbed his football from the back seat before slipping the pack of cigarettes into the visor above his head.

The two began their trek over to the elevator, Jason tossing the football up into the air as they walked. Nico frowned as he watched his roommate from the corner of his eye. Was it just him, or was there something off about his roommate? No, he was sure there was something...different about him. He just wished he could place a finger on it.

They both ended up back in their suite, where Nico quickly changed into some loose clothing. When Nico emerged from his room, he found Jason lying across the couch. The blond grinned up at him before standing up. “Do you think they would mind if I stopped by?” The tall Lost Boy blew out a breath as he tossed the football onto the couch. “It gets boring in this suite.”

Nico shrugged, heading towards the door. “I don't see why not.”

Nico closed the door once he and Jason were outside. There was a brief tugging sensation around his waist, and then his eyes widened as his track shorts were yanked down to his knees. He turned and glared, being met by the smirking faces of the Stoll twins.

Travis cocked his head to the side, an eyebrow raised mischievously. “Neeks, why can't you just play with us a little bit?”

His brother pouted and slung an arm around Travis. “Yeah, you have such a nice ass. It's such a shame it's being wasted.”

They both blinked when they realized Jason was standing there as well. Travis tapped a finger to his lip. “Dear brother, how long has it been since we had a foursome.”

Nico glared at them as he worked on tying his shorts in a knot. Jason rolled his eyes. “Pass,” he mumbled. Three sets of eyes blinked at him, the twins looking slightly shocked.

Connor leaned in and whispered something to his brother, who scrunched his lips. The older of the two let out a sigh before placing his hands on his hips. “Anyways, we need to get a move on, or we'll be late.”

Travis hit the button for the top floor when they were all aboard the elevator. Nico was still staring at his roommate, who didn't seem to be paying anyone any attention. Was he not the only one turning down sex at the Lotus? Nico blinked and looked away when Jason spotted him staring.

He focused on the twins instead. They stood very close to each other, their hands so close that they would brush against each other from time to time. As they passed the bar's floor, Travis leaned his head on Connor's shoulder and whispered something in the other's ear. They both grinned wickedly as the elevator came to a stop.

Mind games, Octavian's voice played in Nico's head. Perhaps Luke and Octavian weren't going to be the most difficult. Nico wasn't sure how he was going to pull this off; perhaps he did need Octavian's help. When the doors opened, they were all met by a startling surprise.

Everyone on the elevator jumped back against the wall with wide eyes as they found a rather large gun pointed in their direction. Nico felt like his chest might break out of his chest from how hard it was pounding. Clarisse grinned wickedly before lowering the gun. Percy rolled his eyes and sighed beside her.

“I was hoping you wouldn't do that,” the manager mumbled.

Clarisse grunted, the grin still on her face. She went through inspecting the gun as everyone on the elevator recovered from their near heart attack. Connor whined and shoved Travis off of him. In the shock, Travis must have made himself ready to act as a human shield for his brother. The slightly taller brunet turned around with a frown and looked his brother over. Connor swatted his hand away before shoving his way out of the elevator.

Nico and Jason exited the elevator, both looking between Clarisse and Percy. The manager shrugged. “I got her a present.” He rolled his head to the side to give the Lost Girl an annoyed look. “Although, I do remember saying wait until she was in the shooting range before taking it out of the box.”

The muscular Lost Girl chuckled and turned the safety on before placing it back in the black box that sat on her podium. Percy let out a long breath as he closed the lid on it and placed it in Clarisse's hands. “Well, Jackson, you really do know the way to a person's heart.”

Percy grunted and popped his knuckles. “So, we're all good now?”

Clarisse shrugged, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “I suppose. I'll catch up with him after you're done.” The Lost Girl grinned down at the box before stepping onto the elevator. She hit a button and the doors closed, leaving the three males alone.

“She's scary,” Nico mumbled.

Percy grinned and placed a hand on top of his head. “At times, but she's good to have around.” He scratched at his brow, turning his eyes on Jason. “Did you two have fun at the park?”

The blond nodded. Percy shoved Nico in the back and the three moved towards the stairs. Nico's eyes grew dark when he noticed Percy slip a hand around Jason's waist. However, it didn't seem all that welcomed. The blue-eyed Lost Boy frowned and brushed the hand off of his waist, putting a few steps of distance between himself and Percy.

When they reached the top, Percy stepped closer and tugged on Jason's arm. The blond frowned as the raven haired manager whispered something in his ear. When he pulled away, Percy noticed Nico staring at them. He gave a small wink before nodding his head towards the stage.

As Nico was making his way to the stage, a leg shot out and tripped him. Nico glared up at Luke, who sat the nearest table. “Whoops,” the blond said innocently. He shrugged and reached out to help Nico up. Nico followed Luke's blue eyes when he looked away.

Percy had stopped walking towards his booth and turned to stare at them. He gave Luke a warning stare before turning around and sitting down. Jason slid in beside him. Percy glanced at them for another brief second before diving into conversation with the blond beside him.

“So sorry about that,” Luke said sarcastically.

“Yeah, right.” Nico glared up at the blond, yanking his arm away from Luke. “Afraid you'll upset Percy?”

Luke smirked wickedly at Nico, a dark glint in his eyes. “You know, if I didn't know any better, twerp, I'd say you've been avoiding me lately.”

The shorter Lost Boy cocked a brow. “Did you miss me? No one else to torture?”

Luke placed his arms behind his head. Brown eyes shifted over to stare at the blond's flexing arm muscles. Nico's eyes shifted back to Luke's face, where he was met by a wicked grin. “Careful where you stare, brat, I'll start to think you're interested in me.”

“Yo, big bad wolf and red riding hood, we have work to do!” Apollo called over to them.

Nico gestured towards the stage, his gaze still locked with the blond in front of him. “After you...red riding hood.”

Luke narrowed his eyes before shoving Nico and heading towards the stage. “So funny, twerp.”

Apollo tapped his foot as they both climbed onto the stage. “Are you two done eye fucking yet?”

Connor chuckled. “I'm surprised you haven't already fucked him senseless yet, dude.”

Icy blue eyes darted over to Apollo and Connor, giving them a chilling glare. Both Lost Boys clamped their mouths shut and looked away. Luke swiped a thumb across his mouth before taking his place in front of Apollo. Nico blinked before walking over to stand beside him.

Nico frowned when they didn't start right away. He looked up to find Apollo and Luke staring at each other. The curly haired blond had his brow drawn together, while Luke gave him a blank look. Apollo finally shrugged and stepped over to the stereo.

After they were done practicing their main routine for the night, Nico jumped off the stage and walked over to where Percy and Jason sat. He slid in on the other side, receiving a smile from Percy. “You know, Nico, I do have room on my other side.”

Nico rolled his eyes and slid down in his seat. Percy chuckled and rested an elbow on the table. Nico's eyes locked onto Percy's other hand as it traveled under the table and rested on Jason's thigh. The blond looked down at the appendage before frowning. Percy sighed and pulled his hand back.

What happened next surprised Nico quite a bit. Travis came up to the table and greeted them. After making a few suggestive innuendos to Percy, he grinned and placed a hand on Jason's shoulder. The blond flinched and jerked away from the brunet, sliding closer to Percy. Travis and Nico blinked at Jason oddly, but Percy just gave the blond a blank look from the corner of his eye.

Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, sorry?”

Jason frowned down at the table. His only reply was in the form of a silent shrug. Travis turned towards Percy for help, but the manager just nodded his head to walk away. The brunet pursed his lips before slipping his hands into his pockets and walking back towards the stage.

Percy sighed and leaned back in his seat. “So, Jason, you want to come up to my room tonight? It seems like you're still adjusting and having some problems. I think we should talk about it.”

Blue eyes blankly flickered over towards Percy. “You mean so I can get in your bed.”

The manager sighed. “I didn't mean it like that. However, we do need to talk about that. And it's your call, not mine.”

Nico chewed on his lip as he glared at the two across from him. Percy was practically giving him a full invitation to have sex, and Jason was turning it down? Though, perhaps Nico should be happy about that. Still, it didn't make him happy that Percy was making that move. He thought Percy didn't go to the Lost Kids for sex. Had that been a lie as well?

Nico turned away hatefully when Percy's green eyes fell upon him. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched some of the other Lost Boys do more practice numbers. Percy's phone began ringing. When it didn't get picked up, Nico glanced at Percy from the corner of his eye.

The manager was drumming his fingers on the table, his gaze trained on Nico. It made Nico feel uncomfortable, so he squirmed. And in response, Percy smirked at him before reaching and picking up his phone.

“Hey, Leo.” Percy leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, now is good. Bring him on up.”

Nico watched Percy curiously as he placed his phone back on the table, where he spun it around. Drumming on the table three times, Percy nudged Jason to stand up. The blond frowned and slid out of the booth, allowing the slightly taller male to climb out. Nico swiveled around and looked at the stairs as footsteps echoed up into the room.

Leo and Chris emerged onto the floor, the latter of the two gawking around the room. The Lost Boys on the stage stopped what they were doing to observe the new arrival. “Hey, Chris!” The Stolls waved at him.

“Hey,” the young man replied awkwardly. Percy strolled up to him, hands in his pockets. “I see you weren't lying about what went on here. Wow.”

Percy arched a brow and bounced on the soles of his feet. “This isn't going to be a problem for you, is it?”

The muscular young man swallowed and rubbed at his stubble. “It doesn't affect my current employment if I say no, will it?”

The green-eyed young man chuckled and shook his head. “You're welcome to say no. I just could really use some extra help looking after these guys.”

Dark brown eyes focused on Percy as the owner of the eyes rubbed the back of his neck. “And everything is all good now?” The tall manager gave a nod. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

Percy shrugged casually. “You'll primarily be in the bar. Later at night, I'll probably have you take Clarisse or Ethan's place up here, or perhaps in that other room I spoke of.”

A few of the Lost Boys snickered when a tinge of pink appeared on Chris's cheeks. Percy must have told him about the kink room, Nico supposed. It was then that Chris's eyes actually landed on Nico. Shock was written across the young man's face. Nico could tell that he was slightly caught off-guard at seeing the boy, so young, working up here. And not only that, but he probably thought Nico was a prostitute like the others.

But Chris didn't say anything. He just cleared his throat and refocused his attention on Percy. “When do I start?”

A bright smile graced Percy's face. “Very good. You can get started tonight.” The young man slung his arm around Chris's shoulder and smiled wider. “Come on, I'll get you set up in your new home.”

Everyone watched as Chris was led from the room. “Interesting,” Apollo observed. He and Luke caught each other's eye before they both nodded, mumbling the name at the same time.

“Silena.”

Apollo clicked his tongue, his eyes roaming across the room. Nico observed the very moment his blue eyes fell upon Leo. The two stared at each other for a significant length of time. The Latino sneered and tossed him the finger before looking down at his phone. The tall blond rolled his eyes.

“Dismissed,” Apollo finally announced.

As the others gathered their things and made their way down the stairs, Nico lingered behind. Leo was busying himself at a nearby table, laying out some documents. The Latino boy sat down with the click of a pen and began scribbling entries onto the important documents. Nico frowned as he studied the other Lost Boy. He did not see Leo being as social with the other Lost Kids like Rachel would at times. He wondered why that was.

“Are you just going to stand there?” Nico blinked and found Leo smirking up at him. “You've been spacing out a lot lately.”

Nico rubbed the back of his neck and sat down at the table. He supposed that was true, and he should probably work on not doing that. “Do you ever get lonely, Leo?”

The Latino stopped working and looked up at Nico with raised eyebrows. “Uh, what?”

“I just...don't ever really see you spending time with the others.” The pale Lost Boy shrugged.

Leo sighed and scribbled something else on the documents in front of him before clicking his pen and placing it on the table. Nico watched as Leo crossed his arms and sat back in his chair, looking off to the side. “Just sort of the outsider, like you are at times.” Leo suddenly smirked mischievously and turned to Nico. “They just can't handle me.”

But Nico wasn't convinced, and Leo knew it when he saw the look on Nico's face. The Latino sighed and dropped his cheek into his palm. “Why didn't you work with the others when you got here?”

“I was smart, Percy saw that. Though, I think some of them were surprised by that fact when I first got here.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Why?”

Brown met with brown as Leo's eyes returned to Nico's face. “I didn't really go to school like some of the others did. My mother and I moved around a lot, for...personal reasons.” The curly haired Lost Boy rubbed at his face with a sigh.

Why? That was what Nico wanted to ask, but he knew he asked that question too many times. But, still, something felt odd about what Leo had just confessed. Why were Leo and his mother always on the move?

Nico opened his mouth and let it hang there for a moment before closing it again. He crossed his arms and sat back in his chair, tapping a foot on the floor. “Rachel said you were underage, but-”

The Latino burst out laughing. “Oh, geez, please tell me you've been here long enough to realize that was a lie.”

Dark brown eyes narrowed. “I was just about to say that I didn't think that was the case.” Leo held his hands up defensively. Nico eyed him for a moment, watching as he twirled his pen around on the table. “So, what's the real reason? You and Rachel are attractive, I could see both of you doing well in this line of work.”

Leo sighed and began tapping the pen on the table. “I think, on Percy's part, it was primarily the fact that he needed assistants to replace the ones leftover from his predecessor.” The other Lost Boy pressed his lips together, refusing to look at Nico. “As for why I didn't...I don't know. I was originally going to do both. I figured it would pay off rather well, but things rarely go according to plan.”

“Something happened?” Leo nodded. “But you didn't start out selling your body, why?”

Leo sighed and finally looked at Nico. “Percy offered the position to me, both of them. I immediately took him up on the secretary position. It was money, money that I needed. He gave me some time to think about working with the others, but...things got complicated.”

Complicated, Nico was growing to hate that word. It felt like an easy out for the Lost Kids, a way to avoid their issues. Still, Nico knew, without Leo telling him, what he meant by that. Apollo happened.

Leo chuckled lightly. “You know, Nico, I think it should be a requirement for you to buy us a drink before you get all personal with us.”

When their eyes met again, Nico saw the emotions in Leo's eyes: discomfort, avoidance, pain. Nico wondered if this was Leo's mask. Did all of the Lost Kids do this, just using a different method? Perhaps this was just how Leo coped with his pain, making jokes.

“Does this have anything to do with why you and Apollo seem to dislike each other at times?” Perhaps he shouldn't have asked, but he wanted Leo's side of the story. And, besides, it wasn't like he was ratting Ganymede out. The man had just said not to bring his name into things, that didn't mean he couldn't use the information to his advantage.

All traces of humor dropped from Leo's face at the mention of the blond's name. “I, um-yeah.” The Latino boy pursed his lips and gave a small nod. “But I was stupid, and young.”

“You're still young,” Nico pointed out. “You can't be much older than me.”

“I'll be nineteen on the thirtieth.”

Nico smiled. “Well, you could pass for someone my age.”

Leo returned his smile with a lopsided one. “I was still stupid. I really am trying to help you by telling you not to pursue Percy, Nico. He's not Apollo, I know that, and he wouldn't intentionally try to hurt you like that, but it's not smart to chase after him.”

“Apollo hurt you.”

Leo blew out a breath. He began drawing circles in the table's surface, his eyes trained on the documents. “I was just new.” There was a long pause, where Leo just continued to draw on the table with his finger. “We had sex one night. And, I don't know why, but I thought it actually meant something. But, when morning came around-”

“He was an asshole.” Leo nodded, still not looking up. “Percy did something similar when we sort of messed around.”

“That was-never mind. It's not important. Just...maybe you should talk to Rachel about that.”

Nico planted his chin in his palm with a sigh. “That's what everyone keeps telling me.”

“Anyways, Apollo just tossed me to the side. I didn't handle it very well. I tried talking to him, I'd go to his room at times and knock on the door, I wanted more sex, but none of that mattered. Percy mattered to him, and I was just a pawn in his little game.” Leo finally looked at Nico, a dark look deep within those brown orbs. “I was...I had never...” Leo let out a breath. “I had never had sex before Apollo. I didn't really look at sex all that well after it was all over.”

Nico just sat there, staring back at Leo. That was the missing piece, the piece he knew he had been missing after his talk with Ganymede. It was the reason for the bitterness. “What happened?”

Leo smiled coldly and shook his head. “I think Percy saw that it wasn't a good idea to put me to work with the rest of them. He took back his offer and I settled in as just being his assistant.” He reclined in his chair, balancing himself on the back two legs. “So, my dear Nico, that is why I don't really spend my free time with the others. Who do you think they sided with?”

“But what about those that weren't here when it happened?”

The Latino boy sighed. “Didn't matter. Apollo is close to the others. He's one of the four siblings, I'm just Percy's secretary. They heard Apollo's side and fell in line behind him.”

The pale boy furrowed his brow. “You can always spend time with me. There shouldn't be an outcast here. We should all stick together in a place like this.”

“Well,” Leo began, “the others do have my back, I know that. Our petty differences don't matter when something important happens. We do stick together when we need to.” He smirked and stood up, gathering his papers. “It just so happens that there's not really anything going on here at the moment to unify everyone. Siblings fight, yet they still love each other.” His brow furrowed as his eyes moved up to look at Nico's face. “I still care about Apollo, and I love him like a brother. I'd stick my neck out for him if he got into trouble, as he would do the same for me. Fighting is healthy sometimes in relationships.”

“I suppose.” Nico kicked at the floor, watching as Leo finished gathering his things. Leo smirked at him and the two began walking down the stairs.

Leo snapped his fingers once they were in the elevator. “Oh yes, don't forget that you don't need to eat tomorrow before work. We have the big dinner afterwards, so save plenty of room for all the food.”

“Gaea doesn't mind that Percy gives everyone a night off?”

Leo's eyebrows rose. “Oh, he really does give everyone the night off.” He turned towards Nico when the boy gave him an odd look. “Everyone will be there, for the most part. Percy will be there, all of us, Ganymede, Circe, Chiron, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and our newest edition, Chris.”

“Why not the entire staff?”

Leo shrugged. “Everyone that will be there is part of the family, or was at the time. Well, they still technically are. It's a more...positive aspect of being a Lost Kid for life. You're always part of the family. Percy works more closely with these people.” The elevator came to a stop and they stepped out, but didn't continue towards their rooms. “The staff that will be there help see to Percy's Lost Kids, who are some of the most important people in his life. It's sort of his way of saying thank you.”

Nico nodded. “I'm sure it'll be a very entertaining night.”

Leo chuckled in response. He began walking to his suite, where he stopped and spun around in front of the door. “Oh, I'm sure it will be very interesting.”

\-----------------------------------------

Nico could feel the scowl on his face. It didn't deter him from giving it, though. How? How had he actually managed to get to Percy's table, and on the first night? Nico didn't understand it. It was like Jason had actually known what he was supposed to do. Nico didn't learn about getting Percy's table until it was too late.

Two arms slung around Nico's shoulders. “Tough break there, Neeks.”

The brown-eyed boy turned to give the Stolls a dirty look. “Is there a point to why you're over here?”

“Well,” Connor began, “you've been standing here, staring out from behind the curtain, for about five minutes now.”

Travis grinned and leaned his cheek on Nico's head. “And you need to be getting ready.”

“I just don't understand.” Nico huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why isn't he messing up?”

Both twins chuckled. “The night is still young, Neeks,” Connor replied. “Everyone messes up when they first start.”

Nico's eyes returned to Jason's form. The blond was leaning on Percy's table, smiling at something Percy was saying. Part of him wanted to hate Jason. This just didn't seem fair. But, there was also a part of him that was trying to focus on how little clothing Jason had on. And the speedo really did cling to his ass rather nicely. It also left little to the imagination for the blond's front, which looked like nothing to be ashamed of.

That had always been a part of working in this field that made Nico a little miserable, seeing the Lost Boys with little to no clothing. And there were some that looked...blessed by whatever god or gods that existed. Luke, who was reclining on the couch behind Nico, happened to be one of those boys. Although, unlike some of the other Lost Boys, Nico had yet to see the blond completely naked. Still, he could tell that Luke was a little above average.

“You're staring again.”

Nico blinked, realizing that he had, in fact, been staring at Luke. The blond arched an eyebrow at him, swinging his leg back and forth over the arm of the couch.

“Well, more precisely, you were staring at my dick.” Luke grinned and sat up. He stood up and walked past Nico, brushing shoulders on the way. “Remember what I said earlier.”

Nico huffed and glared at the back of the blond's head. “Asshole.”

“Actually, it'll be your asshole that'll be sore when I'm done with it.”

The raven haired boy rolled his eyes and moved over to one of the mirrors to get dressed for his next performance. A heavy tension seemed to fill the air when Luke and Beckendorf nearly bumped into each other. The larger Lost Boy grunted and handed Luke his costume. The blond just ignored him, walking off to his own corner.

Nico swallowed and turned back to Beckendorf. “Hey,” he began.

Light brown eyes flickered over to Nico. “What's up, little man?”

Nico cleared his throat as he slipped himself into the little bit of cloth that would be on his body for their performance, Beckendorf already fastening, the metal bands around his arms. “How's Silena? I haven't gotten to see her in a while.”

Nico looked down at himself, wanting to make sure he had his costume adjusted right. There really wasn't much to it. A leather belt rested on his hips, which held up the two pieces of cloth that would cover his front and back. However, the two pieces of cloth weren't connected and his legs were very much exposed. Nico worked on slipping his own metal bands onto his arms as Beckendorf chewed on his lip.

“She's...good. Percy's been having her take it easy.”

Nico nodded. “Can I ask you something?”

“You just did.” The taller Lost Boy grinned down at him. Nico blinked up at him. He felt extremely short compared to Beckendorf, mainly because he barely reached the Lost Boy's shoulders. “Fine, what's up?”

“It's about Luke.”

Beckendorf's lips tilted down. “Why do you wanna talk about that asshole?”

“Just curious as to why you resent him so much?” He studied Beckendorf's face, letting his words sit for a moment. “He helped her out that night.”

“Yeah,” the other said quietly. “Luke and I have been...getting along since then. He looks after her, I know that, but I don't like it sometimes. It should be my job to take care of her.” Large, muscular arms crossed themselves over the chiseled chest in front of Nico. “Luke and I have a long history when it comes to Silena. That's about all you need to know for now.”

The curtain closed, signaling it was time for them to go on stage. Beckendorf headed that way, whereas Luke was already taking his place on the stage. The Stolls grabbed Nico by his hands and dragged him onto the stage.

Luke stood in the middle, hands on his hips, waiting for the number to begin. Nico stood to his left. He reached up and brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. He jumped, clamping a hand over his mouth to mask a yelp, when Travis, who stood behind and to his left, pinched him on the ass. Connor, who stood on Luke's right chuckled and winked in Nico's direction. Beckendorf, on the other hand, seemed to be focusing his attention anywhere but Luke.

Luke shot Travis a glare and the brunet straightened in his place. The curtains opened, the lights still dark, and the song began. The first few beats of Florence and the Machine's “Bedroom Hymns” filtered into the room and the lights flashed on. The Lost Boys began swaying around, letting their hands roam across their bodies.

Nico and the others spread their legs out wide, bending at the knee, their hips thrusting back and forth to the beat of the song. Their hands moved out from their faces and were spread out in front of them. With a kick of their left leg, they threw up their right hands and imitating something similar to the Charleston with their bodies.

The group shifted around, so that Connor and Nico were centered towards the front. Both of the Lost Boys put sly smiles on their faces as they trailed their fingers along the fabric that was covering their crotches. Their hands moved up above their heads, letting the fabric drop before it showed too much.

The two Lost Boys then turned towards each other, pressing themselves against one another. They each kicked their right leg out, aiming it just to the side of the other in front of them. Their hands were thrust up into the air, while their bodies jumped around. Nico took in a sharp breath as he attempted to catch Connor's long leg as it shot up again, which he did successfully; Connor doing the same to Nico's leg. They leaned back, which probably would have ended in disaster, but Luke and Travis fulfilled their duty of pressing a hand to their lower backs.

With the help of Luke and Travis, the two boys were separated. Luke and Nico locked eyes for a brief moment before the blond dipped him and curved him downwards and then back up. Nico let out a breath that he had been holding as he found himself up against Luke's bare chest.

Nico slowly crept down Luke's chest, spreading his legs out so that they angled directly to both sides of his body. His pale hand lingered on Luke's belt, their eyes meeting again. There was a dark look in Luke's eyes, one filled with lust. It made Nico shudder and lick his lips to look at it.

And then it was over, the performance continuing. Luke swung his leg over Nico's head and they all fell back into their original positions. Every one of the Lost Boys on stage mimicked Nico's position of spreading their legs, and, once again, thrusting their hips to the beat of the music. And that was what they continued to do until the song came to an end.

They got a standing ovation from the crowd, but Nico was more concerned with getting off of the stage. Once off the stage, Nico couldn't get into actual clothes fast enough. “Go take your break, brat,” Luke mumbled, plopping back down on the couch.

Nico finished putting his shirt back on and blinked. He ran his tongue across his lips, realizing how dry they were. He headed towards the door and emerged out on the floor. His blond headache was nowhere to be seen, which meant Nico wasn't going to be spending his break in the bar room. His eyes flickered briefly over to where Percy sat. The green-eyed Adonis was laughing and talking with Rachel at the moment. He caught Nico staring at him and gave the boy a wink.

Nico coughed, his cheeks heating up, and continued on his way. That was where he wanted to take his break, with Percy, but Jason would be returning soon, and Nico sort of wanted to avoid his roommate for the moment. He pushed open the door and was met by an odd sight.

Jason was standing beside Dionysus, who had a huge grin plastered on his face. The blond was staring down, with wide eyes, at his hand. Upon closer inspection, Nico noticed a clear packet sitting there. Inside were small white pills. Before Nico had time to question anything, Hazel was smacking the packet out of Jason's hand.

The blond blinked and swallowed, Hazel busy crushing the pills under her foot. Dionysus gave her a dark look, until he noticed Nico standing there. The man righted himself by clearing his throat. He threw on a smile and went back to work. “Hello there, Nico.”

Jason turned a pair of wide eyes on the newly arrived boy, panic written across his face. Hazel shook her head with a sigh, tossing Dionysus a hateful glare. When the man didn't seem to be paying her any attention, Hazel turned towards Jason. She placed a hand on his back and guided him away from the bartender, putting as much space between Dionysus and Jason as possible.

“Um, hi,” Nico said awkwardly. “What's going on?”

Hazel sat Jason down on the couch before pointing an accusing finger at Dionysus. “This asshole is trying to cause Jason problems.”

The bartender shrugged. “I simply asked for him to take it to a table.” He placed a hand on his chest and sighed. “How was I ever supposed to know that he would want the substance for himself?”

“I should go get Percy.”

Dionysus sighed and raised a drink to his lips. “Ah, Hazel, dull as always. All of you are always so boring.” Taking another drink, he leaned against the bar. “Why is it that this place seemed more entertaining when I was doing your job?” He smirked, snapping his fingers. “Oh, yes, now I remember what changed.”

Hazel glared at Dionysus for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Jason. “Are you okay?”

Jason nodded, letting out a long breath. “Yeah, I'm good.”

Hazel's head turned and she locked eyes with Nico. “Can you keep an eye on him for a moment? His break is almost up. I just don't want him to be alone with this bastard.” Hazel finished her sentence by giving the bartender another dark look.

Nico nodded and Hazel sauntered out of the room. Jason ran a hand through his short blond hair. “You don't have to keep an eye on me,” he mumbled.

The brown-eyed boy shrugged and opened the small fridge that they kept in the room. Pulling out a bottle of water, he closed the fridge and sat down beside his roommate. “Not like I have anything better to do.”

Jason turned to face Nico with a worried look. He glanced at Dionysus before locking eyes with Nico again and leaning in close. “Please don't tell Percy,” he whispered.

“Why would that matter?”

“I don't want him to be disappointed in me.” Jason pursed his lips, his gaze falling to the floor. “He's done so much, I'd hate to make him think all his hard work and patience were for nothing. This is just harder than I thought it would be.” Blue eyes turned to Dionysus. “I just didn't know about him.”

Nico followed Jason's gaze over to the bartender, where they both stared at the man. Nico could only imagine what Jason was thinking about right now, but he knew that he himself was finally realizing that the others were right about Dionysus. But that just led back to his original question about the man: why did Percy keep him around?

“Yeah, don't worry about it.” Nico patted Jason's bare leg, which pulled the blond's attention away from Dionysus. The tan Lost Boy smiled at him before staring down at Nico's hand. The blond scooted away, Nico's hand falling from the blond's leg. “You okay?”

The blond shrugged. “Yeah, why?”

Nico's brow furrowed as he studied Jason's face. “No reason,” he replied hesitantly. He had been right earlier, something was off about Jason. Touch seemed to bother him, Nico just didn't know why.

Both boys nearly jumped out of their skin when a drink was placed between their faces. Jason glared up at Dionysus. “Come now, Jason, it's just a peace offering. What's the harm in a little drink? It's not what your problem was.”

Nico turned a dark glare on the man. “I thought you said you didn't know he had a drug problem?”

The man placed a hand over his mouth. “Did I say that? Whoops, silly me.” He waved the drink in front of the blond's face. “So, how about it? No hard feelings and all that.”

Jason pushed the bartender's hand away. “You probably drugged it with something.”

Dionysus chuckled and downed the drink. “That wounds me, Jason. You're just being paranoid. But suit yourself, more for me.”

The blond Lost Boy grunted and stood up. Nico found himself unsure of where to look. On one side, he had Dionysus with a smirk on his face. On the other side, there was Jason's perky ass staring him in the face. There were times he found himself hating being a hormonal virgin, surrounded by a bunch of attractive guys.

“I have to get back to work,” Jason mumbled. He gave Nico a weak smile before exiting the room.

Nico leaned back into the couch, watching Dionysus from the corner of his eye. “I don't understand why you're here, especially if you threaten the Lost Kids.”

Dionysus smirked and rested his arms on the back of the couch. “I don't know what you mean, my dear Nico. Besides, Percy wants all the possible business outlets he can get.” Nico watched in annoyance as the smirk tugged upwards. “Is it my fault if his precious Lost Kids fall from the desired path? Before he came along, there wasn't anyone seeing after our little family in such a way.” Dark eyes dulled as they looked down at the boy on the couch. “Perhaps you should go visit Atlas in South America, or perhaps Kronos in the Middle East. After you see how things work at the other hotels, you'll see that not everyone has it as easy as the lot of you do.”

“Then I'm glad Percy's in charge.”

Dionysus's dark eyes gleamed with joy as he swirled the empty glass in his hand. “Is he really all you thought he was? You've been here for a few months now, surely the golden armor is starting to fall from your Prince Charming.” Nico turned his head away as Dionysus's smirk turned dark and twisted. “He is the one who has me working here after all. He's the one that has me doing this side business for him. Your golden angel is no better than the very people in that room out there. All he cares about is the money he makes; that's all you're good to him for.”

Nico's fingers clenched at the track shorts he had on. “He's not.”

“Oh come now, Nico, you're a smart boy. Surely you can see what's right in front of your eyes.” Dionysus finally pulled away from the couch and walked over to set his glass down on the bar. “I can only imagine how devastated you'll be, should you ever have to prostitute yourself. You'd end up just like Apollo, Silena, and Octavian when they first arrived. I'm betting you'd be shaking and crying, just like they were after their first night doing that.

“Has anyone ever told you about their first nights here, about how they curled up and cried afterwards? Or what about the methods your Percy used for breaking them in?” Dionysus continued. He pressed his back to the bar and watched Nico, who had his head turned slightly towards the man. “You'd hate and loathe Percy and his touch after the first night, just like those three did. Because, I'm sure you know by now how he comforts all of you.” Nico swallowed when the man paused, already mixing another drink. “But, you'll never really find out. Percy knows you're not strong enough to handle that stuff, so he keeps you locked away.”

Nico's pursed his lips, the color draining from them. “You don't know me,” he whispered. “And you don't know Percy.”

“I'd say I know him better than you.”

The Lost Boy stood up with a frown. “You don't know what you're talking about. The others were right about you.”

The man scoffed. “We'll see, in time.”

With a final look in Dionysus's direction, Nico turned and briskly walked from the room. He did not like this new side of Dionysus that he was seeing. He was starting to wish that he had been more willing to listen to the others when they told him to stay away from the man. Nico really needed to remember that the others were not always out to harm him.

Luke and the twins were setting up for the next performance when Nico returned. Beckendorf waved Nico over. “Hey, shortie, you wanna go watch the girls for a minute?”

“Sure,” Nico replied, fiddling with the water bottle in his head.

“Thanks.” Beckendorf stretched an arm above his head. “I just wanted something to do.”

The raven haired boy nodded his head as they walked through the door that separated the Lost Kids by their gender. “So, I think I'm seeing Dionysus for who he really is now.”

The young man's brow furrowed. “Something happen?”

“He had some drugs.”

“He try to slip you something? 'Cause if he's trying something, I'll go in there and break his fucking-”

Nico held up a hand, quickly adding, “He didn't do anything.” The boy shrugged. “He was trying to offer Jason some, I think. He claimed it was for a customer, though. Hazel took care of it.”

Beckendorf nodded with a grunt. “Yeah,” he breathed out, “he's not our favorite person around here.”

Silena spotted them and walked up to them, throwing her arms around Beckendorf's neck. “Charlie Bear, what are you doing over here?”

“Just thought I'd come see the most beautiful girl at the hotel.” Nico smiled when the Lost Boy pecked the girl on the lips, both of them smiling brightly.

Thalia appeared beside them, delivering a punch to Beckendorf's arm. “Charles, I didn't know you felt that way about me,” she laughed.

The tall Lost Boy rolled his eyes, but grinned down at the girl. Silena smiled and leaned her head on her boyfriend's chest. “You two are just in time, we are about to do a performance.”

Thalia grinned and nodded. “It's pretty sexual. Which as we all know, is my favorite kind of thing.”

Beckendorf tapped Nico on the arm and directed them over nearby the curtain, where they could get a good view. Leo could be seen wandering around on the floor. The Latino boy tended to a few customers that were attempting to get his attention. Nico blinked as Percy's head of black hair emerged from the stairs. He patted Leo on the shoulder as he walked by to sit down at a booth. And, as predicted, the three Lost Girls on the floor made a dash towards Percy's table. In the end, Piper won.

Nico turned and opened his mouth, ready to continue his conversation with Beckendorf, only to find that the other Lost Boy had wandered over to where Silena was getting into a skimpy police outfit. He sighed and shook his head.

The Lost Girl pecked the tall male and scampered over to where Thalia and Drew were gathered. The lights turned off and they made their way onto the stage. The lyrics of Tata Young's “Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy” sounded in the room, soon followed by the song's music, which is when the lights turned on.

Upon each of the song's main words, each of the girls struck a pose. It started at the end, with Drew crossing her arms over her chest in an 'X'. Next was Silena, who stuck her stomach out and placed the back of her hand across her forehead, while letting her head fall back. Finally, Thalia struck her pose, grabbing her breasts and opening her mouth in a silent moan.

Silena and Drew strutted across the left and right side of the stage, while Thalia stayed towards the centered. Thalia would sway her body around in a lewd fashion, and then deliver a smack to her rear when it was facing the audience. And every time the words “sexy, naughty, bitchy” would appear in the song, the girls would strike their poses again.

“More problems?”

Nico nearly jumped at the sound of Annabeth's voice beside him. He turned to stare at the blonde in the darkness, finding her eyes on the girls on stage. “Why would you say that?”

“You look like you're having a problem.” She turned to smirk at Nico. “But, I was also in the bar room earlier, and Jason and Hazel were talking about him getting Percy's table. You know, it's not every day that the new addition gets the boss's table on the first night.”

“Yeah, he's lucky,” Nico mumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to watch the girls perform.

“Or he had help.” Annabeth and Nico looked at each other, the boy giving her a questioning look. “Thalia told him.”

Nico's lips tilted down. “Lucky him. Nobody took the time to tell me that when I first started.”

Grey eyes studied Nico's face as he began to sulk. “You'll just have to start getting creative.” She shrugged when Nico looked at her again. “We've already seen that Percy is taking a similar interest in Jason, like the one he took with you.”

“But Jason isn't like me.”

“No, Jason's more...delicate, in a way. You both require his attention. However, Jason already has something going for him that you don't.”

Nico pursed his lips. “And what would that be?”

“Percy isn't restricting him. He can get whatever he wants from Percy, whereas Percy has pretty much forbidden you to have sex with him.”

Nico suddenly found the floor rather interesting. “I mean, what am I supposed to do?”

Annabeth gave him a weak smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I don't know. But, I'm willing to make suggestions, if you want them.”

Nico eagerly nodded his head. “That would be great.”

“I'll just think on it a little bit.”

The Lost Boy tilted his head to the side. “Why are you helping me, though? I didn't think any of you would actually want to help me with Percy.”

The blonde let out a sigh and returned her attention to the girls, who were nearing the end of their performance. “Let's just call it me trying to make up for our catastrophe on your first night on stage.” She licked her lips and offered Nico another smile. “I acted a little childish. I'm not saying I'll be able to get you Percy, because I don't know if that's really in the realm of possibilities, but it's only fair, considering Thalia has already helped her brother.”

Nico smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Annabeth, I won't forget this.”

The Lost Girl crossed her arms over her chest. “We'll just have to see what opportunities present themselves.”

The rest of Nico's night went rather smoothly. At the end of it all, he sat at a table with Butch, Zoë, and Reyna. Percy and Rachel sat in the manager's usual booth, running over a few last minute details on something that sounded rather important. Leo had dropped in to deliver his report, but Percy had ended up sending the Latino down to his office.

“So, how does this Thanksgiving dinner thing work?”

Everyone at the table turned to look at Nico. “It's like a family reunion, all the food included,” Reyna chuckled.

“Are there seating arrangements?”

Butch shook his head. “Not really. You can sit with whomever you want.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “Why do I feel like this is another form of the battle over Percy's table?”

All three of them chuckled. “It's not so bad,” Zoë assured him. “It's not anywhere near as competitive as up here.” The Lost Girl shrugged her shoulders. “We set aside business for the night.”

Butch smiled, resting his elbow on the table. “It's just a casual dinner with the family.”

Nico ran a hand through his growing locks. He frowned when his head was shoved to the side. He scowled up at Percy, who was now standing over him. “About time for a cut, don't you think?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I'm getting it cut today...err, tomorrow? I'm still confused on how all of you refer to time when it comes to after work.”

Reyna smirked at him. Nico's eyes fell upon her hand, which was running up and down Percy's arm. “If we haven't slept, we will call it tomorrow. In this place, sleep is the determining factor for the end of the day.”

“Unless you don't sleep,” Rachel added. “That can happen from time to time.”

Percy groaned and made a face. “Anyways, we should be getting some sleep.” Everyone jumped up when the young man snapped his fingers. “Off to bed with the lot of you.” Nico smiled when the manager ran his fingers through the boy's black locks.

His euphoria was short-lived, however, as Butch slid an arm around Percy and maneuvered himself and the manager towards the stairs. Percy smirked and pulled the Lost Boy closer as they descended the stairs, Zoë and Reyna following behind them.

“This explains a lot, you're cute even when you scowl,” Rachel laughed, gathering up her things. Nico turned to frown at her.

“What's that supposed to mean? Explains what?”

The girl shook her head. “Nothing.”

Nico's brow furrowed as Rachel walked towards the back door. “Where are you going?”

Rachel sighed and turned around, clutching her things to her chest. “To the security room. Percy wanted me to keep an eye on Jason during his first night.” She blinked, her back slowly opening the door. “You want to keep me company?”

Nico fidgeted before nodding his head. Rachel smiled at him as he stepped in beside her. This was actually good for him; Thalia had said that he should talk to Rachel. They walked down the dark hallway, until they stood in front of the black door to the security room. Rachel pulled out her keycard and slid it through the slot and Nico opened the door for her. The Lost Girl winked at him before tossing her hair back and walking into the room.

Rachel pulled two of the chairs out from the control panel. She swiveled them around and offered one to Nico, while sitting herself down in the other. Rachel flipped the monitors on while Nico sat down beside her. The Lost Boy leaned back in his chair, his eyes landing on his roommate getting undressed in front of an overly dressed woman.

“Why is Percy concerned with Jason? It's not like he hasn't already done this stuff before.”

Rachel looked away from the monitor, at Nico, and blinked. “Just making sure he's good to work.” The red haired girl propped her feet up and pulled out her portable tablet, turning it on. “Why do I get the feeling that you're about to bombard me with questions?”

A smirk touched at the corners of Nico's lips. “I see I'm becoming predictable, I'll have to work on that.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Nico, you've been predictable from day one.” The girl scrunched her lips up, typing something into her tablet. “Well, perhaps not with your desire to work up here. I don't think anyone saw that one coming. Makes me wonder what you'll do next.”

Nico let out a sigh. “That seems like so long ago now.”

“Anyways, what do you want to talk to me about?”

Nico's response never came, though. In the monitor right below Jason's, stood the twins, naked except for their tight speedos. Nico's mouth fell agape when the two leaned in towards each other and locked lips. Travis opened his mouth and slid his tongue along Connor's mouth, seeking permission, which he ultimately got. Connor wrapped his arms around his brother's neck while their tongues battled. The older lady in the room fanned herself as the brothers continued to make out in front of her.

Travis's hands slid into the back of Connor's speedo, drawing a moan from the younger brunet. Nico licked his lips as Connor's speedo was removed and the twins fell onto the bed beside the woman. Before Nico could finish blinking, Travis had spread Connor's legs and engulfed his brother's manhood.

Nico's eyes opened wide when a hand was waved in front of his face. “Nico? Enjoying the show?”

The brown-eyed boy turned to find Rachel smirking at him. “I, uh-what?” Rachel laughed at him, causing Nico's face to turn red. He chanced another glance at the monitor, only to find Connor sucking on his brother's arousal. “What about the customer?”

Rachel shrugged. “Some people just like to watch, especially with the twins.” She shrugged again and looked down at her tablet. “They just find watching twins fuck hot.”

Travis smirked and shoved his brother back on the bed, slipping a finger into Connor's entrance. The younger brunet threw his head back in a moan, his hand landing on the woman's leg. “What, uh, were we talking about?”

Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. “You can watch them, it's fine. Shit, if you asked them, they'd probably put on a show for you in person.”

Nico's eyes widened as he stared at Rachel. “I, uh, don't know about all that.”

“Nico, I feel like you're about to explode from all the blue balls Percy keeps giving you.”

Nico pouted and slumped down in his chair, his eyes returning to the twins. He swallowed and licked his lips as he witnessed Travis penetrate his brother, their tongues battling for dominance. He could feel his shorts and speedo tightening as he grew aroused.

The Lost Boy cleared his throat and looked at Rachel. “I just, uh, wanted to talk about Percy.”

“Shocker,” the girl said sarcastically. “What about this time?”

“Thalia said you were the person to talk to, that you were good at reading people.” Nico blushed when he glimpsed at Travis slamming into his brother's ass.

Rachel sighed. “What has he done now?”

“He's just...confusing.” Nico frowned and looked over at Rachel again, squeezing the arms of his chair. “I just don't understand him. He gives me mixed signals, like telling me to stop pursuing him, yet he doesn't seem to really mean it.”

The Lost Girl leaned her head on her hand, glancing away from the monitors to look back at Nico. “Why bring it up now? Nothing new there.”

“It's just...” Nico frowned and stared down at his lap. “Percy shows Jason a lot of attention, and he's just seemed a little preoccupied lately.”

Rachel smirked at him. “You're jealous. Why are you worried? I think you need to relax. Percy's just complicated.”

“Does he like me?”

The red haired girl sighed and leaned back in her chair, rocking it back and forth. “I can't give you an answer on that, Nico. That's something you'll have to take up with Percy. I don't really know, to be honest.” She offered him a small smile. “If it makes you feel better, he does act different with you.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Just be yourself.” Rachel reached over and patted Nico's leg. “Don't worry about it, Nico. If it's meant to happen, it'll happen. Don't pressure it.” The girl sighed and picked up her tablet. “I don't really know what else to tell you.”

“I was hoping for something more helpful,” Nico mumbled.

Rachel sighed and let her head fall back. “Okay, fine, I'll keep an eye on things. When I see something interesting or helpful, I'll let you know.”

“I-” Nico fell silent as his eyes fell on Travis's tan ass rocked back and forth into his brother's ass. The sound was turned down, but Nico could still hear the loud moans that Connor was making. “Thanks.” Nico placed his hands over his crotch, his face heating up.”

Rachel chuckled and shook her head. “I think that's enough for you. Go back to your room, I think you have some business you need to take care of,” she laughed with a wink.

Nico cleared his throat, chuckling nervously as he stood up. He raised an arm to rub the back of his neck, but then remembered his problem down below. Rachel quirked an eyebrow at him as he backed towards the door, lowering his shirt.

“Night, Rach.”

The Lost Girl narrowed her eyes. “Don't call me Rach.”

Nico smiled before ducking out the door, letting it fall shut behind him. He let his head fall back in a moan as he traversed the dark corridor in front of him. This was not going to get any easier for him, was it?

\---------------------------------------------

Circe swiveled Nico around, allowing him to get the first glimpse of his new haircut. He had to blink a few times in order to realize he was staring at himself. Before arriving at the hotel, he had never thought he could look this...nice. He didn't really want to say good or hot because he still wasn't that confident with himself. But he did think he looked nice now.

He looked healthy. When he had been at home, his cheeks were often sunken in and dark circles would always reside under his eyes. His skin looked brighter after coming here, and he wasn't as frail looking either. He let out a sigh of contentment, a smile gracing his face.

Circe smiled at him in the mirror as she brushed a hand across his bangs. They had been covering his eyes pretty badly, but now she had cut them down to merely ghost over them. His hair was styled to look partially untidy. And the hair itself, it felt so soft.

Circe smirked when she noticed him feeling of his hair. “You like it? I'll get you a bottle of the shampoo.”

“You look nice.”

Nico turned his head to smile at Calypso, who was sitting in the chair next to him. She wasn't having much work done to her, just a simple haircut and manicure. “Thank you.”

“I suppose he does,” Drew grumbled from Nico's other side.

“Always the charmer.” Nico rolled his eyes. Drew, on the other hand, was getting the works done to her hair. One girl was on her hair, another applying makeup, and another putting nail polish on all over her nails. “I sometimes wonder what you really look under all that makeup.”

“Horrid,” Calypso sighed.

Drew narrowed her eyes and cut them over to Calypso. “Perhaps you should take a lesson in true beauty, Calypso.”

The other Lost Girl scoffed. “Please, you know nothing about beauty. All you do is hide behind your makeup and jewelry.”

“I just know how to look good.”

“Is it looking good, Drew? Is it? Or perhaps you just don't like people seeing the real you?”

Drew glared. “Go back to your street corner.”

“You first,” Calypso shot back.

“Ladies,” Circe began, putting a few finishing touches on Nico's hair, “please take your squabbling elsewhere.” She sighed and let Nico stand up.

Calypso looked her nails over before smiling and thanking the girl that had worked on them. Nico stared between Drew and Calypso for a moment, the latter of the two making her way towards the exit. Making a quick decision, he hurried after the caramel haired girl.

“Hey,” Nico called after her.

Calypso turned around and blinked at him. “Nico? What's up?”

The boy shrugged. “Just wanted to talk.”

The Lost Girl arched a brow. “Oh really?”

Nico cleared his throat and looked away. “Okay, so maybe it has to do with that stuff back there.”

Calypso sighed and they headed for the elevators. It was nearly time for work, so they didn't have very much time left to get dressed and get moving. “She just...gets on my nerves sometimes.”

“Is it true what you said about her?”

The Lost Girl tilted her head to the side as she stared down at him. “What did I say again exactly?”

Nico punched in the button to their floor before falling back against the elevator wall. “That she hides behind her stuff so that people can't see the real her.”

Calypso pursed her lips and took an interest in the rising floor numbers. “That's something for you to talk to her about. I may not like her all that much, but she's still family.”

“Doesn't seem to stop all of you from gossiping. It's hard to find something that everyone doesn't know around here.”

Calypso sighed. “It's not like that, not entirely. There are things we know to keep quiet about when we tell each other things.” She smiled and shrugged. “Luke and Octavian know something about you that they won't share.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What?”

She shrugged. “How should I know? Annabeth said she asked them what you three talked about when Luke stormed off at the water park, and both of them refused to say anything. We just know when to keep things quiet.”

Nico blinked, staring off into space. Luke and Octavian hadn't talked about that? It hadn't been that big of a deal, or even a secret for him, but it still felt nice to know. Perhaps Will had been telling the truth as well. If Calypso was being honest, maybe he should reconsider some more things about his new family.

Nico's eyebrows rose when something else clicked in his head. “Wait,” he began. Calypso turned to look at him. “You implied that she worked on a street corner.”

“Oh.” The Lost Girl rubbed at her arm, looking relieved when the elevator arrived on their floor. “Again, just talk to her. She's not a complete bitch, when you get to know her.”

“I take it we're talking about Drew?” Piper walked out from around the corner, a smile on her face.

“The one and only.”

Piper tutted under her breath. “Oh, Nico, don't waste your time.”

Calypso smiled and rolled her eyes. “Don't listen to her, Nico. Go and talk to her, you'll just have to do some pushing.”

Piper chuckled. “But he's good at that.”

Nico glared at both of them before marching down to his suite. It seemed his list of things to inquire about was just going to keep getting longer. It felt like he got more questions than answers in this place.

Nico slapped a hand over his eyes when he opened his door. Jason looked up from sliding his speedo up. He blinked at Nico's red face before chuckling. “Really? Wow, I figured you wouldn't be bothered by this stuff by now.”

“You have a room, and a bathroom. Use them.”

Jason chuckled. “Sorry, I didn't think you'd be coming back so early.”

Nico cleared his throat. So he had been right about his assessment on Jason last night, he was nicely endowed. Focus, Nico told himself. He needed to get ready, not have dirty thoughts about his roommate.

Nico looked Jason over as he slid on a pair of black pants. “You working the bar tonight?”

The blond nodded. “Are you?”

“Yep.” The brown-eyed boy ran a hand into the back of his hair. “I suppose we'll be working together.”

Jason gave a nod before bending over and picking up his shirt. “You going to get ready, or just stare at my body?”

Nico blushed again, quickly moving past Jason and going to his room. He was right, this was not going to get any easier. If anything, he should only expect it to get worse. Why did teenagers have to have such raging hormones?

By the time they got to the bar, Silena and Reyna were already working. Chiron smiled at both Jason and Nico as they approached. “Hello there, you must be Jason.” The bartender reached out and shook the blond's hand.

Jason nodded. “And you must be Chiron.”

Nico rolled his eyes and got his apron before heading onto the floor. Was anyone going to do anything bad to Jason like they did to him? Nico was starting to wonder. Then again, he had never seen their stunt coming. But wouldn't they have gotten him in on it?

As the night progressed, Nico was starting to get annoyed with Jason. He had little trouble with the customers it seemed. People seemed to like him, his bright smile getting many in return. The only problem Nico could pick up on was the blond's difficulty with moving around so much with all of the orders. The blond had nearly dumped a large salad on a woman's head, much to Nico's delight. It had just been disappointing that it hadn't actually happened.

And, of course, there was the touching. If Nico watched closely, he noticed the twitch of Jason's lip every time one of the customers touched him, even in the slightest. And that, perhaps, brought Nico the most joy in watching Jason's first night at the bar. He had not had much of a chance to watch him upstairs last night, but he wondered if it was anything like this. Perhaps worse, especially with the touching. He wondered how Jason was going to fair when he actually performed on stage.

Much to Nico's delight, Percy exited the elevator halfway through the shift. That delight was short lived, however, when Percy merely ruffled Nico's hair and walked over to the bar. The manager leaned across the bar and smiled at Jason, who was waiting on an order. Nico frowned. Whatever Percy was saying, Jason was reacting to it. The blond chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. And the look they gave each other, there was no doubt about that look. Originally, Nico had wondered if Jason wasn't interested in Percy, but that definitely did not seem to be the case at the moment.

Whatever they were discussing, Jason was nodding. Nico could feel his lips pursing. “What has your panties in a wad?” Reyna asked, coming to a stop beside him.

“That,” Nico grumbled.

Reyna arched a brow. “What of it? Why exactly is it bothering you? From what I have observed, you've seemed cozy with both Will and Luke lately. Not to mention how heated your interactions with Apollo were when you first got here.” The Lost Girl gave him a look. “Perhaps you should take that twig out of your eye.”

Nico huffed at her as she continued on to the bar. Percy took a seat at the bar, while Jason walked off. Nico walked up to the bar and dropped off his order with Chiron. “So,” Nico began. Percy looked up at him, swirling a drink in his hand.

“So,” Percy repeated, a smile tugging at his lips. “What can I do for you?”

“I was just wondering if I could sit by you at dinner.”

Percy smiled and rested his cheek on his palm. “If you want, up to you. I do happen to have one seat open beside me.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Who has the other one?”

Percy shrugged. “Jason. I just asked him to.”

The Lost Boy's blood began to boil. His eyes grew dark as he clutched at the bar. “That was...nice of you. Why did you ask him, though?”

Percy studied Nico for a moment before taking a sip of alcohol. “I thought it was a nice gesture. He's new to the family, and I've been enjoying talking to him.”

Did Percy not enjoy talking to him? “I thought you were paying him attention because he was recovering from his addiction.”

“I was.” Percy cocked a brow. “What's your problem? I gave you plenty of attention when you first got here. I still give you plenty of attention.” His eyes flashed a shade darker. “Now, stop acting like a child and get back to work.”

Nico set his jaw firmly in place as he took the tray of drinks from Chiron, who gave him a sympathetic look. Nico dropped the order off and turned to look back at Percy, who was now in a deep conversation with Chiron. Percy seemed rather animated with the way he talked, often shaking his head by things that Chiron said. Percy rubbed his temple and waved a hand absently in the air.

Nico found himself wanting to be alone. His leg was becoming jittery as he stared at the back of his head. Percy had called him a child. That had hurt, a lot. What was he supposed to do? He pursed his lips tightly as he forced tears from surfacing. Why was Percy acting like this? Nico had thought things were going well between them. What changed?

When Nico returned to the bar, Percy had gotten up and gone to talk to a man at a table. Nico sat his tray down and stood there, slipping Chiron the next order in silence. Chiron gave him a sympathetic look as he began on the orders. “Don't look so down, my child.”

Nico's lips tilted down even more. “That's all I am apparently, a child.”

Chiron placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. “I don't think he meant anything by it. Percy just has a lot on his mind right now, and he's sorting through his problems.”

“I was just making such good progress, and now I feel it was all for nothing. Why did Jason have to come along anyways? Percy didn't have to pick him up.”

Chiron arched a brow. “He didn't have to take in a lot of people, but I'm sure you're glad he gave you the opportunity. Does Jason not deserve the same chance, a chance at a new life?”

Nico sighed cast his eyes downward. “I guess,” he mumbled. “I thought Percy didn't take an interest in his employees?”

Reyna bumped into Nico. “Hasn't stopped him from showing an interest in you, for whatever reason that may be.”

Chiron smiled. “The girl is right, Nico, you're getting mad at Percy for doing the exact same thing he does with you.”

Nico glared at Reyna. “Well, I don't see him snapping at Jason.”

The Lost Girl shrugged. “What has he done to deserve it?”

Suddenly Nico wished that Hazel hadn't stepped in yesterday. If she hadn't, maybe Nico could have had a good retort to that remark. But that didn't really matter at the moment. Nico was just wanting to not be seen as a child right now.

When it reached two in the morning, Chiron announced that it was time to close up the bar. The customers that remained at this point begrudgingly got up and paid their tabs. Reyna and Piper had gathered up Nico and Jason, and they were all standing near the elevators. Once Chiron was done closing up, all of them boarded the elevator and rode down to the lobby.

The other Lost Kids were already in the restaurant by the time they arrived, with the exception of Rachel and Leo. Piper left them and sat down next to Hazel and Thalia. A large, round table had been set up in the middle of the restaurant for them. Chiron took his place between Circe and Aphrodite. Circe was doing her best to look like she was partially paying attention to the ramblings of the skinny blonde woman on the other side of Chiron. Ganymede winked in Nico's direction and sat down on Circe's other side.

Percy, Leo, and Rachel walked into the room, Chris in tow. The manager smiled and gestured to the table. “I'm sure you can find a place, Chris.”

The newly promoted worker blushed and awkwardly over to sit beside Clarisse. Dionysus was busy eyeing a wine bottle on the table. Several of the Lost Kids were just doing their best to stay lively. Much to Nico's displeasure, Percy tugged on Jason's arm and led him over a place at the table. Unfortunately for Nico, the only other spot beside Percy was being occupied by Annabeth. The Lost Girl smiled and leaned in towards Percy.

Nico blinked when there was a tug on the hem of his shirt. Will smiled up at him, pulling a chair out so that Nico could sit down. Nico smiled at him and sat down. His eyes returned to Percy, barely catching those green eyes leaving his form. He looked over at Jason, listening to something the blond was saying. But, Percy's eyes briefly returned to Nico, glancing between Nico and Will, almost studying them.

When everyone had finally taken their seats, Percy stood up and cleared his throat. “Well, here we are again, another year past. It's been two years since I took over here, and I like to think we've been doing very well.” Everyone smiled at him. “I want to thank you all for such a great year. As some of you may have noticed,” a smirk touched at his lips, “we have a few new additions to our family.”

Will slung an arm around Nico's shoulders. Percy caught the action and arched an eyebrow in Nico's direction, but made no further acknowledgment of the action. By this point, Dionysus was already opening that wine bottle he had been eyeing. Chiron sighed and shook his head, opening another bottle and pouring himself some before passing it down.

Percy gave Dionysus an annoyed look. “Anyways, I just want to say that I really appreciate how hard all of you have been working. You've all been great, and I just wanted to say that I really love you guys and all that you do for me.”

Percy sat back down and caught Chiron's eye. He gestured to the large turkey in the middle of the table. Chiron smiled and stood, picking up a carving knife. Nico tilted his head to the side. He leaned towards Will and whispered, “Why doesn't Percy do the cutting?”

Will smirked. “Chiron is like the father of the group, and Percy respects him a lot.”

Chiron carefully cut each piece of turkey, putting the slices on a plate and passing them around the table. Upon getting their plates, everyone poked around the rest of the table, dumping sides onto their plates. Glasses of water were set out at each place, as well as empty wine glasses. Though, as time went on, some of those glasses were filled.

A few of the Lost Kids abstained from the wine, but they were very few in number. Piper and Juniper turned it down entirely, while Will and Hazel kept their glasses low. Instead of passing it on, Will held the bottle out for Nico. “You want some?”

Nico stared down at the dark bottle. “I, uh, don't know. I've never drank before.”

“Oh, you should try it,” Silana encouraged.

“Yeah, just a little bit,” added Butch. “What's it going to hurt?”

Will turned towards Percy. “I mean, it is fine, right? It's just for the holiday, not a big deal.”

Percy's eyes studied the bottle for a moment before lifting to Nico's face. He stared into Nico's eyes for a long time before shrugging. “It's his call. Let him do what he wants.” And, just like that, Percy went back to talking to Jason.

Nico frowned before lowering his gaze to the bottle. Adults drank this stuff, right? He did want to be an adult. “I don't know,” he mumbled.

Octavian smiled and handed Nico his glass across the table. “Here try this one, it's a white wine.”

Nico stared at the blond, his eyes eventually shifting over to Luke. The taller of the two brothers was watching Nico intently. Nico shifted under the heavy gaze before sitting back down in his chair. He stared down at the glass nervously.

Will chuckled. “Go on, it's not going to hurt anything.”

Thalia waved absently. “A little isn't going to do anything, Nico.”

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Unless he's a light weight.”

Nico pursed his lips, taking a deep breath. Just trying it shouldn't hurt anything. The raven haired boy slowly lifted the glass to his lips, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. All eyes seemed to be on him as the liquid flowed down his throat. Percy even stopped talking with Jason, his eyes now a few shades darker.

Nico made a face as the taste hit him. He put the glass down, where a laughing Octavian took it back. Annabeth chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Here, Nico, try this one. You might like it better.”

Nico scrunched his lips up, holding the new glass in front of him. He looked at Will, who gave him a thumbs up. Apollo was resting his cheek on his knuckles, an amused smirk on his face. But what bothered him the most was the look Dionysus was giving him. He could only imagine what was going through the man's head right now.

The taste wasn't so bad this time. It was still a little bitter for his taste, but he could tolerate it. He shrugged and handed it back to Annabeth, while Will poured him a glass of his own. Percy gave the blond a dark look, though Will seemed to miss it. The manager caught Nico's eye, giving him another harsh stare. But then, just like that, the look was gone. Percy's eyes returned to their sea-green color, his shoulders seemed to relax, and his frown vanished. But, even more concerning, he looked away from Nico, like he was bored and didn't care what was going on in the boy's direction. It hurt, and Nico now felt like broken glass.

Beckendorf held up his own glass. “So, Nico, not so bad, eh?”

“Well, I don't think I'm going to make a habit out of drinking it.”

Will smirked at Nico, leaning on his hand. “I bet you're a hilarious drunk.”

“Too bad you won't be finding out,” Luke muttered.

Will blew out a breath. “Don't rain on the parade, Luke.”

Nico's eyes landed on Percy again, but the manager was no longer paying him any attention. Nico frowned and took another drink of wine. He began to poke at his food, but suddenly found he didn't feel so well. He wasn't sick, he knew that, but he didn't like the feeling that was building in his stomach.

An hour quickly passed, and Nico was on his third glass. His face felt rather warm, and the room seemed to sway every now and then. Will leaned in on him. “Aw, Nico's a lush. So cute.”

Nico attempted to scowl at the blond, but he was fairly certain that it failed miserably. He let out a long yawn, his eyes beginning to droop. And, finally, Percy looked at him again. “Can someone help him up to his room, please?”

Will smiled brightly and stood up. The room began to blur for Nico. His eyes closed and he tilted in his seat, a firm hand catching him. There was a grunt behind him, followed by a nervous chuckle. Nico felt his body being scooped up.

“Don't carry him over your shoulder, he'll probably vomit.”

“I got it.”

Nico's eyes attempted to open, but all he caught was a brief glimpse at the lights above him. Letting out another yawn, Nico descended into blackness.

Nico groaned and rubbed at his eyes, finally coming to. There was a slight hammering in his head. He stared around at his room, only to find something very wrong with it.

It wasn't his room at all. There was not anything familiar about it. There was a dark blue blanket currently draped on top of him. It was very warm and soft, and he just wanted to curl up with it and sleep more, but he knew he couldn't. Directly across from him was the TV, sitting on the dresser. Beside it was a PS3 and a pile of video games for it.

A pack of chocolate chip cookies sat on the nightstand. There were a few pictures sitting on the other dresser in the room; one of Octavian, one of Thalia, one of Annabeth, and one of Percy. Clothes littered the floor carelessly. In front of the pictures was a row of knives and a pair of brass knuckles. Nico looked up to find a pair of handcuffs hanging from the headboard.

Nico sat up straight as the doorknob began to turn. He found himself staring into the icy blue eyes of Luke, who arched an eyebrow at him. He was clad in nothing but a pair of black shorts, which hung loosely on his waist. “Joy, you're awake.”

Nico rubbed his head. “What am I doing here? The last thing I remember, I was supposed to be going to my room. Where's Will?”

The blond sat down on the edge of the bed. “Not here, obviously. He never took you anywhere.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Then how did I get here?”

“I carried you.” Luke cracked his neck before falling back on the bed. “Is there a problem with my bed?”

Nico quickly shook his head. “But why did you bring me here? Why not take me to my room?”

Luke sighed and rolled until he was sitting close to Nico. “Well, you're welcome to leave and go there, but you'll only be met with the sounds of Percy and Jason having hot and loud sex.”

Nico frowned down at the blanket, rubbing at his arm. “Oh.” He wiped at his nose, looking at Luke from behind his short bangs. “Maybe I don't want to do that.” He tossed the blanket back and looked down at himself. He was still fully clothed, save for his shoes and socks. “Can I, uh, sleep on your couch?”

Luke leaned against the headboard, rolling his eyes. “I was just going to let you sleep where you were, you're not bothering anything.”

Nico felt sick, and he wasn't sure if it was from that feeling from earlier, or if it was from the alcohol. “Why didn't you let Will bring me up?”

The blond gave him a blank look. “I mean, sure, if you wanted to be molested while you were passed out.”

“Oh.” Nico looked down again. “Thank you.”

Luke rolled his eyes and slid his legs under the cover. “Yeah, whatever. If you want a change of clothes, there's some on the floor beside you.”

Nico looked down, and sure enough, a pair of cotton shorts and a loose T-shirt, both from his own room, sat on the floor. He swung his legs out and reached down to pick them up. With a small look in Luke's direction, Nico exited the room and went to the bathroom to change.

After he was done, he stopped in the middle of the hallway. Silence. He frowned and pushed into Luke's room. “Where's your brother?”

“Not here.”

“Why?”

Luke shrugged. “Apparently, people think I'm going to rape you, or something.”

Nico scoffed. “That's stupid. Why would they think that?”

Luke's eyes darkened before he lunged and pinned Nico to the bed. Nico squirmed, finding his arms captured above his head. Luke sat on top of him, a dark look in his eyes. “Maybe I will,” he said darkly. “Maybe that's just what you need, to be fucked. And I'll be the one to do it.”

Nico swallowed, eyes going wide as Luke leaned down. Their lips were dangerously close, Nico could feel Luke's breath on his face. And Luke's crotch was thrust against his own. Nico bit down on his lip, not wanting to let the moan escape him.

“What do you think about that, brat?”

Nico stared up at Luke with wide eyes. “No.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “No? What do you mean 'no'?”

Nico blinked up at Luke. He felt the blond loosen his grip. “You won't do it, I know you won't.”

The taller Lost Boy swallowed, his eyes narrowing. He tossed Nico's arms to the side and fell back on his butt. “You don't know what the hell you're talking about.”

Nico shook his head, sitting up. “You won't, not without my permission. I know. I knew after the night at the pool. The look in your eyes gave it away.”

Luke scoffed and looked away. “Just go to fucking sleep,” he growled.

Nico frowned, but didn't say anything further. He slid his legs under the cover and rolled onto his side, away from Luke. The room was silent for a long, awkward moment, until Luke climbed off the bed and turned off the light. The blond collapsed onto the bed with a huff.

“Thanks again for letting me stay here.”

The blond behind him grunted. “Whatever, just don't fucking cuddle me. I'm not your stuffed animal.”

Nico chuckled softly in the darkness. He had missed this side of Luke. Maybe it would stick around this time. Nico sighed, his eyes already drooping. Tomorrow would be better, he told himself. He needed to fix whatever was going on between himself and Percy, he just knew he had to.


	27. A Sight to See First Thing in the Morning

A black head of hair poked out from under a warm, blue blanket. Nico sighed contently before rolling over on his stomach and burying his face into the extremely comfortable pillow. When his hand dropped to the mattress, he scrunched his eyes for a moment before cracking one open.

He was alone. Luke was not asleep, or even in the room. Nico let out a yawn, stretching his feet beneath the covers. A glass of water and some aspirin sat on the nightstand beside him. But, besides a dry mouth, Nico felt fine. He made a face as he tried to wet his mouth, as it tasted like a mix of cotton and something that had died.

The boy sighed and sank beneath the covers, currently not capable of moving. Luke's blanket and pillow were amazing. He was still in the clothes he had changed into last night, though he had never really doubted that anything was going to happen.

He had been honest with Luke last night when he had said that he didn't think the blond would try anything without his permission. Luke probably would, but not without consent. There was just something there, something holding the blond back.

Nico blinked his eyes open, and stared up at the ceiling. He really did not want to be productive today; the bed was just too comfortable. But Luke was nowhere to be found, at least not in the room. Why hadn't the blond woken him? And why did he always wake up alone in bed? Well, except for when he had stayed with Will, though the blond had still not met his expectations of waking up next to another guy.

Was it too much to ask to wake up next to someone the next day? His experience with Percy had, of course, been the most disappointing. And the events that followed him after waking up that morning had not been enjoyable, either.

“Oh fuck!”

Nico blinked, his eyes now wide. What was that? He slid his legs out of the bed and sat on the edge, an eyebrow raised. He could barely make out some voices in the living room.

“More, dammit!”

Okay, so it definitely did not sound like an average conversation. The voice sounded like Luke, though. And, from what he could make out of the other voice, it sounded like Percy. He heard Percy chuckle at something before a loud moan rang out.

Nico crept towards the door, letting it slowly open. He was instantly met by the sounds of moans and heavy breathing. It was definitely Percy and Luke, though. Had the manager dropped by? Should he be investigating this?

He could hear the shower running behind him. Octavian must have come back, he thought. But what was going on in the living room? He hesitantly shuffled down the hallway. What he found was definitely not what he expected.

On the TV was a video, of Luke and Percy. The green-eyed young man was pounding into Luke at a relentless pace, the blond moaning and begging for more. Percy smirked, a hand gripping Luke's throat. The raven haired young man had his other hand digging nails into the blond's hip.

“Goddammit, Percy, harder!”

Nico blinked in surprise at the video. Nico thought Luke had said he was the dominating type. This video seemed to say differently. He quirked an eyebrow and turned, freezing on the spot.

Luke sat on the couch, completely naked. And, for the first time, Nico saw Luke's erection. As predicted, the blond was above average. He had a hand around his arousal, stroking himself. But the most surprising thing was what the blue-eyed Lost Boy was doing with his other hand. He had a dildo, currently penetrating himself with it.

Nico's entire face felt hot, nearly as red as a tomato. “Um, morning?”

The blond froze, turning a dark, lustful stare on Nico. “Enjoying the show, brat?”

Nico rubbed his arms, shifting his gaze away from the nude form of Luke. He cleared his throat, feeling his own arousal beginning to form. “Um, what are you doing?”

Luke grunted. “What does it look like I'm doing?” Much to Nico's dismay, the Lost Boy went back to work on himself. “Are you just going to watch, or you going take care of yourself?”

“Uh, no thanks, I'm good.” The raven haired boy rubbed the back of his head. “You have a sex tape?”

The blond shrugged, sliding the dildo into him again. “Just for my enjoyment.”

Nico's face turned darker as his eyes landed on the video again. “Is, uh, Percy always this...aggressive...in bed?”

Luke chuckled. “Why don't you go find out?” He grunted and nodded to the space next to him on the couch. “Sit.”

The youngest Lost Boy pursed his lips. This was a little uncomfortable. He hesitantly made his way over and sat down, refusing to look at Luke. He blew out a breath, drumming on his lap awkwardly.

“Still uncomfortable with all of this?”

Nico shrugged. “Still a virgin.” He sighed and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “Why are you watching this, anyways?”

The blond shrugged, not stopping in his self-pleasuring. “Why not? Percy is good, even through memories.”

Nico's brown eyes unconsciously found their way over to stare at Luke stroking himself. Until he had gotten to the hotel, he had never really seen another guy naked before, and now he was seeing plenty of male anatomy. Luke's head fell back in a moan. Nico blushed and looked away when he realized the blond was watching him from the corner of his eye.

The raven haired boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Luke let out a loud moan, which was soon followed by his climax. Luke slumped on the couch, pulling the dildo from himself. The blond let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, his chest still covered in his seed.

“Can you hand me that?” Luke asked, pointing to the other side of Nico.

Nico just blinked for a moment. Luke arched an eyebrow and Nico shook his head before turning around. A towel sat on the arm of the couch. Nico picked it up and handed it to Luke, who began cleaning himself up.

“Um, thanks for letting me stay.”

“You said that last night,” Luke mumbled.

“I know, but I just wanted to thank you again.” The boy cleared his throat and looked away when Luke stood up, receiving a very close view of Luke's firm ass.

The blond shrugged. “Don't worry about it.”

“The blanket was, uh, nice. And warm.”

Luke smirked and let the dirty towel drop to the floor, plopping back down next to Nico. He leaned back on the couch, letting his head rest on the back. With his foot, Luke kicked his boxers up to him before sliding them on.

“It was a gift.”

Nico blinked. “What?”

The blond sighed and turned narrowed eyes on Nico. “The blanket. It was a gift from my grandmother.”

Nico quickly nodded. “I'm guessing you got along with her?”

Luke watched Nico from the corner of his eye in silence. He let out a breath and ran his hand down his chest, wiping some of the remaining sweat off. “Yeah, she was a great woman.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

Luke shrugged. “Don't worry about it, not like you killed her.” The blond leaned forward and picked up a cup of coffee from the coffee table, but remained hunched over when he was done drinking. “She was really good to us, but that's ancient history. It's not something you need to concern yourself with, brat.”

Nico pursed his lips. “I'd like to hear it, though.”

The blond's icy blue stare turned on Nico. “That was me saying nicely that I don't want to talk about her.” Luke's eyes pierced through Nico as the boy shifted on the couch. “You can go back to your room now.”

Nico nodded awkwardly and stood up. Luke turned the sext tape off and shifted it over to TV. Nico stared at the blond one last time before disappearing down the hall. As he was about to enter Luke's room, the bathroom door opened, revealing a nearly naked Octavian.

The blond's hair clung to his face, his blue eyes being hidden behind some of his bangs. A towel hung from his hips, one pale hand holding the fabric up. Water dripped down his torso until it reached the towel. And Octavian's icy blue gaze fell upon Nico in a blank stare.

“Good morning, Nico. I assume you slept well?”

Nico swallowed and nodded. “I suppose.”

There was a coldness in the blond's eyes as he smirked and nodded. “Good, I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure you quite enjoyed my brother's bed and hospitality.”

“We didn't do anything.”

The blond shrugged. “I would never imply such a thing, Nico.” He tapped a finger to his lips. “Oh dear, I meant to tell you something, but I seem to have forgotten of it. Silly me.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He didn't like this. It didn't take a genius to figure out Octavian was not happy about Nico's overnight stay with Luke. “I didn't ask to sleep in your brother's room. Your brother was nice enough to bring me up here.”

Blue eyes were rolled as the blond walked down to his room. Nico huffed and followed after him. “Whatever. Perhaps you shouldn't have had so much to drink. I don't see why Will couldn't have brought you up to his room.”

Nico frowned as Octavian opened the door. The slender blond had a much cleaner room than his brother. The floor was spotless, the bed was perfectly made, and his nightstand and dresser were completely organized. A single picture of Luke sat on the dresser. There was a bookshelf near the closet, filled to the brim with books. Next to it sat more books, stacked perfectly. But what caught Nico's attention the most were the stuffed animals.

A bear was on the bed, leaning against the pillows. There was a large lion in the corner, like it had come out of some carnival game. A small dog sat under the blond's TV, and to finish it off, a penguin sat on top of the bookshelf.

It was curious, Nico thought. He had been in the blond's room once before, but it was under very awkward circumstances. He had been a little preoccupied with his blushing and the fact that Travis and Octavian had been in the middle of sex. Nico had not taken the time to really look at the room.

“And why are you mad?” Nico demanded. “You're the one who offered me the wine in the first place.”

Octavian unfastened his towel, his back to Nico. “Correction, Will offered it to you first.” Much to Nico's dismay, the towel around the blond's waist hit the floor, revealing the Lost Boy's pale ass.

Nico cleared his throat, keeping his eyes on the back of Octavian's head as the blond bent over to slip on a pair of boxers. “And, like I said, Luke and I didn't do anything. Why does that even matter?”

The blond turned around with a dark look. “I could care less if my brother had sex with you. I hope he fucks you into the ground, until you're too sore to move. It's not about what he does sexually.”

“What the hell is with brothers and dating around here?”

Blue eyes were rolled in a sigh. “I am not in love with my brother, you stupid little twit. Please go take your theories about incest down the hall, to the Stolls.” Octavian turned his back on Nico again, this time heading into his closet. “Now then, please show yourself out.”

Nico flung his arms up. “What is wrong with you?” He shouted. “I get your brother, he's the tough love kind of person. But you, I just don't get you. At least your brother has people's best interests at heart when he's an asshole!”

Octavian turned his head towards Nico, fixing him with a deathly glare. “Get out of my room,” the blond growled. “Have fun in your own self-destruction, fucker.”

Nico huffed and slammed Octavian's door behind him. Luke stood in the hallway, eyebrow raised. “Problem?”

“Your brother's an asshole,” Nico mumbled as he shoved his way towards the door.

Luke just chuckled as the door to the suite was slammed. Nico sighed and headed for his room. He needed a shower, a nice long one. He slowly opened his door, poking his head inside. It was quiet. Was Percy still there? Did he sleep in the Lost Kids' rooms? Doubtful.

As far as he could remember, he had often seen Percy coming out of the Lost Kids' rooms at night. So, Jason had probably slept alone last night. Nico supposed it was the downfall of not sleeping in Percy's room. At least he could say he had slept with Percy. Jason just had emotionless sex.

Nico sighed and gathered up some clothes to change into before heading to the bathroom. He made sure to lock the door, not wanting to have any more experiences like that one time. He turned on the water and let it warm up before stepping inside the glass box.

He did need to find Percy, though. After last night, Nico felt there was some damage control that needed to be worked out. The problem was he didn't know what the issue was. Percy seemed irritated with him, but he just didn't know what he had done. It couldn't have been the alcohol, could it? Percy had offered him some before. Though, that had just been the one time. Every other time, Percy had blocked him before he had even had the chance to respond.

But that couldn't have been the problem. Percy had seemed irritated before Nico had drunk. So what was it? If this was Percy's way of getting him to back off, he could pick a nicer way to do it.

Nico sighed and turned off the water, reaching out for his towel. After drying himself off, he slipped on his underwear and headed back to his room, clothes in hand. He sat down on his bed and slipped on his pants and shirt. His brow furrowed as he stared at the clock on his nightstand.

It was still early, so Percy would probably be in his office. If not there, then probably in his room. Nico jumped off his bed and slipped his shoes on, grabbing his wallet and phone on the way out the door.

After a quick ride up one floor, Nico was greeted by some shouting. Rachel stormed around the corner, her face red. She glared when she saw Nico standing there. “Hey, Rach..el. Rachel. Hey, Rachel,” Nico said nervously.

“Stupid,” she mumbled. She shoved Nico into the wall. “I know I told you better than what I saw last night. What the hell was that?” She huffed and shoved past Nico, stopping in the door of the elevator. “Why are men so stupid?”

“I, uh-what did I do?”

Rachel turned to glare at the boy. “You were an idiot! You asked for advice, so I gave it to you. You wanted Percy, and then you do something stupid! I told you to be yourself, and what do you do? You freaking do the complete opposite of what I told you to do!”

Nico swallowed, taking a step back. “I was just trying to act like an adult,” he muttered under his breath.

Rachel actually came out of the elevator to smack Nico upside the head. “And what could possibly make you think that what you did was the solution to that?” She shouted.

Nico pursed his lips, dropping his head. Rachel narrowed her eyes at him before looking over Nico's shoulder. She huffed and turned around, storming onto the elevator. Nico blinked at her as the doors closed. What had just happened?

He turned around to see what Rachel had been staring at, only to find the person he had been looking for. Percy had his head out of the door across from his suite, an eyebrow quirked in curiosity. Nico wandered down the hall, staring at the door strangely.

He had always wondered what was behind this door. As it turned out, it was another suite, possibly the same size as Percy's. Nico stood in the doorway, next to Percy.

“Don't mind her, she just had an encounter with her father earlier.” The manager rested his arm on the doorway, just above Nico's head. “So, you were asking Rachel about me?” He grinned down at Nico.

The boy narrowed his eyes before turning back to the suite. “What's going on?”

The green-eyed young man shrugged. “Just making sure everything is in order for Gaea. She stays in here when she visits.” Percy sighed and played with some of Nico's bangs as he watched Leo direct some maids around. “As it turns out, she will be coming a little earlier than expected.”

“When is she coming?”

Percy blinked down at him. “Christmas. So, a month away.”

Nico swallowed, his face losing some color. That was quite close, and he was not sure he was ready to meet the infamous woman just yet. And that also meant that her real son, Kronos, would be here as well. And after all that Nico had heard about that young man, he knew he did not want to meet Kronos any time soon.

Percy chuckled and brushed Nico's bangs to the side. “So, what did you and Rachel talk about?”

Nico let out a breath and pressed his back against the doorway. “What's the fun in telling? Besides, surely you already know, seeing as how you know everything that happens in the hotel.”

Nico was not sure if mocking was the way to go, but Percy didn't seem irritated with him at the moment. The manager just grinned and leaned closer to the boy. “Oh? Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it was concerning my mood as of late. Possibly some advice on how to reel me in?” Nico blushed when he received a wink from Percy. Percy's thumb was brushed over his cheek. “Don't worry, Nico, you're still cute and adorable, especially when you blush.”

Nico pouted as he stared up into Percy's eyes. “But you're upset with me.”

The young man shrugged. “Why would I be upset? What's there to be upset about?” The raven haired manager tilted his head to the side. “Drinking? Will? Luke? How you've been jealous? I'm sure the possibilities are endless. However, it's none of those. Stop worrying.”

The brown-eyed boy sighed and ran a finger along a portion of Percy's dark blue shirt. “You seemed upset with me last night.” His brow furrowed as his head raised to look back at Percy's eyes. “And what do you mean none of those apply? I saw you staring at me and Will last night.”

Percy chuckled, making Nico's heart beat faster. It was like music. “You're cute.” He ran his hand through Nico's hair, humming to himself. “Why should I be jealous?” He shrugged. “I mean, you seem awfully determined to get my attention, to get me, so what do I have to be jealous about? But more importantly, why is it relevant? You're free to do as you please, as we are not in a relationship.”

Nico sighed and crossed his arms. Why did he expect anything less than complicated with Percy? “I think you like me.” Percy's smile dropped. “Maybe you just don't want to admit it.” The boy blew at his black bangs. “Jealousy can be hot, you know.”

Percy finally chuckled again. He sighed and ran his hand through Nico's hair again. “I'm sure it is, Nico. However, not everyone is the jealous type.” He poked Nico in the forehead before taking a step back. “I figured you would know that.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

Percy's brow furrowed, his head tilting to the side. “What are you sorry about? What have you done?”

The boy groaned. “I don't know. Please just tell me.” He pursed his lips, staring down at the floor. “I hate this. I don't like you being upset with me like this. I just want to know what I did to make you mad.”

The manager sighed and slipped his arms around Nico's slim waist. “Nico, nothing is wrong. I'm not mad at you, I can promise you that.” The green-eyed young man reached up and brushed some of Nico's bangs to the side. “Stop worrying so much,” he said softly.

Nico's heart began to race as he stared up into Percy's warm sea-green eyes. They were his favorite shade of Percy's eyes, and the ones he wished he only had to see. And he really loved this, getting this attention from Percy. It was when Percy gave him this attention that he was probably at his happiest. It was like a drug, a euphoric drug.

Percy smiled down at him before winking. “You should run along,” he whispered. “You have work. I'll see you later, okay?”

Nico nodded, his head still spinning. Perhaps he really should put some thought into what Ganymede had said to him about his feelings about Percy. Whether or not he loved the manager, he did know he had strong feelings for Percy. That part was undeniable.

The youngest Lost Boy made to walk backwards, but ended up stumbling. Nico's breath hitched as he began to fall. A hand shot out and caught him, and he was brought upright to be greeted by a smiling Percy. “You know, Nico, I sometimes feel like you're a walking disaster area.”

Nico narrowed his eyes and removed Percy's hand from his slender waist. “Shut up,” Nico mumbled.

Percy chuckled and pressed his back against the wall. “What's wrong, Nico? Am I too distracting for you?”

The boy glared up at the young man before huffing and turning around. He listened to Percy's laughter as he made his way down to the elevator. Once the doors were shut, he let out a sigh. Well, perhaps things weren't as bad as he thought.

Still, Percy had seemed upset. Perhaps he just wasn't being honest with Nico? He was too hard to read most of the time, so Nico really had no way of knowing.

But maybe there was some hope for him yet?

Percy seemed to be in a better mood today, at least. But something was still wrong, Nico knew that. He just didn't know what to do. He did not even know what the problem was. Obviously it wasn't jealousy. But why would it be? Percy was right, there was nothing going on between them. And Percy could not even give Nico what he wanted, or at least he claimed that was the case. Still, Nico did not want to believe he was down and out just yet.

The elevator opened up into the bar and Nico walked out. Chiron was at the board at the front, putting up the specials. “Good morning, Nico,” he greeted the boy.

“Hey, Chiron.” Nico sighed and stood there, watching the man write.

The bartender quirked an eyebrow when he noticed Nico still standing there. “Is there something I can do for you, my boy?”

Nico pursed his lips, staring down at his feet. “I've just been thinking about some things.” He cleared his throat and looked up as the man as Chiron finished. “Anyways, I was just wondering if you could give me a little advice, since you seem good with people.”

Chiron smiled and sat down on the bench that was beside the board. “What can I do for you?”

“It's just Percy, sort of. I just need some good, clear advice. He won't even tell me what's bothering him.”

Chiron chuckled warmly and stroked his beard. “You fret as if you two are already a couple.” The bartender sighed and picked at some lint on his pants. “Percy is a mystery to all around him. I wouldn't try predicting him; you might end up in a worse situation.” Chiron continued to stroke his beard, sitting in silence for a few seconds. “I would not worry. I did speak to him last night, actually, about this exact subject.”

Nico perked up. “And?”

The man sighed. “I'm afraid that is confidential, child. Percy is...sorting through some things.” He licked his lips and furrowed his brow. “He has done an awful lot for you, you know.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “I know, and I really appreciate it. He took me in and gave me a home, and a job to go along with it. I might not be here if it weren't for him.”

Chiron sighed again, standing up. “I don't think you quite understand things quite yet, Nico.” He smiled warmly and patted Nico's shoulder before heading back to the bar.

Nico frowned and stared after the man. What did he mean by that? Percy knew that Nico appreciated what the manager had done, right? Of course he did. Nico had told him several times that he appreciated all of this. So, what was the problem?

Ethan sat at the bar, while Will leaned against it from the other side, smiling at the Asian Lost Boy. The two seemed to be talking about something. But Ethan didn't quite have the smile on that Will did. Ethan raised his glass to his lips and took a long sip of some amber liquid.

“Isn't it a little early to drink?” Nico mumbled, walking around the bar to grab his apron.

Ethan stared at him blankly. “I don't really take drinking advice from lushes.”

Will chuckled and leaned in towards Nico. “Didn't wake up with a hangover, did you?” Nico shook his head. “Good. Sadly, Luke beat me to taking you to your room. Though, from what I hear, he didn't take you to your room.”

Nico frowned. “I'm sure he told everyone that I was in his bed.” The boy sighed. “He didn't say that we had sex, did he?”

Ethan and Will looked at each other. The blond tilted his head to the side. “Actually, it was Octavian that mentioned it. Luke has refused to say anything on the matter.”

Ethan glared as his drink was pulled from his hands by Will. The blond winked at him as he took a small drink. “You can get your own.”

Will shrugged. “You were offering plenty of things last night.”

Nico blinked. So Ethan did go for guys? He frowned and narrowed his eyes at Will. The blond had been in Ethan's room last night? Was it impossible to find someone who would be committed in this place? Was that just too much to ask for? But, then again, perhaps he needed to work something out.

And it wasn't like he wasn't somewhat involved with multiple guys. He let out a sigh as he rested his arms on the bar. Perhaps he was the one who needed to work things out. Percy was the one he wanted, but sometimes that goal seemed so far out of reach.

His dark eyes fell on Will. And the blond was right there, completely within reach. Completely obtainable. And what of Luke? Was there something there? The others seemed to think so.

Nico groaned and dropped his head on the counter, drawing the attention of Ethan and Will. “Something wrong?” Ethan mumbled, finishing off his drink.

“My life sucks,” Nico mumbled into the wooden surface his face rested on.

“What's his problem?” Silena walked around Will and Nico, picking up her own apron. “He looks upset.”

“I'm not upset.” Nico sighed and stood up to his full height. “I'm just frustrated. Why is everything so complicated here?”

Hazel hopped into the seat beside Ethan, causing the Asian to flinch and scoot slightly away from the girl. She frowned at him for a brief moment before turning to Nico. “It's just the way this place is. But don't worry, you'll get used to it.”

“If you don't, it'll just swallow you whole,” Ethan mumbled, standing to his feet. He frowned at Hazel and Silena before focusing on Will. “Again tonight?”

Will opened his mouth, but paused. He blinked and looked at Nico, his lips tilting down. “I'll...get back to you on that, yeah?”

Ethan scrunched his lips before shrugging. “Whatever.” With that, the Lost Boy tossed a wave over his shoulder and walked towards the elevator.

Will drummed his hands on the counter before turning to face Nico. “So, Nico, what are you doing after work?”

The two Lost Girls eyed them curiously, Will receiving an odd look from Nico. “I'm not really sure. Why?”

Will cleared his throat, shooting the two Lost Girls a look. They raised their eyebrows, snickering to themselves as they walked off. The blond sighed and turned back to Nico. “Anyways, I was thinking you could come over and hangout tonight?” He flashed his bright smile at Nico, leaning on the bar. “Or perhaps we could do that date?”

Nico scrunched his lips and crossed his arms. “I'm fine with hanging out; we'll see about the date. But maybe.” Will grinned, his eyes a bright shade of blue. “Still not doing anything sexual, so don't get that into your head.”

Will shrugged. “That's fine. But, like I said, no one has to know.”

Nico sighed and rolled his eyes. “I'll still pass. Have something fun planned, I guess.” He turned and headed out to deal with a few customers that were filtering in. “Oh,” he turned back to face Will, “and I'll be sleeping in my own room tonight.”

Will groaned and made a face, but let it go. Nico chuckled and headed out to deal with the customers. He was still hesitant of diving into things with the blond, especially after what Luke had said last night. He had to wonder if Will would have really tried anything. One Lost Boy said one thing, while the other said the opposite. Who was he to believe?

At Nico's first table sat a sturdily built man with neatly kept black hair, though specks of grey could be spotted in both it and his beard. His eyes were a dark grey, like the sky on a stormy day. His skin was pale, like Nico's, and could probably give the boy a run for his money. Nico noted that he was dressed nice, in an all-white suite. Oddly enough, he seemed familiar somehow.

“Good afternoon, sir. What can I get for you?” Nico greeted the man with a smile.

The man looked up from his menu. He seemed happy enough, though Nico figured the man was probably strict natured. “Yes, I would like a chicken salad and a cup of tea, if you please.” He smiled and handed Nico the menu.

Nico scribbled it down and nodded. “Would you like something else to drink with that, or will that be all?”

The man checked his watch and shook his head. “No, thank you, but I'll wait until tonight to have myself something to drink.”

Nico nodded and walked off to the bar to type in the order. Hazel smiled at him when he returned. “I see you got Mr. Boreas.”

Nico blinked and looked at the man he had just left. “That guy? You know him?”

The Lost Girl nodded. “Yeah, he comes here at least once a month. He runs a lot of travel corporations, mainly air.” She smiled and waved over at the man. “He's nice, mostly. He's friendly with all of us, but Piper claims she's overheard him get angry during phone calls.”

“So he comes to the top floor?”

The girl shrugged. “On occasion. He usually just stays on this floor. He never causes any problems, and Percy seems to enjoy his company.” Nico scrunched his lips as he typed in the order. “But, yeah, we all enjoy having him here.”

Nico chewed on his lip as he nodded along to what Hazel had said. He supposed it was good that they had friendly customers. However, it didn't seem all that important. He was just a customer, and it wasn't like he was going to come up to the Lost Boys' section.

\-----------------------------------------------

Nico whined as he was easily lifted off the ground by Butch, as Reyna, Calypso, and Travis looked on in amusement. Butch sat him down with a chuckle, patting him on the head. “You need to put a little more meat on your bones, Nico. You practically weigh nothing.”

Nico sighed, glaring up at the muscular Lost Boy. “I like the way I look,” Nico mumbled.

The room fell silent for a moment, all eyes blinking at Nico. It grew uncomfortable when he realized that even Dionysus was staring at him. The brown-eyed boy rubbed his arm nervously as he stared back at all of them. Calypso was the first to move, rising off the couch to hug him.

The Lost Boy arched a brow as he patted her on the back. “Um, what's going on?”

“Oh, Nico, you're finally becoming comfortable with yourself,” Calypso cried happily.

Nico just blinked for a moment, recalling what he had said. He liked the way he looked now. He had said that, even if he didn't realize it had come out at the time. Perhaps this place was not all bad. Bianca was happy with how healthy he had become. And, now, Nico was growing into his own skin, or so it seemed. He had to wonder how he would see himself a year from now.

“Cheers to progression!” Dionysus held out a drink, aiming it in Nico's direction. The Lost Boy stared back at the glass with a wary expression.

Reyna frowned as she turned her head around. “Is there anything you won't drink to?”

The corner of the bartender's mouth tilted up as he plopped down in his chair, his drink nearly spilling. “I'll have to get back to you on that, I do believe.”

Annabeth entered the room, quirking an eyebrow at the bartender as he downed his drink. Her grey eyes scanned over the room, taking in all of the tension that the Lost Kids radiated. “Did I miss something?”

Travis was the first to recover. He smiled and swung an arm around Nico's shoulders. “Only Nico here admitting he likes the way he looks.”

Annabeth's other eyebrow rose before a smile followed after it. She nodded her head and motioned towards the door. “Great, but we all have a job to do.”

Nico followed Butch and Travis out the door, grabbing onto the muscular Lost Boy's arm. “Hey, Butch, can I talk to you a moment?”

Butch looked down at the hand briefly before looking Nico in the eye. “Sure, man, what's up?”

The raven haired boy chewed on his lip as he glanced down. “Well, I was just wondering about your mom. I imagine being thrown into that wouldn't be easy?”

Butch tilted his head to the side. “Something bothering you?”

Nico sighed and leaned against the wall behind him. He was so used to asking about other people and their lives, but this was a little awkward for him. He had just figured Butch would be the best person to talk to about his confliction.

“I've just been thinking about my mom. I mean, I know she didn't do anything to me, but I guess I'm a little hurt by how things went when I was at home.” Butch nodded. “She just kind of let it all happen. She was quiet and probably scared of my father, I get that, but I just sort of needed someone.”

The Lost Boy sighed. “Yeah, I get what you mean. So you want to talk to her again?”

“Maybe.” Nico fidgeted with the speedo that clung to his hips. “I'm just scared that my father would find out. I just sort of wanted to see how things were going with your mother. I mean, I know that we had two completely different situations, but I was looking for...something. I don't really know what I'm looking for.”

Butch smirked and pressed his shoulder against the wall, next to Nico. “A little strained.” He nodded. “Yeah, I think strained is the best word for it. I had to take care of myself growing up, so seeing her wasn't easy. And I'm still not certain I've forgiven her.”

“Have you been seeing her?”

Butch stared off, at some of the customers that were coming up the stairs. “Yeah, I actually saw her yesterday, before I had to come in for work.” He rubbed his forehead with his palm and stood up straight. “We had a Thanksgiving lunch at a restaurant.”

Nico scratched at his arm as he trailed after the other Lost Boy. “How did that go?”

The tall Lost Boy stopped and scratched at his head with a sigh. “Strained, like I said. We weren't all that different, little man. You weren't the only one that just wanted someone to look after them.” He sighed again. “But, unlike you, I didn't have a sibling looking out for me.”

The brown-eyed boy's brow furrowed as he watched Butch walk away. Had that really helped? He supposed, but he had been hoping for something better. He missed his mother, at times. It would just be nice to see her, just without his father. Nico had no desire to see that man again.

“What are you thinking about?”

Nico jumped at the sound of Percy's voice in his ear. “Fucking hell, Percy! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

The green-eyed young man smiled. “Sorry. I would hate for that to happen.” His finger trailed underneath Nico's chin. “You are quite entertaining to have around.”

“I'm sure. Do you always have to sneak up on people?”

Percy shrugged. “Just you. So, what has you all mopey tonight?” A hand slid behind Nico, around his waist, and led him forward.

The boy pouted up at the taller male. “I am not pouting.” Percy smirked at him. “Shut up.” He huffed and crossed his arms. “What has you in such a good mood today, anyways?”

Percy shrugged. “Just taking some stress off my shoulders.” The young man removed his arm, but Nico kept walking with him. “You're avoiding my question.”

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

Nico sighed. “My mother. I was thinking about contacting her.”

Percy's eyes turned darker, barely noticeable. But, Nico had become very familiar with Percy's eyes by this point. “Is that so?” The manager let out a breath as he sat down at his booth. “Well, do what you want. I'm sure you know what's best.”

Nico searched Percy's eyes for a few seconds. Something felt wrong again. Percy was smiling, but there was a sense of tension between the two of them. “I, uh, am going to think on it. I just don't want my father finding out where I am.”

Percy just smiled up at the Lost Boy. “Let me know how that works out for you.” He leaned back and rested his arms on the booth. “Anyways, it looks like you can be my waiter tonight, since you're already here.”

Nico blinked, his eyes darting back and forth. For some reason, work had slipped his mind for a few seconds. “Oh, um, I guess I can.” He pulled out a pad and pen from the lining of his speedo. “What can I get for you?”

A tan hand slid through its owner's hair. “Just some coffee, for now.”

Nico nodded and walked off. Even though he had gotten Percy's table, he couldn't really feel happy about it. Something about the manager still tugged at the back of his mind. Was something bothering Percy? The manager had claimed to have dealt with a problem, though. What had it been?

“Welcome back, Nico,” Dionysus greeted him as he walked through the door. “What can I get for you?”

Nico eyed the man as he stood in front of their coffee machine. “I just need some coffee.”

Dionysus smiled and sat back down in his chair. “So, that was quite a dinner last night, wasn't it?” His smile widened. “I believe it was one of our more...eventful dinners.”

Nico frowned as he poured the coffee. “I know what you're getting at. Don't speak to me like I'm stupid.”

“Oh, of course not, Nico. How could anyone ever think such a thing of you. You are very intelligent, I'm sure.”

Nico sighed and sat the coffee back in its place. “Is there something you want?”

Dionysus grunted. “I see you're becoming like the others.” His smile returned as he rested his head against the wall. “That's good. I'm sure they will be much more accepting of you.”

Nico sighed, tossing the bartender a final look before going back out the door. His shoulders relaxed the second the door swung shut behind him. Ever since his revelation about Dionysus he just did not want to be around the man.

And he still did not have the answers to some of things the man had said to him the other night.

Why did Percy keep him around? The bartender just felt like a problem, especially for the Lost Kids. Not to mention that Dionysus seemed to have a grievance with Percy.

He returned to Percy's table, plastering a smile on his face. He really did not want Percy knowing something else was bothering him. This subject was not one that Nico was ready to have with the manager.

Even so, Percy eyed him carefully for a moment. “Everything all right?”

Nico gave a quick nod. “Will that be all for now?”

Percy scrunched his lips as he sipped on his coffee, still eyeing Nico. “I suppose.”

Nico nodded again. “Possibly alcohol?”

A sigh escaped the manager's lips. “I don't always need alcohol, Nico.” He cracked his neck and met the Lost Boy's eyes again. “If you're going to start drinking, I do hope you keep my rules in mind. I really would like you to find something other than alcohol as a means for coping.”

The brown-eyed pursed his lips, his eyes faltering from Percy's. “I'm not going to start,” he whispered. Percy quirked a brow. “It was just one time. Have a little faith in me. I was just a little curious.”

Percy exhaled. He stretched before leaning back in his seat. “Perhaps if I had a little more grounds to give you some faith, I wouldn't have to worry. But that is good to hear.” His lip twitched, tilting up. “I would hate to have to send you off to Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Nico narrowed his eyes, huffing at the grinning manager. “Jerk. It wasn't that good. I have no desire to start drinking.”

Percy raised an eyebrow at him. “We'll see. Besides, you had wine. Wine is an acquired taste. I figure you for a liquor kind of guy.”

The boy shrugged. “I suppose we'll never find out.”

“We'll see. After all, it is your decision, and I have the utmost faith that you know what's best for you.”

Nico shivered under Percy's intense gaze. Something told him this was another one of Percy's hidden messages. Why did he have so little faith in Nico? Nico had never done anything harmful or even drank before last night. So, what was Percy getting at?

Nico's attention was pulled away when Gwen Stefani's “What You Waiting For” came on. Two spotlights turned on, focusing on Jason. Nico let out a heavy sigh as his roommate stood there in an open shirt and nearly see through pants. As the beat of the song finally began, the strobe lights began to flash, beginning the blond's routine. Jason moved and swung his body to the beat, seeming to pause every other second.

The blond's hips were thrust a lot, while his hands worked their magic in removing the loose shirt. As soon as the fabric hit the ground, Jason moved his hands up to ruffle his hair. The newest Lost Boy winked and smirked at the audience, thrusting his hips forward.

With a sway of his hips, Jason spun around on his right foot. With his back to the audience, he reached down and ripped the pants from his body, earning many loud cheers. Nico felt his jaw lock as his roommate bit down on his lip and slid his hand down his chest before moving it down to his crotch.

For some reason, Nico found it odd to see Jason smiling so much. Perhaps it was because he rarely saw the blond smile when they were off the clock. But, as Jason kept thrusting his hips and moving his body, the smile never faltered, not even when some customers moved in to slip some bills into the blond's black speedo.

Nico huffed to himself as he looked around at the customers. They all seemed to be enjoying the performance. Why couldn't Jason mess up? Even if the blond had done this before, it wasn't fair that he could just come in and fit in almost perfectly. And that wasn't even counting how popular he seemed to be with the crowd. And Nico didn't even want to think about how close Jason and Percy were becoming. No, things were definitely not good for Nico at the moment.

A few hours later, Nico collapsed on the couch in the bar room. Thankfully, Dionysus was busy making drinks, so he, hopefully, would not bother Nico during his break. Annabeth sat in the chair next to the couch, skimming through a small book.

“So, how did your talk with Rachel go?”

Nico groaned as he fell on his side. “She was not in a good mood today.”

Annabeth gave a nod as she sat the book down. “So I hear. The good news is that her father checked out today, so she should cool off by tomorrow.”

“She didn't really have much advice for me, though. She said she would think on it.”

The blonde sighed and scrunched her lips. “I suppose that is good for you. Perhaps she can work something out for you.”

“Maybe,” Nico mumbled. “Hopefully, it won't be too late. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I just seem to be making things worse with Percy.” The Lost Boy sighed and rolled onto his back, where he stared at the ceiling.

Annabeth tapped a manicured nail to her lips. “Maybe Percy just needs to see that you're serious about this thing you have for him.” Grey eyes met with brown as the girl ran a hand through her hair. “The playing field is already unbalanced, and not in your favor.”

The boy sat up and frowned at the blonde. “Suggestions? I'll try anything.”

Annabeth's tongue ran out over her lips before she lightly bit on them. “Perhaps you should think outside of the box. You've tried a lot already, and it hasn't really seemed to get you anywhere. You just need to be more creative.” She eyed Nico for a moment. “You are serious about this, aren't you?”

Nico swallowed and nodded. “Yes, of course. I really want him. I just don't know how to get him to see that I'm being serious with all of this.”

The blonde Lost Girl sighed and stood up. She reached over and patted Nico's knee, giving him a small smile. “I'm sure you'll figure something out. Perhaps the answer is right in front of you, and you just haven't realized it yet.” With another sigh, she headed for her door, where she turned and gave Nico another look. “If you need anything, always feel free to drop by my room.”

Nico nodded. Annabeth nodded back and left the room. Nico let his head fall back, letting out a quiet breath. Why did it always seem like new problems were waiting to slam into him? Could he not just catch a break and live in a stressless environment?

It seemed liked like he just could not catch a break. Was it like this for the others? Perhaps that was why they were so jaded. Surely, the hotel's environment had not helped their already worldly personalities.

As Nico stood up, the door swung open and Zoë slipped inside. She was silent, barely making a noise, as she walked across the floor. The dark haired girl reached into the fridge and procured a bottle of water from within. Dark eyes fell upon Nico as the Lost Girl sat down next to where Nico was standing.

“Hey, Zoë.”

“Nico,” she replied with a nod. “How is your night?”

The boy shrugged. “Could be better, but no real complaints.”

Zoë's dark eyes studied Nico's face as she took a swig of her water. “Perhaps you should learn to adjust to things around here better. If not, you could end up in another bad situation.”

Nico frowned as he stared down at her. He took two steps backwards, wrapping his arms around himself. “What is that supposed to mean?”

The girl just looked down, her eyes emotionless. “Just that the prey doesn't always know when it's being hunted.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to press the issue further, but the girl just closed her eyes and leaned her head back. The Lost Boy frowned before letting out a breath. He supposed he really could not catch a break.

Nico shook his head and pushed out of the door. He was ready for the night to be over with. When was Jason going to get a similar welcome that he had gotten? He was truly beginning to think that they weren't going to do anything to the blond. Were the Lost Kids just targeting him? They were so confusing at times.

As the night trailed on, Nico found himself refusing to look at the stage. He did not want to see another one of Jason's performances. He supposed it was only natural that the blond be good at performing, considering he had already been doing this sort of thing. But did the crowd have to love him so much?

The blond did not seem this extroverted when it was just him and Nico. What was going on with his roommate? The other Lost Kids had claimed that Nico was on a pedestal when he arrived? Well, what did they call this? Where were the blond's flaws? Percy seemed to give him special attention and time, so why didn't the Lost Kids get upset about that?

Was this more torture for Nico?

By now, it really would not surprise Nico. He had learned long ago that the Lost Kids could be quite spiteful.

At the end of the night, Nico boarded the elevator alone. Percy hadn't even spoken to him before leaving. Not only that, the manager had barely spared him a glance. Whatever was going on, it was still bothering Percy. He just wished he knew what he had done.

He stopped at the door to his suite, chancing a glance down to Will's suite. The door was closed, but he doubted the blond was asleep. Letting out a sigh, Nico made his way down the hall, stopping in front of Will and Apollo's room. Nico quickly knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, the door swung open and Apollo poked his head out. The blond had one eye closed as he toweled his wet hair off. “What can I do for you, Nico?”

Nico's eyes unconsciously drifted down. A loose, white shirt covered Apollo's torso, while track pants hid his legs from prying eyes. Brown eyes returned to the Adonis's face, who was now smirking. “Um, Will asked me to stop by.”

Apollo nodded and stepped aside, opening the door the rest of the way. Nico slid in and Apollo shut the door. The curly haired blond motioned towards the hall, so Nico headed that way.

He found Will's door open, the blond standing in front of his bed. Nico licked his lips as he took in the blond's bare back. Will stretched, only giving Nico a better view. The raven haired boy bit down on his lip as the blond rolled his shoulders, releasing a moan.

Nico finally knocked on the open door. Will turned around, stretching an arm over his head. “Hey,” he said quietly. A bright smile spread out across the blond's face. “I see you decided to drop by.”

Nico's mind went a little hazy as the blue-eyed boy moved closer. Will smirked and ran a hand to the back of Nico's neck. Nico swallowed. “So, what are we doing?”

Will chuckled, leaning closer. “How about some video games?”

Nico released a breath, the sexual tension seeming to ease between them for the time being. Will smiled and walked out the door, hitting the top of the doorframe as he went through. Apollo had splayed himself out on the couch when they entered the living room, a slim book being held above his face.

The curly haired blond tilted his head back to look at them. “You decided to include me in your sexual deviancy?” The blond smirked.

Will rolled his eyes, while Nico narrowed his own. Will winked as he shoved his roommate's legs back and sat down. “Don't hold your breath.”

Apollo chuckled as Nico sat down on the floor, his back pressed against the couch. “I keep forgetting, you don't like to share.”

Nico's brow furrowed, turning to look up at Will. “You don't have threesomes, or anything?”

Will shrugged, turning on his console. “Occasionally, but it's sort of rare.” The blond let out a heavy breath as he started the game. “Long story.”

The raven haired boy bit down on his lip, his head turning slight to look at Apollo. The curly haired blond's eyes flickered over to his. For a brief second, Nico received a look, clearly telling him to drop the issue. What had happened to Will? Had it been in the orphanage?

Apollo went back to his book, while Will let Halo 4 sit on the title screen. “So, multiplayer or co-op?”

Nico narrowed his eyes at the blond jock. “I will not submit myself to your enjoyment of destroying me at this game.”

Will smiled, sticking his tongue out playfully. “Fine, co-op it is. Don't worry, Nico, I'll protect you,” he said with a wink.

Apollo sighed, opening his book back up. “Why don't you two just have sex already? I swear, I'm not sure who has the most sexual tension with you, Nico. Will, Luke, or Percy?”

Nico blew out a breath as the game loaded. Will shot his roommate a dirty look. “Well, I think Will is the only one that is willing to make a move, at the moment,” Nico replied.

The curly haired blond snorted. “Please. All you have to do is bat your eyes, and I'm sure Luke would cave. As for Percy, I'm sure it wouldn't take much convincing on his part.”

Nico frowned as he followed Will through the large spaceship that they were on. Percy had referred to him as a temptation before. Perhaps there was some truth to what the manager had said? Would Percy do it, if Nico actually asked him? What about the agreement?

If Nico had sex, with anyone, he was bound to end up like the others. Was Percy worth all of that? Would Percy keep his end of the agreement? After all, it was the others that said that Percy treated him differently. What if Percy didn't make Nico prostitute himself?

He could have Percy and remain where he was at. What was the downside to that?

Nico blinked as he was tugged to his right, being placed between Will's legs. The blond rested his chin on Nico's head, while his arms came around to play his controller in front of Nico. “Don't get too distracted, Nico. I don't need you dying on me.”

Nico was about to reply, when one of Will's hands let go of his controller and rubbed Nico's chest. Nico felt his face heat up as the blond's hand slid under the collar of his shirt. The raven haired boy cleared his throat and focused on the game. Will chuckled and removed his hand, following after Nico in the game.

“So, tell me about Gaea. She's going to be here in a month, and she feels sort of like an enigma to me.”

Apollo sat down his book. “She's supposed to be that way. She's nice, don't get me wrong, but I'd stay out of her way. You'll love her, though, don't worry.”

“We're probably her favorite set of Lost Kids,” Will added.

“Well, that might be because we make her the most money.” The curly haired blond slid one of his legs into Will's lap. “Anyways, the only issue you'll need to worry about is with Percy. Percy would do anything for Gaea, and I do mean anything.”

Nico blinked. “Like...have sex?”

The two blonds laughed, Will ruffling his hair. “No, not like that. But, Percy is fiercely loyal to Gaea, never forget that,” Will chuckled. The short haired blond's smile faltered, and Nico heard him swallow above him. “Kronos is the one you'll want to watch out for during their visit.”

Nico frowned at the TV. “I've heard a few things about him, none of them good.”

“Because there's nothing good to say about him,” Apollo mumbled. “But Percy loves him, so I wouldn't try badmouthing Kronos in front of Percy.” The curly haired blond sighed, sitting up. “I just shudder to think about what work will be like when he takes over for his mother.”

Will frowned and began running his fingers through Nico's hair. “Hopefully, that won't be anytime soon. Kronos doesn't deserve to take over the hotel chain. Percy would do so much better if he had that position. Things would become so much better, for everyone.”

Apollo shrugged, standing up. “Too bad Kronos is Gaea's actual son. I think that's part of why Hazel is saving up her money. I don't think she wants to work here anymore if Kronos takes over for his mother.” The blond yawned and stretched. “Well, I'm going to get some sleep. You two keep it down, unless you want me to join.”

Nico rolled his eyes as Apollo left the room. Will grinned and paused the game, yanking Nico up into his lap. Nico sighed. “I never agreed to have sex.”

“Who said anything about sex?” Will grinned and leaned in, pressing several kisses to Nico's neck. “But I would be willing to do that, if you wanted.”

Nico frowned and pushed Will back. “I don't know.”

Will tilted his head to the side. “I promise I won't say anything. Just think about it, I am willing to do this with you, with no repercussions on your part. No one has to know.” Will slid his hand up the back of Nico's shirt. “Percy isn't going to give you what you want, I can.”

Brown clashed with blue as Nico stared at Will. Was he being serious? He seemed earnest in what he had just said. Still, Nico was scared. But, then again, he had just been considering sex with Percy, knowing the risk with that.

The brown-eyed boy cleared his throat and climbed out of Will's lap, standing to his feet. Will frowned up at him, looking like a kicked puppy. “I just need some more time to think,” Nico whispered. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I do have some feelings for you, I will admit that. I just...don't really know what I should do at the moment. I don't want to lead anyone on.”

Will continued to stare up at him, his face riddled with sadness. “It's okay,” he sighed. “I just don't want you to get hurt, and I know you will, if you go after Percy. Hell, Luke would probably hurt you as well.”

Nico rubbed his arm. “I don't think he would.”

“You're screwing with Luke's head. I don't see that ending well for either of you.”

Nico began backing towards the door. “I, um, think I should go. I'll see you tomorrow, though, yeah?”

Will sighed and stood up. “Yeah,” he nodded. He followed Nico over to the door and held it open, while Nico stood in the doorway. Nico looked up at him and received a quick peck on the lips. “Just think about it, okay?”

Nico stood there for a moment before nodding. He cleared his throat and walked away, the door closing behind him.

His suite was quiet when he arrived. As Nico stood in the entryway, he finally realized how exhausted he felt. Today had been very taxing, in every possible sense. Was this ever going to get easy for him? Perhaps he should take Octavian up on that offer.

Nico opened his door with a sigh before closing it and falling onto his bed. He let out a groan as he rolled onto his back. Why did this place have to be so frustrating? He just wanted a little happiness and peace. Was that so much to ask for?

Nico pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts. He stopped on the desired name and opened a text message. Typing quickly, Nico sent his text, asking if they wanted to spend some time with him. He dropped the phone on his stomach, staring up at the ceiling as he waited.

About thirty seconds later, his phone went off. He blinked and picked it up, staring at the screen. A smile crept onto his face as he looked at the simple reply: sure.


	28. She Smelled of Flowers

Everything was perfect. It was a nice day, with storm clouds on the horizon. The waves of the ocean lapped at the beams that supported the pier that they were on, enjoying their ice cream. Nico's problems felt far off, for the first time in quite a long time.

The boy sat on the wooden railing of the pier, chocolate ice cream in his lap. His hair had already begun to dry and he could still feel some sand between his toes. He smiled and took another bite of his ice cream before looking at his companion.

Percy looked up at him from his own ice cream, blinking a few times. “What?” He mumbled around his mouthful of blueberry ice cream.

Nico smiled and shook his head. “Nothing, just enjoying the day, and the sights.”

Percy smirked at him before returning to his ice cream. “The storm is going to hit soon.”

It would not bother him if it did. He would still have Percy there, all to himself. The two had spent the afternoon together, just walking along the beach. Nico had not planned on anything to do, but the manager had requested they head to the beach the day before.

Nico looked back out, at the ocean. The wind blew at his hair. He was not ready to go back to school tomorrow just yet. Today had been fun, though. They had not talked about the hotel, Nico's family, or anything that had been troubling Nico. They had just enjoyed the day. Percy had even volunteered to turn his phone on silent.

But Nico also knew what this time with Percy would mean. The others would just want more time with Percy.

The boy frowned when he took notice of Percy stealing a spoonful of his ice cream. “Why do you always do that?”

The young man chuckled. “Because it gets a reaction out of you.” Nico's eyes wandered down to watch as the spoon slid into Percy's mouth. Percy smiled at him and scooped some of his own, holding it out for Nico. “You want some of mine?”

Nico narrowed his eyes, but leaned forward, letting Percy slide the spoon of ice cream into his open mouth. A wicked grin touched at the corners of Percy's lips, causing Nico's cheeks to tinge pink. The boy pulled back and turned away to face the ocean. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Percy sighed and turned around, leaning back on the railing. “Nico, Nico, Nico, what am I going to do with you?” Nico frowned down at the green-eyed Adonis. “You're still not over this little crush of yours.”

Nico placed his feet on the railing below the one he sat on. He frowned down at the water. Why did Percy undermine his feelings like that? “It's not a crush,” he mumbled. “I really like you.”

“I know you think that, but-”

“There is no 'but', I know how I feel.” Percy blinked in surprise from the tone of Nico's voice. The boy clenched his shorts, staring down at his lap. “I'm not going to get over this, Percy, and I really don't want to. Maybe you're the one that needs to take a better look at their feelings.”

When Nico was met with silence, he turned to face Percy. The young man was staring at him with his brows furrowed. “You shouldn't take that tone with your boss.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Please, cut the crap. We both know that you're only formal and rehearsed when you have to be, or when you're trying to avoid something.” Percy's expression became blank. “Why can't you just talk about this with me?”

“There's nothing to talk about.” Percy frowned down at his ice cream before tossing it into the nearby trash. He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair before turning to face Nico. “Why is this so important to you? Why do you like me in the first place? I'm not the type of guy you want to be involved with, you know that.”

The boy's brow furrowed as he rested his arms on his knees. “You belittle yourself, you know that?” Percy remained silent. “You're not the bad person that you make yourself out to be. You're a nice guy, you helped me, and you care about us at the hotel. And I think you care about me.”

“I do-”

“You know what I mean.” Percy let out a sigh and rested his arms on the railing. “I'm not interested in your money or your power, I just like you for you. Why is it that you seem to have a hard time understanding that?”

Percy's eyes reflected the sea when they looked at him, so calm, yet so conflicted. There was something hidden there, something that the other did not want to say. What was bothering Percy? “And you know that none of that matters. I can't give you what you want.”

“Why not?” Nico frowned at him. Percy went to speak, but Nico beat him to it. “You're in charge. You make the rules. I don't understand why this is complicated.”

The storm finally hit, but not where Nico had expected. There was now an angry expression replacing the calm one that had been in Percy's eyes a second ago. “This is for your own good, whether you understand it or not. I'm just trying to do what's best for you.”

“Now you sound like a parent.”

Percy rolled his eyes and turned to face in the other direction. “You just don't understand,” Percy whispered, “but you will. You and I do not need to be together.”

Nico found it hard to swallow. “I don't believe that.”

The young man sighed. “Can we just...enjoy the rest of our afternoon?”

Nico just frowned and ate another bite of ice cream. He let out a sigh and went back to watching the waves. He flipped the plastic spoon in his mouth and pressed his tongue into the indent. The sun was already beginning to set on the horizon, its rays bursting through some of the clouds.

When Nico noticed Percy was being quiet, he shifted his head an inch to look at the manager from the corner of his eye. Percy was motionless, his eyes staring blankly at the spoon in Nico's mouth. When he caught Nico looking at him, his eyes simply shifted up to meet Nico's. They flickered back down for a split second before being cast to the water.

The brown-eyed boy sighed and tossed his empty cup and spoon in the trash before swinging his legs over the railing and hopping off. Percy eyed him briefly before standing to his full height and slipping his hands into his pockets. The two quietly strolled back down the pier.

“Thanks again for spending the day with me,” Nico said with a smile.

Percy offered him a smile in return, though it did not seem as authentic as some of his other ones. “It was my pleasure.”

“You wouldn't have any suggestions on what to get Leo for his birthday, would you?”

Percy shrugged. “You have until Friday.”

“Yeah, but I need ideas.”

The young man finally gave a real smile. “Maybe some tools? He likes to help out his mom, when he's not swamped with helping me.”

The raven haired boy gave a small nod. “What happened with them anyways? I figured all the Lost Kids lost or hated their parents.”

“A long story,” Percy sighed. “Leo never really had a good life, or had the luxury of growing up in a nice home.” Nico watched as the young man stared down at the street. “It's sort of one of the reasons I offered him the secretary job, over being a stripper. I figured he needed something better than that.”

Nico's lips scrunched up as he stared at Percy. “How can you be so down on yourself, when you care so much for those of us at the hotel?”

Those green eyes darted away from Nico. Percy's bangs fell into his eyes, casting a shadow over his face. “Some things are better left unsaid, Nico.”

The pale Lost Boy crossed his arms over his chest. This was not fair. Percy always avoided problems that seemed to occur between them. “Why can't you just be honest?”

“I am being honest!” Percy snapped, causing Nico to take a step back. Percy sighed. “Sorry. It's just...complicated. It's for your own good, as with everyone else.” He grabbed Nico's wrist to get the boy to stop moving. “The most I care to share is that, while I do care about you and the others, I need to keep my distance. I don't want you to get hurt.”

Nico sighed and began to rub his arm. “It also hurts when you do this.” His pained brown eyes met Percy's green ones. “If you want me to back off, to stop pushing, just say so. But I need you to mean it.”

Percy took in a deep breath. His eyes looked off into the horizon, his lips now scrunched. “Let's just...get you back to the hotel, yeah?”

They let out a collective sigh as they continued towards Percy's car. “When can I get my own car?”

Percy smiled. “When you can learn to drive.”

“Then why don't you teach me?”

Percy studied him from the corner of his eye. The young man finally shrugged. “We'll see. How about you take lessons and work on getting your license. If you do that, I'll work with you on getting you a car. Sound good?”

Nico bit down on his lip to hide his smile. “Deal.”

“But, I mean, you already have a permanent ride to school.”

“Yeah, but Jason is graduating this year,” Nico mumbled.

“True.” Percy scratched at his chin. “Still, get the experience, I'll see how you're doing, then we'll work on that car.” They came to a stop in front of Percy's car. The young man pulled out his keys and pushed the button to unlock his car. He stared down at Nico before rolling his eyes. “And you should get a lesson in table manners.” Nico cocked his head to the side. “You've got ice cream on the edge of your mouth,” Percy explained, pointing to his own mouth.

“Oh.” Nico blinked and wiped at the edge of his mouth. “Better?”

Percy smiled and shook his head. “Other side, genius.”

Nico froze when Percy swiped his thumb across the corner of his lips. His heart began pounding in his chest from the contact and close proximity. He stared up at Percy, and the young man flicked his eyes up to meet Nico's brown ones. Nico wanted nothing more than to lean up and close the distance between them. But, did Nico really want to potentially ruin their day even further? Their earlier discussion had already put a sour mood on things.

“Can I kiss you?” 

Nico pursed his lips as soon as the question escaped his lips. Percy's eyes finally fell from his, a smile on his face. He pulled back and shook his head. “Sorry.”

But, as always with Percy, his next action would do nothing but confuse Nico. As Nico was climbing inside the car, Percy grabbed his hand. Nico blinked as his hand was slowly raised to Percy's lips, where he received a kiss on the back of his hand.

He felt his face heat up as Percy smiled and closed the car door. Nico's head was still spinning when Percy climbed in on his side and started the car. What had just happened? Was he ever going to understand his manager? Doubtful, he thought.

“How are you anyways?”

Percy stopped the car in the middle of backing out to blink at Nico. “What?” He opened his mouth once before shutting it, his brow now furrowed. “I'm fine.”

“I just-you always seem so concerned about us, but I never really see anyone even ask how you're doing. I would imagine that you would have a lot of things on your mind.”

Percy glanced at him in brief intervals as he finished getting them onto the road. “Well,” he paused to shift his car into drive, “I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine.” He threw on a big smile, but Nico stared back at him, unconvinced. “Really, I'm fine.”

It was probably best not to press the issue right now. Still, Nico knew the young man was not telling him the truth. Even the others at the hotel had commented on Percy seeming stressed, though most did not seem to know why. What he did not understand was why no one seemed to want to talk to Percy, and see if he needed some help. It was like the young man was willing to put the entire weight of the sky on his shoulders, not wanting anyone to help him.

When they were on the beach, Nico would often note that Percy seemed sad. Everything would seem fine. They had been talking about happy, nice things. Yet, any time Nico would sneak a look, he would typically find Percy with a frown and a pained look in his eyes. Something was bothering him, that much Nico was sure of.

The rain finally hit while they were driving, calm at first, but it quickly turned into a downpour. Nico let out a sigh as he sat in the car, staring out at the rain. Percy turned on the radio to drown out the silence. Neither of them seemed to know what to say, at least Nico didn't. Why did things have to be so complicated with Percy?

He had just been suspecting more and more that there was something, anything, between them. Percy had to have some feelings for him, right? If not, why didn't he just ask Nico to back off? Maybe he was just too nice? But Percy never seemed to have trouble speaking his mind, especially over important issues. So why was he letting this continue?

Why should it matter what the other Lost Kids thought? Why should Percy let them effect his decisions? Why even make the agreement with them over Nico? If Percy was in charge, he shouldn't have to do things like that. Percy should be capable of doing what made him happy. And, yet, he seemed very hesitant about all of it.

And, while she had been gone for a month now, he could not help but think back to Koko's words. “I also wanted to wish you luck for when you meet Gaea,” she had told him. “Believe me, you're going to need it when she sees what I've seen.”

Perhaps Percy was worried about Gaea's visit? But why? Nothing was going on between them. Hell, Nico was still trying to figure Percy out. But whatever it had been, seemed to have something to do with Nico. He supposed the only thing there was to do at this point was to wait until the woman arrived for Christmas.

It had finally started to thunder by the time they pulled into the hotel's parking garage. Percy parked the car and turned it off, though he remained still afterwards. Nico turned to look at him, his door already open. “Everything okay?”

Percy blinked and turned to look at him before smiling and pulling out the keys. “Yeah, just fine.”

The brown-eyed boy frowned at him. “Percy, you can talk about your problems, you know? You're human, just like the rest of us. We all have problems that we need to talk about.”

“And that's what I have Chiron for.”

Nico sighed and climbed out of the car as Percy shut his door. “Maybe I want to listen to your problems,” he mumbled.

Percy stopped at the back of his car and tilted his head. “What was that, Nico?”

He just shook his head. “Nothing.”

Nico looked up to find Percy staring at him. He nodded his head towards the elevator. “Come on, don't want you to be late for work.”

The boy nodded as they boarded the elevator. “Yeah, I should probably get a shower as well.”

Percy smiled and looked down at his clothes. For some reason, Nico liked it better when the young man didn't dress up, like today. The green-eyed Adonis had worn a dark blue, sleeveless shirt and a pair of ripped, white shorts. Flip-flops were on his feet, while a pair of blue tinted sunglasses sat on top of his head. For some reason, just looking at him like this made Nico's heart beat faster. Percy was never anything short of breathtaking.

Upon reaching Nico's suite, Percy remained at his side. Nico stared up at him as he opened the door. “Yes?”

The young man smiled. “I just wanted to drop in on Jason. He wanted to talk to me this morning.”

“Oh.” Nico let his boss enter. “So, why didn't you already talk to him?”

“I was leaving my room, to take you to the beach.”

Why did Percy always seem to make him blush? He felt his cheeks burn as he looked away and cleared his throat, well aware of the grin on Percy's face. “I'm, um, gonna go get that shower.”

Percy chuckled as Nico ducked into his room. He heard the young man knock of his roommate's door while he gathered his clothes. Maybe the playing field was not completely unbalanced. He needed to talk this over with Annabeth.

Percy had already disappeared into Jason's room by the time Nico emerged from his room. The boy shut the bathroom door and turned on the shower before stripping himself of his beach clothes. What would have been really nice was if Percy had held off on seeing Jason to join Nico for a shower. But, he supposed that was too much to ask for. His sexual encounters with the young man seemed to depend solely on Percy.

He finally emerged from the shower, fresh and clean. He had one eye shut as he toweled his hair. When a pair of arms grabbed him, he let out a yelp. “Percy,” he whined, trying to pull away from the young man.

There was a light chuckle in his ear. “I was just about to come in and say goodbye. But, unfortunately, you decided to end your shower.”

Brown eyes glared up into green ones. “I hate you sometimes. And, besides, it's not like it would have mattered. All you would do is torture me.”

Percy shrugged. “That is always up to you, Nico.” He arched a brow and ruffled Nico's, still wet, hair. “I've got a lot of paperwork to catch up on, so I might not see you tonight.”

“Maybe you shouldn't be lazy with your work.”

The young man rolled his eyes. “You sound like Rachel.”

Nico smirked up at the green-eyed young man. “Just trying to be helpful.”

Nico's cheeks heated up again when he was pulled into a one-armed hug. He felt Percy's hand on his lower back, threatening to slip under the fabric. “I'll see you later, Nico.”

Nico just nodded back as Percy released him. Why did he do this to Nico? He knew Nico liked him, and this was just encouraging things. Nico let out a groan as the door closed behind Percy. This was going to give him a headache, he just knew it.

\----------------------------------------

Nico let out a sigh of contentment as he savored the delicious wrap in his hands. A few of the Lost Kids had decided to eat at the hotel's small deli, which had been an excellent decision, in Nico's opinion. The eating area was housed by large glass windows and the doorway, leading to the rest of the hotel. Outside the storm was still going strong, which was why they had opted to not sit in the fenced in area.

Silena sat across from him, currently engrossed in the vegetable loaded sandwich in her hands. Ethan sat beside him, munching on a bag of chips. The young man had been fairly quiet, and had even gone as far as to slide his chair away from Silena. And, rounding off their small group, was Butch, who had loaded down his tray with two sandwiches, filled with pretty much everything imaginable.

“Things going good with your Charlie-Bear?” Butch asked before biting down on one of his sandwiches, which made a crunching sound. Nico eyed him funny. Did he actually load his sandwich with chips?

Silena rolled her eyes before biting off a corner of her own sandwich. “Sorry to get your hopes up, buddy.”

Butch cracked a grin. “No harm in asking.”

“My answer will always be no,” Silena replied, singing the 'no'.

“What?” Nico asked around his wrap.

“Butch is just butthurt that I won't participate in fulfilling his needs.”

“Whatever, woman.” The muscular Lost Boy grunted at her before placing his food down. “There's no harm in it.”

Silena sighed. “I just prefer our current arrangement.”

“Doesn't stop you from messing with Percy,” Ethan mumbled, placing another chip in his mouth.

The Lost Girl shot him a dirty look. “And Charlie is involved with that.”

Butch shrugged, placing his elbow on the table. “Hey, I'm willing to include Beckendorf.” His large finger was pointed towards a chuckling Silena. “Just say the word.”

“I think I'll pass.” She rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. “You don't need it, you know.”

“Need what?” Everyone turned to look at Nico. “What are we talking about?”

Silena glanced over at the muscular Lost Boy next to her. “Just some ghosts that he needs to work out.”

Butch shrugged in return. “Cuddling never hurt anything.”

“And why don't you ever ask Nico?”

Butch grunted before biting off a large chunk of his sandwich. “Because I already know what his answer will be. Sadly, I don't think I'm his type.”

Nico's face began to burn. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

The Lost Boy shrugged. “Don't sweat it, man. But, some good affection never hurt anyone.” His brow furrowed as he turned back to Silena, waving the remaining portion of his sandwich in his hand. “And it's not like you've never messed with the rest of us. I got here before your boyfriend, I remember how things were.”

The girl placed her hands on the table. “And now I'm happy and content with how things are. And I wasn't dating Luke, we were just close.”

Ethan let out a grunt. “That's putting it lightly.”

Silena sighed and pressed her fingers to her forehead. “And he and I are past all that,” she frowned when she received a look from Ethan, “sort of.”

The Asian Lost Boy held his bag of chips above his head to finish them off. When he was nearly finished chewing them, he frowned. “You know, I still don't see what you liked in him anyways. I mean, you were all devastated when Octavian arrived, and all Luke's attention fell away from you.”

“He's not as bad as some of you make him out to be,” Silena mumbled.

Nico frowned and put down the rest of his wrap. “Why does Beckendorf have such an issue with Luke anyways?”

Silena blew out a breath before staring down at her tray. “Just...a long story. He didn't like how close Luke and I were, even before we started dating. But, I didn't want to just turn away from Luke like that. I owed him a lot, and I couldn't hurt him.” She sighed and glanced up at Nico. “Luke took care of me, and I will never be able to repay him for some of the things he did for me.”

Butch cleared his throat. “Just don't let the brooding blond hear any of this. He's not much for having his soft side talked about.”

Nico nodded. He was already well aware of Luke's need to seem tough. That was not to say that the blond wasn't tough, but Nico also knew that Luke was more caring that he would often let on.

“If I were him, I'd hold a grudge against you,” Ethan grunted. “I'm surprised Percy and Luke are as close as they are, after what Luke did for you.”

“I didn't ask him to do it.” Silena glared at the Asian Lost Boy. “I didn't expect him to do it.”

“And, yet, you managed to put a target on his back from Kronos.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Kronos has it out for Luke, or something?”

Butch let out a breath and scooted himself closer to the table. “More like a sick, hate-hate relationship. In the rare instances that the two see each other, Kronos goes out of his way to torment Luke.” The large Lost Boy began to crack his knuckles. “I think Percy took notice of it, and that's why he won't take Luke on trips with him anymore.”

“Can't really do anything about it when Kronos comes here,” Ethan mumbled, finishing what was left of his own sandwich. When he was done, he pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “Well, I've got to get to work, as do all of you.” Picking his tray up, his eyes turned to Nico. “Ready?”

“Um, sure.”

Nico quietly got up and dumped his trash in the garbage, placing the tray on top of the disposal unit. Nico was rarely alone with Ethan, so their trip to the elevator was a little uncomfortable. However, out of the two security guards, he would have to say Clarisse intimidated him more.

As they rode up, Nico took note of the Lost Boy inspecting himself. And, for the first time, found that they did, in fact, carry weapons. Under his shirt, a knife was strapped to his chest. A long, pale scar was also noticeable there, almost hidden behind the black harness. Around his ankle, Ethan carried a small pistol.

“Do you always carry those around?”

Ethan shrugged. “Not really. I usually put them on before I eat, so I can go straight to work.” He leaned back, against the wall. “If there's an emergency, I usually am near a place to grab a gun, so it's no big deal. Clarisse usually carries, though.”

Nico looked away from the unnerving look that he was receiving from Ethan. At times, he was not sure whose eyes could get to him more, Percy or Ethan's. Percy's were forever changing, while Ethan's was usually dark or empty.

A frown began to form on Ethan's face. “You don't have to be afraid of me, you know. Everyone else seems to be bothered by me and Clarisse, but we're not going to kill you, or anything.” He let out a sigh, his one good eye darting away from the small, pale boy. “It just bothers me sometimes, the way some of you look at me.”

“I don't really know anything about you, other than you work security and aren't afraid to kill someone.”

The dark eyed young man ran his tongue along his top row of teeth. “When you have close encounters with death, it doesn't seem so hard to pull that trigger anymore.” Nico heard Ethan tapping his fingers onto the wall of the elevator. “Sometimes, I wish I could have had that outlook earlier, might have helped.”

The younger of the two lightly chewed on his lip. “That doesn't really help me understand you. Maybe if you opened up more, the others wouldn't be so nervous around you.”

“What makes you think they don't already know what happened to me?” He glared at Nico as he touched his eyepatch. “They already know how I got this.”

“But I don't.” The boy let out a sigh. “And you don't make things easier on yourself when you act and talk like that.”

Ethan stared back at him for a long time before sighing and relaxing his shoulders. “Maybe one day.” The doors opened to the top floor. Ethan stared down at him before placing a hand on top of Nico's head. “Just for now, know that I'm watching out for you, kid.”

Nico was unsure of what to do or say as the other Lost Boy walked off, sliding his hands into his pockets. Nico let out a sigh and stepped out of the elevator. Ethan kept his eyes on a clipboard as Nico walked past him and up the stairs, almost ignoring Nico's presence entirely.

Nico drowned out most of the performances for the night, including his own. There was one that had stuck out to him. During one of his solo performances, a dark haired woman had given him a large tip in his speedo, and had even gone as far as to grope his ass.

As he was going on break, he caught the woman staring at him while heading to the bar room. He was not sure if he was creeped out by it; the woman seemed relatively harmless. And, after all, wasn't the point of his job to get attention?

Putting it to the back of his mind, he entered the bar room. Annabeth had seated herself in one of the chairs, apparently waiting for a large order from Dionysus. Zoë seemed to be on break from her night of dancing. Her body was covered in sweat, while she held a water bottle to her forehead. And then there was Luke, who was strewn across the couch, face buried into cushion.

Zoë noticed him first, though she did not speak to him. Her dark eyes met his before a dull look came over them and she looked away. It sort of reminded Nico of when someone would grow bored with something.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled, raising a hand to give a small wave.

Luke rolled his head to the side to give Nico an annoyed glare. “I have a headache, shut up.”

“Don't mind him.” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “He's just having a bad night with customers.”

Nico cocked a brow. “No one wants the bad boy blond?” He asked mockingly.

In return, he received another glare, though the blond made no effort to lash out at him. “Not in the mood to deal with you, twerp.”

Annabeth patted the blond's leg, which was jutting out in the air. “He just has a busy schedule lined up for tonight.” She turned a smile on Nico. “How's your day been?”

“Good.” He glanced at the other two in the room. “I actually needed to talk to you about my day.”

The blonde girl's grey eyes flickered over to the other two Lost Kids before glaring at Dionysus, who was not even bothering to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping. She stood up and nodded to Nico, motioning towards the door. Nico walked over to it, while Annabeth collected her tray of drinks. The two stepped into the girls' side, Nico following after the blonde. Nico frowned as several men whistled at Drew, as she twirled around the pole.

“Here?” Nico yelled over the music and noise. “It's a little loud.”

“You wanted to talk, and I've still got work to do.” She smiled at a table full of men as she deposited their drinks. Nico sighed as he hurried after her, to another table. “So, what's up?”

“It's Percy.” The Lost Girl stopped and frowned at him. “I think things are improving.”

“Why do you say that?” She yelled over the noise.

Nico scrunched his lips. “Well, he blew off Jason to spend time with me today.” The girl's brow furrowed before she nodded. “But he's so confusing. He claims we shouldn't be together, but he keeps sending me mixed signals.”

“Like what?”

The boy pursed his lips. Perhaps this had not been the best idea. If they found out that Percy had kissed him, even if it had just been on the hand, there were surely to be repercussions for him. He already saw the disaster from them finding out he had went on a “not-date” with Percy.

“He, um...you know, he's just confusing. Just the way he talks sometimes, or something he does. I just don't get him.”

Annabeth eyed him funny for a second before nodding. She did not seem very convinced. “Well, I've known Percy for a while now, and I can say that understanding him does not get much easier.”

Nico sighed and clutched back of his hair. “So what do I do?”

The blonde frowned as she dropped off the last drink on her tray. “Act fast? I don't know. From the sounds of it, you might have a window of opportunity over Jason.” She sighed and held the tray against her stomach. “He needs to know you're serious about all of this, which could take something big to get through his head.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Love him to death, and while he is smart, he's not bright on things like this. Took him several months to realize that Apollo still had a crush on him.”

“Thanks.” Nico stood there and began to rub his arm. Annabeth cocked her head to the side. “Why are you helping me, anyways?”

The Lost Girl let out a sigh as they headed back to the bar room. “In a place like this, people need to find happiness.” Her grey eyes found Nico's brown ones. “But that's not to say that I won't still conduct business with Percy. The others won't stop, even if you do manage to hook him, and I'm not willing to let my work suffer.”

“Yeah,” the boy mumbled. “Still, thanks.”

She nodded back at him before shoving him into the bar room. Nico was immediately greeted by a intense stare from Luke, who was still lying on his stomach. Zoë had left by this point, leaving Nico alone with Dionysus and Luke. He held Luke's gaze as he sat down in the chair that Annabeth had previously been occupying.

“What was that about?”

Nico just shrugged, not bothering to look at Luke. He was well aware of the blond's eyes being narrowed. “Is there a problem with me talking to Annabeth?”

The tall Lost Boy grunted and sat up, a frown marring his face. “Not a problem at all.” The blond's hand ran through his hair. “I want you to take my brother up on his offer. You need to learn to adapt better to this place.”

“Your brother is being an ass, and I don't like his terms.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “If you're getting your hopes up on us living happily ever after or something, don't. You're a twerp, nothing more.”

Nico frowned over at the blond. “I question that sometimes.”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you don't think I'm falling in love with you, or something.”

They both glared over at Dionysus when the man snorted. “Sorry,” the bartender chuckled.

Luke sighed and stood up. “Do what I said,” he continued, eyes intently staring at the boy in front of him.

Dionysus chuckled again. Luke turned around and glared again. “Sorry, sorry, I just find it hard to swallow. I just bet that you want him to seek your brother's counsel.”

“No one asked you,” Luke growled. His nostrils flared as he turned back to Nico. “And keep away from this bastard as much as you can.” With that, he stormed out of the room.

“My, my, someone seems to be in a bad mood tonight.”

Nico sighed and let his eyes fall upon the bartender. “Do you just make it your life goal to torment all of the Lost Kids?”

The bartender finally turned around, a grin plastered on his face. “Now, Nico, what have I ever done to torment you? Here I thought I was giving you good advice.” Nico rolled his eyes when the man placed a hand over his chest.

“What I don't understand is why you stay here, when you don't seem to like Percy that much, and you don't seem to enjoy the rest of us either.”

“Why, Nico, I'm offended.” The man grinned and rested a hand behind him, on the bar. “I have the utmost respect for our superb manager.”

“That doesn't mean you like him,” Nico pointed out, already rising to his feet. Perhaps Luke's advice was for the best. 

The bartender poured himself a shot and downed it. As he wiped a hand across his mouth, he turned back to face Nico. “Ah, Nico, you're not as stupid as some of the others. And that is what makes your time here the most enjoyable.”

“The others aren't stupid!”

A sly grin spread across the man's face. It caused Nico's scowl to lessen, unnerving him. “And, yet, they are still here, destroying themselves and each other. They hate the world, and are no longer capable of blending in with the rest of society.”

“That's not true.”

“Oh? Isn't it?” The man rubbed at his chin. “They've become distrusting, paranoid, and irrational. They could snap at the slightest thing. Or what if they got stalked by a client? Percy would not be there to protect them.” Nico shifted as the man's beady dark eyes stared into his soul. “They are broken. Broken, little puppets, incapable of surviving on their own anymore.”

Nico held the man's stare until he was standing at the door. He pushed it open before turning to face Dionysus. “You're still here,” he reminded the man before leaving.

He sighed and walked across the floor, his vision locked on the floor. What had caused this conflict between Dionysus and the others? Why did the man dislike Percy? And why did Percy keep him around? It was not like Percy seemed to like Dionysus that much either.

He stopped when he was met by a pair of long, hairless legs. He looked up to find Apollo fidgeting in front of him. “What's up?”

Apollo let out a sigh. “You need to come with me. Just...don't freak out.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he was led backstage. Percy was there, arms crossed. His eyes flickered up when he spotted Apollo and Nico. Nico cocked a brow as the young man rubbed at his mouth. “Nico, you're going to the back rooms.”

The boy's brown eyes instantly grew fearful. “Wh-what?”

Apollo sighed. Percy eyed him funny, uncrossing his arms. “You're not going to be having sex, Nico,” the manager explained.

Nico instantly breathed a sigh of relief. “Then what's going on?”

“You've got a customer,” Apollo answered.

Percy opened the door and gestured inside. “It's just a lap dance. When you get to the rooms, it'll be the third door on your left.” Nico frowned as he took a step into the dark hallway. “Good luck,” Percy whispered before letting the door shut.

While Nico knew it was just a private dance, he still found his legs not wanting to cooperate. His breathing had become uneven at some point. He knew this day would probably come at some point, he had just hoped it would not be anytime soon.

And the hallway seemed to go on forever. Or perhaps it was because his legs still were not moving. Why was this such a big deal for him? It was not like had not already taken his clothes off in front of strangers. Why was this circumstance any different?

Looking behind him, the Lost Boy found that he was still standing in front of the door. “Stop being a girl,” Nico hissed under his breath. If he just got it over with, maybe it would not be so bad. And it was just one dance...right? Well, Percy had never specified, but he was going to assume it was only one. Surely, Percy would not be cruel enough to make him stay in there for a very long time, simply to perform several private dances. It was his first time after all.

He awkwardly got down the hall, freezing at the corner. The customer was only three doors away now. The Lost Boy's shoulders tensed as the very door he was supposed to go to opened, and the very woman that had been staring at him earlier poked her head out.

“Ah, there you are, you adorable boy, I thought you might have got lost.”

Nico swallowed before flashing a bright smile. “Sorry, didn't mean to keep you waiting.”

She was fairly tall and thin. Even in the dark lighting, Nico could tell she had been drinking from her brown eyes. She was very radiant, though. She smelled like fresh flowers. Her black hair was curled, flowing across her shoulders. An odd noise emanated from her mouth as she cleared her throat, straightening out her dress from the couch she now sat on.

The problem with this was that he had yet to be coached on doing this sort of thing. And, while he was fairly sure it was not anyone's fault in particular, he could not help but wonder if this was another attempt to lash out at him. But, he was going to keep his faith and believe that the others had just not foreseen this happening so soon.

Nico fought the urge to tense up as music began to play in the room. The bass was loud, and the song reminded him of something that would play during a stage performance. Maybe if he just tuned it all out. It was not like the woman was actually going to notice, right?

Taking a deep breath, Nico reached down to the hem of his thin, loose shirt. The woman's eyes were locked onto his stomach the second the shirt was pulled over his head and tossed onto a small chair in the corner. He smirked and ran a hand through his hair, biting down on his lip.

He swayed his hips back and forth as he maneuvered closer to the seated woman, one of his hands drifting towards his navel. As the loose fabric that he called shorts fell from his hips, he straddled the woman's lap, making sure to keep from seating himself. He winked at the woman and wagged a finger when she attempted to place her hands on his stomach.

How he was pulling this off was beyond him, considering how scared he was at the moment. His heart had to be beating a million miles an hour. He made sure to keep from standing still, so the woman would not notice that he was shaking. He chewed at the edge of his lip as he ran a hand down his sides. It felt foreign and very awkward for him, even though he had done similar things on stage. It was just that the fact that he had someone mere inches from him currently enjoying this particular dance.

“I would very much enjoy having you around the house on a daily basis,” the woman chuckled, slightly fanning herself. “Though, I don't think my husband would approve of it very much.”

Nico felt a lump in his throat. He managed to keep moving, turning around in the woman's lap. He bent forward and touched the floor. “Well, he doesn't have to know about this little rendezvous.”

The woman scoffed. “Oh, I'm sure he's somewhere up here, probably eyeing some of the girls.”

Nico frowned, unseen by the woman. How sad, he thought. Was this woman even happy? Why not just get divorced? Money, perhaps?

Nico managed to smile before turning around again. He grabbed her hand and placed it in the center of his chest. “Well, you don't have to think about him right now. It's just you...and me.”

She grinned up at him and squeezed the area around his ribs. “How about we talk to your boss about some more time with me?”

Nico's foot slipped out from under him. He had been wanting to stand up straight, to toy with his speedo, but the woman's words had caught him off guard. He nearly yelped as he landed face first into the woman's breasts. “I, um...I'm sorry.”

The woman laughed. “Oh, sweetie, don't apologize. You just gave me more action than my husband has in five years.”

“I, um, don't know about the, um, intimate time...” He trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck.

She smiled and stood up, patting him on the cheek. “Sweetheart, you are just adorable. It's fine, though. Your boss already said that nothing else would probably happen with you. Still, a woman can dream.” She smiled and pulled out a card from her purse beside the couch, handing it over to Nico. “If you ever change your mind, let me know.”

Nico just nodded at her as she picked up her purse and left the room. He frowned as he looked down at the card. “Persephone. That's a nice name.”

She smiled and touched his cheek before heading towards the door. “I hope to see you again.”

Nico looked back down at the card when the door closed. She seemed nice, he thought. He reached over and grabbed his clothes from the chair. Slipping the business card into the hem of his speedo, Nico opened the door. He looked down the hall, to the rest of the rooms, but was unable to distinguish anything. Were some of the others working?

When he got back, the other Lost Boys were getting dressed. Apollo looked up at him. “He's finally done.”

Connor came up behind him and slung an arm around him, pulling Nico against his chest. “How was it? Did you faint? Did you get molested?”

Nico just rolled his eyes. “It wasn't that bad.” He removed Connor's arm and worked on dressing himself again. “I mean, I messed up a little, but it wasn't that bad.”

Apollo blew out a breath as he rubbed his neck. “Good. I'll make sure to tell Percy.”

“He isn't here?” Nico frowned up at the blond.

The curly haired Lost Boy shook his head. “Nope, he had to run just before you got here.”

Connor grinned and poked at Nico's side. “He did watch your dance, though.”

Nico blinked, feeling his cheeks burn. Percy had been in the security room. “Why?”

Apollo shrugged. “Percy usually keeps an eye on our first times with things. I guess he saw you were fine, or didn't need him, and left.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he frowned at nothing. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so casual about the whole thing. But, Percy did know his customers, so maybe he knew the woman would not be any trouble for him. Still, it was a little disappointing to learn that he could have, possibly, had some extra time with Percy.

He let out a yawn and Apollo smiled at him. “You should go get some rest, we're done for the night.”

Nico's body felt exhausted. His shoulders were sore and his eyes were threatening to close. So, he was not going to be one to object to Apollo permitting him to head on to bed. He just did not want to have to go to school tomorrow. His Thanksgiving break had been relatively enjoyable, and he was not wanting it to end. Mondays were rarely pleasant, and he was sure tomorrow would be no exception.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Monday had been, as predicted, horrible. All of Nico's teachers were beginning preparations for winter finals, and some were giving them heavy loads of homework. Nico let out a groan and let his head fall on the lunchroom table as he tried to think of a way to complete it all. The worst part? School was only halfway over.

Jason arched an eyebrow at him as he scarfed down the rest of his pizza. Daedalus just chuckled and patted him on the head. “I'm sure you'll be fine,” the brunet assured him.

The only blond at the table frowned and stared off in the distance. Nico's eyes flickered away, landing back on Daedalus. “Maybe we could do a study session, or something? With work, I don't know how I'll have time to focus on some of these projects, especially if I do them at the hotel.”

The brunet smiled and nodded. “Yeah, and I'm sure my mother would love having you over again.” He nudged the blond next to him. “You want to join?”

Jason grumbled something before turning to stare at his best friend. “What?”

The grey-eyed boy sighed. “I asked if you wanted to join me and Nico for a study session sometime this week.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Jason mumbled. Nico frowned when the blond's blue eyes focused back onto whatever it was he had been staring at. “Somebody didn't have a good holiday.”

Nico swiveled in his seat. His face paled slightly when he caught sight of Cal snatching a slice of pizza from a freshman's tray. The small boy whined, but was shoved out of his chair in return. Zethes cackled behind his brother.

Everything was fine, until Cal caught sight of Nico. The boy's brown eyes widened as the two bullies headed in their direction. Jason's lips tilted down as he sat his food down. “What do you want, Cal?” Daedalus asked when the two tall seniors stood at the edge of their table.

Cal leered, slamming his hands on the table. “This fag here needs to keep his eyes to himself.”

“Why don't you just back off?” Jason growled, shooting to his feet.

Daedalus pushed his glasses up and stood up as well. “You both need to move on. Nico hasn't done anything to you.”

Zethes scoffed, resting an elbow on his brother's shoulder. “Well, you see, my brother here doesn't appreciate being stared at by queers.”

“Believe me, he's not my type,” Nico mumbled, his eyes on the table.

Cal's nostrils flared as he clenched the table. “What did you say to me, faggot?” The large boy's hand shot out, but was blocked by Daedalus. Jason shoved the table, putting a barrier between Nico and his bullies. Two teachers stood up. Cal eyed them before returning his gaze to Nico. “You better watch yourself.” He shoved away, glaring at the two athletes standing between him and his prey.

Daedalus sighed, shoulders relaxing. He pushed his glasses up and offered Nico a small smile. “I'd be careful today. Cal seems to be having a very bad day.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he observed the two bullies leaving the cafeteria. “What did I even do to put such a target on my back?”

The brunet shrugged. “You shouldn't try to rationalize bullies.”

The raven haired boy let out a sigh as he went back to his food, frowning when he found the remains of his food scattered all over his tray. For some reason, he had the feeling that he was not done seeing Cal today.

His answer did not take long to find him. As soon as he separated from Jason and Daedalus, he was grabbed and slammed against the lockers. He cracked an eye open to find Cal holding him, while Zethes just grinned down at him.

“There you are, fairy. We thought you'd never ditch your valiant knights.”

Nico gave a dry look to the more slender, tall of the two brutes. “I'm surprised you know what valiant even means.”

Zethes sneered at him. “Can I have the first punch?”

“No, he's mine,” Cal growled, slamming Nico against the lockers again. The raven haired boy's vision blurred as his head made contact with the metal.

From what he could tell, none of his fellow students were bothering to help him. Though, they all seemed content with watching it all take place. He let out a sigh and let his shoulders slump. What could he do? If he fought back, he would probably lose, and still be punished back at the hotel. He could not get in a fight, he reminded himself. Percy would have his head if he did.

Cal's fist slamming into the locker beside his head brought him back to reality. “Pay attention, faggot. Maybe if you learn your lesson, this won't have to happen again.” He leaned in and grinned. “Doubtful, though. I think I'm going to enjoy myself.”

And then there was searing hot pain in Nico's cheek. His eyes wrenched shut as he raised a hand. Before he could touch his new sore, he was lifted up and thrown to the floor, his back grazing each locker he passed.

The two were not ready to relent. Before Nico could pick himself up, he received a swift kick to the ribs. He winched and doubled over, now finding it hard to breathe. He cried out in pain when the heel of Cal's shoe dug into his wrist. Another sharp breath as a hand yanked his hair and dragged him up. A large hand squeezed his jaw, surely to leave another bruise.

Nico saw stars as his head was slammed against the lockers. He wanted to check for blood, but he could barely balance himself. Another punch, this time to his stomach, knocking the remainder of his breath out. 

He was not sure what happened, but the next thing he knew, there was a blur tackling Cal. He could make out the color blue, but his vision was too blurred to make out a definite image. Zethes moved to step in, but was yanked backwards by another figure.

“Stay the fuck off him!” He heard someone yell. Jason? It sure sounded like his roommate.

When Nico finally got his bearings back, he found it was Jason that had tackled Cal off of him. The large brute glared at the blond as he swiped a hand across his mouth. Daedalus had Zethes pinned against the lockers, his arm pressed to the bully's throat.

Zethes saw that his brother was backing off and shoved Daedalus away. The brunet moved to help Nico up as the two brutes took their leave. Jason, however, didn't move from where he stood. “Are you okay?”

Nico looked up at Daedalus and nodded. “Yeah, what happened?”

The brunet placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, getting him to relax. He smiled and turned back to Nico. “We heard the commotion, figured they had made their move, and came running.”

Brown met blue as Nico and Jason stared at each other. “You're not supposed to get in fights.”

The blond just shrugged. “And Percy would have been furious if I let them beat you within an inch of your life.” He eyed Nico over, pressing a thumb to the boy's forehead. When he pulled it back, Nico found some blood. “Family, right?”

Nico nodded. Daedalus placed an arm around Nico. “Come on, we'll take you to the nurse.”

It didn't take long for someone to come for Nico. It was Clarisse, who remained quiet as she checked him out. She looked him over after she was finished, but did not say anything. She just frowned and nodded her head towards the door.

When they were outside, Nico finally spoke. “Can we not tell Percy?”

“Afraid he already knows.” Her dark eyes found his. “He is your emergency contact, after all.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “Is he mad?”

“You can see for yourself.”

Nico did not like the way that sounded. Was he going to be mad at Nico for getting in a fight? For the bruises that now covered his body? Or was he going to be angry at Cal and Zethes? Nico was not sure which he dreaded more, but he decide on the latter. If he was angry enough, would Percy kill them?

During his stay in the nurse's office, he had gone over his injuries. There was a small cut on his forehead, the back of his head was extremely sore, his cheek was slightly swollen and bruised, and his ribs were dark with several bruises. Thankfully, none of his ribs had been broken.

“Just be glad I'm the one that came for you,” the Lost Girl mumbled when they were in the car. “When the others found out, some of them volunteered to come and get you, simply to hunt down your bullies.”

Nico frowned at the young woman. “Like who?”

“Will looked pretty angry. I think the twins were plotting something, I saw some balloons and there was mention of finding some dog shit. But, Percy would not let them.” She shrugged. “Luke looked like he was going to kill them himself. Thalia was at the door with her brass knuckles when I left.”

Nico winced when he touched the bruise on his cheek. “I'm not going to be working for a while, am I?”

The dark haired girl shrugged again. “Probably not, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. You'll still get paid.”

“But I'm not going to be working,” the boy mumbled.

“Well, it's not like you can help it.” She looked at Nico again. “Besides, those guys did a number on your face. You could get around with just working in the bar, but you have the dark bruise under your eye.” She rubbed her knuckle against her palm on top of the steering wheel. “Sadly, Percy told me I couldn't put a bruise on them to return the favor.”

“You seem to like fighting more than Ethan.”

Clarisse shrugged. “Grew up around it. Played a lot of contact sports, like violent movies, and violent games. My dad was fine with it all, but my mom...” The girl locked her jaw. “Well, she and I never really got along.”

Nico blinked at her. “Did you get in a lot of fights?”

“My dad, when he was home, would always want to hear the details.” She huffed and swapped lanes very fast, receiving a honk from the car behind her. “My dear sweet mother, she would always have something to say about it, 'This isn't how a lady is supposed to act,' she would say. She didn't really like it when I flipped her off either.”

Nico's brow furrowed. What happened to Clarisse? “Did you run away?”

The Lost Boy took note when Clarisse clenched the steering wheel. “Something like that. My mother and I, we had a bit of a falling out towards the end of our days together.”

The Lost Boy wondered if he should admire her. Part of him had to wonder if he would have been able to leave home on his own. But, was Clarisse's situation as bad? He doubted her father beat her, from the sounds of it. And, unless her mother was as large as her, he doubted Clarisse's mother hit her. So, why? Why leave?

Nico's heart began to pound as they pulled into the hotel's garage. He was nervous about facing Percy, about finding out the young man's reaction. He received an eye roll when he let out a groan. “Stop being a pansy.” She shut off the car and sat back in her seat. “Percy's waiting for you in the second floor lounge. I've got to run something to Silena, so you're own your own.”

It was then that Nico remembered a question he had long forgotten. “Why do you room with Silena?” Clarisse stopped in the middle of closing her door to blink at him. “I mean, Leo and Ethan room together, but you room with one of the people that you, supposedly, don't get along with.”

The Lost Girl crossed her arms. “And who says I don't get along with them? I room with Silena because she asked me to.” Nico pursed his lips from the girl's glare. “Is that good enough for you?”

Nico nodded his head and hurried towards the elevator. Once inside, he rapidly hit the button for the second floor. If looks could kill, Clarisse would have probably wrapped him in his own intestines. What was up with her?

Nico took in a deep breath when the doors opened. He inched out and looked around. A portion of the second floor overlooked the lobby downstairs. A lounge had been set up, so people could sit and enjoy the view. Currently occupying it were Percy and Zoë. The two were laughing and smiling. It calmed Nico down a little, to see Percy relaxed. Maybe things were not going to be bad.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

The second Percy's eyes landed on him, he noticed the manager's jaw tighten, his good mood instantly gone. Zoë looked over and pursed her lips. “You okay there, Nico?”

He nodded his head. Percy remained silent, looking him over. “Lift up your shirt,” he whispered, rubbing at his mouth.

It surprised Nico to hear how calm the young man sounded. But he did as he was told. There was a hint of something dark in those green eyes as he looked Nico's bruised form over. Out of everyone, Percy was the main person that he had wanted to avoid after the fight. 

“And them?” Nico just blinked in response to Percy's question. The young manager exhaled, his jaw still firmly set. “I asked what happened to them, Nico.”

Though he still appeared calm, Nico picked up on the venom that laced the green-eyed young man's voice. He was angry, that much was obvious. “They, um, didn't get anything. No teachers saw it, so Jason's not getting punished either.”

Those green eyes were like knives as they stared into Nico's brown orbs. Zoë placed a hand on Percy's leg, giving it a squeeze. The action, however, did nothing to ease Percy's mood. Percy laced his hands together in front of his face. “Zoë, can you hand me my phone?” Percy asked, his voice calm yet again.

Nico began to fidget as Percy typed on his phone. What was going to happen? Nico chewed on his lip and met Zoë's gaze. The Lost Girl just pursed her lips, giving him a small look, letting him know to keep quiet.

When he was done typing, Percy pocketed his phone and shot to his feet. Nico's eyes widened as he was grabbed by the arm. He was surprised, though, to find a smile now on Percy's face. “Come on, you can sit with us.”

Zoë plastered on her own smile. “We were just talking about our days in Germany.”

For some reason, it was just now dawning on Nico that the two had probably been at Gaea's hotel at the same time. Why had he never connected those dots? Percy had even requested Zoë come to his hotel. Surely they would have known each other prior to that.

The Lost Girl playfully punched the manager's arm. “And you have no room to talk. If I recall, you would come home with a bruise on your cheek quite often.”

Percy chuckled. “Gaea did not like that very much.”

Nico blinked up at Percy, slightly leaning on his shoulder. “You got into a lot of fights?”

“Sometimes. More in my younger days with her.” He rolled his eyes. “It happened sometimes after Zoë showed up, but most of what she's saying is just from talk. I was much worse when Gaea first took me in.”

Nico let out a small sigh when he felt Percy's fingers in his hair. “So, what happened?”

He felt the young man laugh. “Gaea. She cracked down on me. She was not going to put up with that kind of behavior.” He shrugged. “So, she made me into a gentleman.”

Zoë rolled her eyes. “I'd hardly call you that.”

Percy grinned and winked at her. “Behind closed doors is another matter entirely.”

“I'll never understand how you worked your charms on all of those customers. I mean, considering how you sometimes acted around the rest of us.”

The manager scoffed, a smile touching at his lips. “Please, I'm a very likable person. You like me, after all.”

She sighed and smiled. “At times. You have your moments.”

Nico hummed in satisfaction as Percy played with his hair. “Well, Nico here enjoys my company. Right, Nico?”

The boy smiled over at Zoë. “You have your moments.” The two Lost Kids shared a laugh, while Percy glared at them. Nico frowned when Percy dropped his hand from his hair. “I was only joking.”

Percy frowned at him before returning to his soothing treatment. Nico let out another sigh, just wanting to fall asleep right there. “You should let Will look at those, see what he can do.” Nico nodded against the young man's shoulder. “And you're going to take a few nights off, to heal.”

“I figured,” Nico mumbled. He pouted when Percy grabbed his chin and made him look up. “What?”

“Just looking.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he studied Percy, though the young man was not meeting his gaze. Once again, Nico took note of the dark gleam in Percy's eye. The issue was not over.

Percy's phone went off and the young man released Nico's chin. He slid his phone out of his pocket and held it up to his hear. “Hello?” As Nico observed him, he noted the dull look appear in Percy's green eyes. “Yes, just come up to my office. I'll see you when you get here.” With a sigh, Percy removed his arm from Nico and stood up. “I'll see both of you later, I have some business to take care of.” His eyes roamed over Nico a final time. “Go get a smoothie or something, enjoy your night off.”

Nico stood up as Percy walked off. He looked down at Zoë, who forced herself to smile. She seemed to be thinking about something, though Nico could not tell if it was good or bad. When she did not say anything, he turned and walked off.

He knew what he would be doing soon. He was going to take some medicine to dull the pain and call it an early night. Or perhaps sit and enjoy some TV, whichever made him feel better.

When he got downstairs, he placed his hands on the cabana. Ganymede had his back turned to him, the music a little loud. Nico narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I didn't-” The man began, but stopped, eyes wide, when he noticed Nico's appearance. “What happened to you?”

“Got in a fight.”

The dirty haired blond nodded his head. “Want a milkshake? On the house.” Nico nodded. The ex-Lost Kid eyed him occasionally while he worked, but remained quiet. Once finished, a chocolate milkshake with a cherry sat in front of Nico. “So, did you win?”

Nico sighed and slid the treat closer to himself. “Does it look like I won?”

“Guess not. Percy already see?”

Nico took a sip and nodded. “Yep.”

Ganymede raised a brow. “Mad?”

“Not sure. Possibly furious.”

“Ouch.” The man pressed his palms to the counter. “So, how are you?” Nico arched a brow at him. “I mean besides the bruises.”

Nico sighed, in the middle of a long sip. “Been better,” he mumbled around his straw. “Percy's been confusing.”

The blond smiled. Nico took note that he had his contacts in. “Maybe you're not the only one who's confused.”

Nico blew out a breath. Why did everyone have to speak in riddles? Why were there always more questions? Could he not just get plain answers for once? “I don't know,” Nico mumbled. “He tends to avoid the issue whenever it comes up.”

Ganymede sighed. “It should be a crime to mess up such an adorable face.” Nico glared at him when the blond reached out to pinch his unbruised cheek. “Somebody's cranky.” He pushed the milkshake closer. “This'll make it better.” A wicked grin spread across his lips. “Or, you could come up to my room, and we could play doctor.”

Nico shot him a chilling stare. “Not if you want to keep your man parts.”

Ganymede grinned at him, leaning closer. “Oh, but, Nico, you'd so enjoy my parts.”

Nico grinned and sipped on his drink again. “As I'm sure your prison mates would, when you get sent to prison for having sex with a minor.”

The man snorted. “Yes, I'm sure. In a place like this, I completely have to worry about that.” He threw a wink Nico's way.

“Percy can do it legally.”

The blond chuckled. “Not that he would care either way. He had sex with people older than me, when he was younger than you.” He sighed and leaned on his palm. “How long are you going to be off work?”

Nico shrugged. “Not sure, Percy never said. I guess when the bruise is gone?”

“Doubtful,” Ganymede mumbled. “You'll probably go back to work when the girls can manage hiding the bruise with makeup. As for working the top floor, that might be some more time, depending on how well those bruises can be hidden.”

Nico let out a heavy sigh. “Great. Do you think I'll be able to go upstairs?”

“Talk to Percy about that one.”

Nico let out a groan, drinking more of his milkshake. “I hated it the last time I was not working. Life is dull here, when you can't really do anything.”

The man chuckled. “I doubt he's going to prohibit you from having fun around the hotel. He's just going to keep you off the floor for a few days.” Nico swatted the blond's hand away when it pinched his cheek. “Just need to let that cute face heal.”

“So,” Nico began.

A lazy smile crept onto Ganymede's face. “So,” the man repeated.

The Lost boy rolled his eyes. “You've been here a while. I was sort of wondering what you could tell me about Luke. Or, maybe just about what's the deal with him and Silena?”

The dirty blond man chuckled. “You're such a curious little thing, aren't you?” He ran a tan hand into the back of his hair. “Well, they were much closer before Beckendorf came along. When Silena and him started getting close, Beckendorf sort of made it apparent he did not like how close Silena and blondie were.”

“What's the deal with them, though?”

“Well,” Ganymede rubbed at his face, “she was one of the few people that could manage calming Luke's temper.” Nico cocked a brow. “Yeah, when Luke first got here, he was a regular ball of anger. I think Percy considered placing him elsewhere at times.” Nico observed as Ganymede's brow furrowed. “They never dated, but I think Silena wanted to.”

Nico chewed on his straw. “But Silena wasn't here when Luke first got here.”

“This is true.” The man flashed a bright smile. “But Annabeth was.” He sighed and shrugged. “Still not sure what the deal with them is. Some of us thought they liked each other, while others thought they had a sibling thing going on. Either way, Annabeth is probably the closest Lost Kid to Luke.” The blond's eyes locked with Nico's own. “And Octavian doesn't like Ms. Wise Girl very much. Jealousy does not become that one.”

“But I've never seen them fight.”

A dry laugh escaped from Ganymede. “Oh, Nico, you still are new to a lot of this.” He leaned onto the bar and smiled. “You're never going to see it, but those two severely dislike each other. Think of them like the politicians you see come here, they just put on big smiles and act like two loving friends. But, really, how often do you see the two of them interacting with each other, willingly.”

Nico stared down at his milkshake. Now that Ganymede mentioned it, he had a hard time recalling the two really spending time together. There were only a few occasions that came to mind. One was the mall, which Thalia and Luke forced him into. The other was the water park, and Nico now questioned if Octavian would have gone if Luke had not gone.

Ganymede reached out and patted his shoulder. “Well, I'm sure I gave you plenty to think on. However, I've got to get back to work, and you need to go enjoy the rest of your shake.” He winked when Nico grunted. “Let me know if you reconsider that game of doctor.”

“Don't hold your breath,” Nico mumbled as he walked off.

It hurt a little when he walked, mainly around his ribs. His legs were a little sore, but they were nothing compared to the sharp pains that would run through his sides every few steps. And there was the dull throbbing in his cheek, constantly reminding him of his visible wound.

This was not good for him. And, yet, at the same time, maybe it was. He had wanted a break from work, and now he was getting it. It just meant a bit of isolation for him. But, this time he was not fighting with the other Lost Kids, so he would have plenty of people to spend free time with.

Once inside, Nico stopped at the elevator. He stared and blinked, straw in his mouth. Waiting there was the man he had waited on yesterday, the man Hazel had called Mr. Boreas. He was dressed in a full business suit today, like he had just gotten out of a meeting. He tapped his foot as he stared at the small screen above the elevator that let people know which floor it was on.

“Hello there, Mr. Boreas.”

The man swiveled and faced his upper body towards Nico. Nico scrunched his lips as the man took in his appearance, noting an odd look appear in the man's eyes. “Oh, hello there, young man.” He pointed a finger out. “Nico, wasn't it?”

Nico nodded, offering a small smile. “Come for dinner?”

The man cleared his throat and straightened his tie. “No, I, uh, have some business that needs to be taken care of.”

Nico nodded as the elevator doors finally opened. Boreas let him press his button first, before he hit the button to Percy's floor. Nico's brow furrowed as he stared at the highlighted button to the sixty-eighth floor. But, he ended up simply shrugging. Perhaps the man wanted some special time with one of the Lost Girls, and wanted to negotiate it in advance.

He smiled at Mr. Boreas as the elevator came to a stop on his floor. The man gave a small nod before the doors closed. Nico sighed and headed down his hall. Well, he thought, at least he would have some more time to work on all of those assignments he needed to get done.


	29. In This Dark Little Lullaby

The sound of Jason's window wipers was the only thing keeping the car from complete silence. It had been pouring rain since Nico had woken up, and it did not show any sign of relenting any time soon. While it had not really rained the day before, it had still been cloudy. Nico was starting to miss the sun, which was something he never thought he would ever hear himself admit.

“This rain sucks,” Jason grumbled, leaning forward in his seat to try and see. “They should just cancel school.”

Nico grunted and glanced out his window, cheek resting in his palm. “Would be nice, but then they would be doing something nice for us.”

Jason cracked a smile. “For someone taking advanced classes, you sure don't seem to like school.”

“You know, I'm still trying to figure out why Percy placed me in a lot of those.”

“Shit,” Jason cursed as a police car went flying through a red light, causing Jason to hit his break. “Assholes. If they don't watch it, they're going to cause their own accident.”

Thankfully, they managed to get to school before they were late. Nico raised the hood on his jacket before hopping out of Jason's car. The two roommates jogged from the parking lot, until they were standing under the metal awning. And, as they were walking down the sidewalk, a black car pulled up, nearly splashing them with water.

Nico glared at the black tented window as the back door opened. Much to Nico's surprise, Cal and Zethes stepped out of it, heads down. However, that failed in comparison to what Nico witnessed next.

Boreas himself climbed out from behind them, his face as alarming as the very clouds in the sky. The driver had managed to bolt around and was now holding an umbrella over Boreas's head.

“That's their father?” Nico hissed.

Jason arched a brow. “Yeah? You didn't know that?”

Time seemed to freeze when the two bullies locked eyes with Nico. But, instead of anger appearing in their eyes, the two grew pale. Their eyes immediately dropped, breaking their gaze from that of Nico. Their father crossed his arms and leaned in towards them, muttering something under his breath.

The two boys nodded before briskly walking away from their father. On their way past, they mumbled an apology to Nico. The raven hair boy just blinked and stood there, staring at Boreas in confusion. The man just stared back at him before nodding his head and getting back in the car.

“What the fuck did you do, Percy?”

Jason was laughing beside him. “Well, I guess that solves your problems.”

Nico turned to glare at the blond. “This isn't funny. I don't need Percy threatening people on my behalf.”

Jason continued to chuckle as they made their way towards the building. Daedalus was waiting for them at the door, a confused look on his face. “Did I miss something with Zethes and Cal today? They just ran by, looking like scared dogs.”

Jason just laughed, while Nico chose to sigh. This was not funny. He was going to have to talk to Percy about this. But, on the other hand, he would probably not have to deal with those two assholes again. Perhaps he should be thankful, instead of mad.

Now he was starting to think like Percy. That was surely not good. He already knew that was exactly what the manager was going to tell him, that he should be thankful.

By second period, the rain was still in a downpour. Nico let out a sigh as he stared out the large windows of the classroom. He would much rather be in bed, still in his pajamas, right now. Percy had been right, a storm had definitely hit. Just how many days was it going to last, though?

He looked away from the window when there was a knock at the door. The teacher told them to read while she answered the door. It was at this same time that Nico's phone decided to vibrate. But, before Nico could check it, the teacher had stepped back inside.

Her usual cheerful self had seemed to vanish. “Nico,” she said gently. The raven haired boy stared at her. “You're needed in the hall.” Nico stood up and was about to leave, but the teacher stopped him. “Take your things.”

He just shrugged and packed up his backpack. He placed his phone against his binder as he walked towards the door. The text had been from Percy. It read: Do you want me to come get you?

Nico's brow furrowed as he reread it. He closed the door behind him. When he looked up, he found Daedalus standing there. He blinked at the brunet. “What's up?”

The brunet took a deep breath. “Nico, you need to come with me. Just...shit, I don't even know.”

Without even asking, Daedalus took Nico's backpack from him. Nico was lost. What was going on? Nico decided to reply to Percy, letting him know that he was fine, and that Percy did not need to come get him. He knew it was raining bad, but he did not think it was that bad. Besides, Jason would have to get home, and the blond could easily drive.

So why did he feel nervous?

Daedalus seemed concerned with something, and Percy's text was a little unnerving. “Daedalus, what's going on?”

The brunet never answered him. He would not even look at Nico. He just kept walking, chewing on his lip. Something was troubling him.

When they got to the front of the school, he found his sister standing in front of the entrance. She was completely soaked. It appeared that she had not even bothered to grab a jacket. She paced back and forth, arms folded over her chest.

It was when Nico got closer that he noticed her chest heaving. Her makeup was completely smeared, though it seemed to be from tears, rather than the rain. Her eyes were bloodshot, and when she saw Nico, she just grabbed him and hugged him.

Nico just stood there, holding his sister, as she cried into his shoulder. A year ago, she would have had to bend forward a little, just to be able to do such an act. But, now, they were nearly the same height. It was then that he realized she was whispering something.

“Nico, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.”

The Lost Boy grabbed his sister's wet hair. “What happened?”

“I-it's mom. She-she had an accident.”

Nico's heart seemed to stop in his chest. The rain that had soaked into his shirt from where Bianca had held him felt like ice against his skin. “What?” Was all he could manage to get out. He could not have heard right.

“She didn't make it, Nico,” Bianca whispered.

Nico stumbled out of his sister's grasp. His head felt dizzy. This had to be a dream. This could not be real, it just couldn't. Daedalus was there and balanced him. The Lost Boy's breathing became more erratic as time went on, quickly becoming ragged.

He found himself crouched on the floor, his head in his hands. “No. No no no no no,” he kept repeating. “How?” He looked up with panicked eyes.

Daedalus had Bianca by this point. She sobbed as her boyfriend rubbed circles into her back. “A car-” More sobs. “A car hydroplaned and hit her.”

Nico began to dry heave. He felt sick. His mother was dead. He hadn't even gotten to see her again, and now she was gone. Forever.

“Come on,” Daedalus whispered, tugging on his shirt. “We're going to get you checked out. We can go back to my place.”

Nico just nodded and stood up. The brunet placed his hand on Nico's lower back, while grabbing Bianca's hand. The two siblings were quietly led towards the office. As soon as they entered, Daedalus began to sign them out. When he grabbed Nico's phone, the boy did not protest.

Daedalus scrolled through the phone before raising it to his ear. “Hey, Percy, this is Daedalus.” He paused, signing Nico's name. “Yeah, I've got him. If it's okay with you, I was going to take him and his sister to my house.” He blinked, listening to something on the other end of the phone. “Oh, yeah, I can just send you directions from Nico's phone. Yeah, okay, I'll see you in a few hours.”

Nico did not care that he was getting soaked as he walked outside. Some part of him kept hoping that the cold sting of the rain would wake him up, but it never worked. Daedalus helped Bianca into the passenger seat of his car before letting Nico into the back seat. He could see his sister crying again from the front seat, her head now buried in her lap.

Once seated in the car, Daedalus turned around. “Percy is going to come by later and pick you up.” The brunet patted Nico's leg. “If you want to crash at my place, you're more than welcome to.”

Nico nodded and Daedalus turned back around. When would he wake up?

On their way to Daedalus's house, Nico's phone began to blow up with texts. However, he could not bring himself to look at his phone at the moment. He knew they were probably from the Lost Kids. And he would check them later, just not right now. Right now he just needed to get his head around all of this.

Daedalus's mom's car sat in the driveway when they got home. Bianca was still crying as they walked up to the front door. Nico just remained quiet, his eyes unfocused. Daedalus had not finished opening the door before it was open. Minerva appeared, instantly grabbing Nico and Bianca and pulling them inside.

“I'll go get you all some towels,” she said quietly after seating them on the couch.

Daedalus stood in front of them, hands in his pockets. He was not looking at them, but searching the floor, as if it held the answers. Bianca had quieted down, now sitting like a statue beside Nico.

It was not until he felt the warmth of the towel around him that he realized he was shaking. Whether it was from being cold or from crying, he did not know.

Minerva crouched down in front of the two siblings and squeezed their hands. “If you two need anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask. I know this must be hard.”

Bianca managed to offer a weak smile, placing her free hand on top of Minerva's. Nico just kept staring ahead. He had wanted to see his mother again, but now it was too late. Why had he not acted sooner? It was his father's fault. If it were not for his father, he would have never been separated from Bianca or his mother. His mother had never deserved this, she had been a nice woman.

“I just saw her this morning,” Bianca whispered. “I had been running late to school, and she told me to be careful on the road.”

“I was going to try calling her this week.”

Bianca turned to stare at him with wide, tearful eyes. “Oh, Nico, I'm so sorry.”

The boy just leaned into his sister, his nose buried in her hair. He felt a tear hit his cheek, where it mixed with his own. Two cups of hot tea ended up on the table in front of them at some point, though Nico could not say for sure when they got there. And the rain still poured outside, no matter how much Nico wished for it to stop.

“Bianca,” she squeezed his hand as Nico spoke her name, “if you want dad here, I can-”

“No.” Bianca's grasp tightened. “I want you here. It's his fault we've been separated the past few months.” The brown-eyed girl rubbed at her eyes. “It's his fault we're still separated. And it's his fault you weren't able to see mom.”

Was it, though? He could have called her. He could have found a way, but he hadn't. Did that make him a bad son?

Nico's body moved on its own, shooting up from the couch and dashing down the hall. He found himself kneeling in front of the toilet, hurling into the porcelain bowl. He felt sick and dizzy. Luckily for him, Minerva had come after him. The woman caught him as he fell back before helping him to his feet.

“There you go, sweetie.” She rubbed circles into his back as she led him away from the bathroom. “Don't blame yourself for any of this. There was nothing you could do.”

“I should have seen her.”

Minerva let out a sigh as she sat him down in the kitchen. When she was sure he was fine, she walked over to the sink and began to wet a rag. “I'm sure she would have understood.”

“She didn't even know I was still alive,” Nico whispered. “What if she thought I had died in some gutter?”

Nico frowned as the wet rag was pressed against his head. “Don't think like that, sweetheart.” Nico held the rag up as the dark haired woman stepped back over to the sink. He heard her turn on the water. She smiled at him as she grabbed a glass that she had filled and gathered some ice from the freezer. “None of this is your fault. I'm sure she would have been very proud of you.”

“Doubtful,” Nico muttered, though he doubted the woman heard him. His mother? Proud of him, with what he was doing? Doubtful. Sure she was loving and understanding, but what mother would be okay with their child being a stripper?

Hours passed by, though Nico could not say how many. He was currently lying on the couch, on his stomach. His eyes were staring, unfocused, at the wall across from him. Minerva had taken Bianca into the kitchen, probably to try and get his sister to eat something. Nico had already refused, even though the woman had spent nearly fifteen minutes trying to get something into his system. But he just was not hungry.

Daedalus sat on the arm of the couch, silently. What he was doing, Nico could not say. The only reason he knew the brunet was there was because he could see his friend's leg from the corner of his eye; that, and the brunet would let out a quiet sigh from time to time. He was just thankful that Daedalus seemed to understand that he just wanted to be left alone right now.

Nico vaguely heard the knock at the door. He did not move, though. Daedalus hopped off of the couch and walked out of the living room. “Hey, Percy,” came Daedalus's voice from the hall. Nico let out a sigh as he heard footsteps. “He's just been laying there for the past two hours.”

He heard Percy grunt. The green-eyed manager crouched down, bringing his face into Nico's line of sight. The manager crossed his arms and rested them on the edge of the couch. “Hey,” he said quietly. Nico did not reply. Percy looked up. “Has he eaten anything?”

Daedalus shook his head. “He drank a little water, but that's about it.”

Percy nodded. He looked back at Nico and tilted his head to the side. “Do you want to stay here a little longer, or do you want to go back to the hotel?”

Nico finally focused his vision, Percy smiled in response. “If I come back, can I just stay in my room?”

Percy let out a breath. “If you promise me you'll eat something.”

It was at that moment that Minerva came back into the room. “Oh, hello, you must be Percy.” The woman patted her hair upon inspection of the young man currently in her living room. “My son said you would be coming by.”

Percy smiled and held out his hand. “Percy Jackson. I guess I'd be Nico's guardian.”

Daedalus arched a brow, which went unnoticed by everyone except Nico. The brunet glanced down at the raven haired boy on the couch. Nico knew what was running through his friend's mind. He was questioning what Percy had just said. Daedalus knew how Nico felt about Percy, but not what was happening on the manager's end. Well, sadly for him, Nico did not even know that answer.

Minerva smiled and shook Percy's hand. “It's unfortunate that we have to meet under these circumstances. Still, I'd like to thank you for taking care of him.” She pursed her lips as she stared down at Nico. “I just hate what's happened to him, especially at such a young age.”

Percy reached into his pocket and slipped out a card. “If you ever need to reach me, there's my number.”

The woman smiled and took the card. “You seem quite young to be running a hotel.”

The green-eyed young man flashed a smile as he helped Nico up. “That's what I hear. My mother runs the business, and she just put me in charge here.”

“Ah.” Minerva eyed the young man again. “Well, I suppose you're doing a good job.”

As they reached the door, Bianca shot into the hallway and enveloped Nico into a hug. “Will you come to the funeral?” She pulled back, tears in her eyes. “I'll understand if you say no.”

“I'll be there,” Nico whispered.

Bianca nodded and let him go. Percy's lips were set in a thin line when Nico turned around. Minerva and Daedalus stood there and waved as Percy opened an umbrella and led Nico outside. In all honesty, Nico did not really care if he got soaked again. But Percy was being nice to him, so he was not going to complain.

“Why did you lie?” Nico asked when he finally got in the car.

Percy blinked at him as he backed out of the driveway. “Lie about what?”

“Your mom running the hotel.”

Percy's driving was a little slower than normal, Nico noticed. “And what part of that was a lie? Gaea is my mother, for all intents and purposes.” Without taking his eyes off the road, he arched a brow. “She did raise me and make me the man I am today.”

“But she wasn't the only one.”

The young man shrugged. “I guess I had some more help. Chiron's been pretty good with giving me advice.”

Nico sighed. That was not what he had meant. Percy's real mother deserved credit. Nico doubted Percy's personality and behavior was all credible to Gaea. No, the compassion that the young man held came from somewhere else, he was sure of it.

The boy reclined his seat. The day was nowhere near over, yet he felt exhausted. His eyes felt heavy, probably from the crying. “Tell me about her.” Percy briefly looked over at him. “Your mother, I mean.”

Percy blew his lips, hands firmly on the steering wheel. “Well, she took care of me when I was sick. She always tried to do what was best for me.” When Nico looked over at the young man, he noticed a smile on Percy's lips. “She was really great. Sucks I only get to see her a few times a year.”

“Percy,” Nico shot the young man a look, “I meant your real mother, not Gaea.”

The manager just rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, remaining silent. Nico let out a sigh and rolled onto his side, away from Percy. Perhaps Percy truly was the equivalent of Peter Pan, who had forgotten about his real mother and lived his life in a fantasy world.

Nico's eyes landed on the window, where they watched the rain beat against the glass. “Can I get a ride to the funeral? From someone, anyone?”

Percy was silent for a long time, the only noise filling the car was that of the window wipers. “Are you sure that's a good idea?” Percy finally asked.

Nico turned his head to look over at his crush. “It's the last time I'll get to see her, I need to go.”

Green eyes flickered over to meet with brown. “If you think it best, then I'll accompany you myself.”

“You don't have to go,” Nico mumbled.

The boy blinked when Percy's hand reached over and touched his leg. “But I want to. Don't worry, I'm sure some of the others will volunteer to go.” The hand began rubbing soothing circles. Nico let out a content sigh. “You don't have to do any of this alone.”

Nico wiped at his eyes as fresh tears threatened to spill out. He had cried so much, enough that he almost forgot about all of his bruises. Almost. When he attempted to curl up, the bruises on his ribs decided to make themselves known once again. As he winced, Percy squeezed his leg.

More tears streamed down his cheeks, which he tried his best to wipe away. But, each time he did, more would take their place. “Why can't I just catch a break? I'm not sure who I upset, but I think someone out there hates me.”

There was a small chuckle from Percy. “I'm sure you'll make it.” Nico looked over at the young man, but Percy kept his eyes on the road. The hotel was now in sight. “You're not weak, don't make yourself out to be.” It wasn't until they pulled into the garage that Percy looked at him. “I think that you can handle pretty much whatever life decides to throw at you.”

Nico just nodded his head with wide eyes. Percy was being very nice to him. And while it probably was not the best time, it really was not helping his crush. Percy was out of the car as soon as he had it parked. Nico just blinked as he found the young man holding his hand out for him.

The brown-eyed boy leaned against Percy as they walked to the elevator, a heavy silence filling the air. When they were inside the elevator, Percy placed his hand around Nico's waist. Percy was warm, and it just made Nico want to fall asleep standing up. He could also smell the beach, like they were still out at the ocean. Why couldn't he just go back to that, when his mother was still alive?

Percy lifted his chin as they rode up. “Do you want to stay in my room? I'll have to work still, but I'll come in and check on you. And you can just sleep there tonight, if you want.”

Nico just shook his head, which surprised himself as well. Had he actually turned down sleeping in Percy's bed? “No, I just want to be alone right now.”

Percy's eyes reminded Nico of the ocean after a storm, a dark sea green. Though, Nico could tell the young man was not upset, like he usually was when his eyes were dark. The manager nodded. “Okay. Just let me know if you need anything.” He smiled and pulled Nico against him. “I'm only a phone call away.”

The shorter of the two nodded. “I just want to stay in my room.”

Percy made sure Nico held his gaze as the elevator came to a stop. “Just promise me you'll eat something. I don't want to come to check on you, only to find you've starved yourself.”

Nico pulled away and stepped out of the elevator. Percy just stood there, unreadable as always. “I'll be fine. Don't worry about me.”

The corner of Percy's lips tilted up before he slid a hand into his pocket and nodded. The two stared at each other until the metal doors closed. Nico stared down at the floor for a while before heading to his room.

He hated to admit it, but he cringed slightly when Butch and Beckendorf's door opened after he passed it. Before he could even turn around, a pair of arms had him in a hug. “Nico, I'm sorry to hear about your mom,” came Silena's voice in his ear. She turned him around to look him in the eye. “You must be upset.” There was a moment of silence, where Nico just stared up at her. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Nico just shook his head. “I just wish it was a dream.”

Silena pursed her lips and nodded. “Yeah. I'm sure she was a good woman.” There was a small smile on her lips as she combed Nico's hair to the side. “Do you have a picture of her?”

Again, Nico shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “I should have asked Bianca for one.”

He was pulled in for another hug. “It's all right, Nico. I'm sure you can still get one.”

Nico wiped at some fresh tears, nodding his head. “What...what happened to your mother?”

The Lost Girl became as still as a statue. Some of the color from the girl's cheeks vanished. “I wouldn't know. Haven't seen her since I left home.”

Nico just stared up at her in wonder. The girl plastered a completely fake smile on her face as she raked her fingers through Nico's hair. She patted his cheek before she turned around and walked towards the girls' hall. Odd, Nico thought.

The Lost Boy found Jason sitting on the couch when he entered their suite. The blond looked up at him, rubbing his legs nervously. “Hey,” Jason whispered.

Nico nodded his head in response.

“How are you?” The blond stood up and rubbed at his arm. He kept his distance from Nico, though.

Nico shrugged, opening up the fridge. As he looked around, he found nothing looked particularly appetizing. “What do you eat when you're not even hungry?”

“Who says you have to eat? Don't worry about it if you're not hungry.”

Nico sighed and closed the door to the fridge. “Percy wanted me to eat something. Just...not sure if I can hold anything down right now.”

“Yeah,” Jason said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Losing your mom isn't easy.”

The raven haired boy leaned against the fridge. He met Jason's gaze, though he remained silent for several long seconds. “How did you deal with it? Losing your mom, I mean.”

Jason sighed. He licked his lips before sitting down on the arm of the couch. “It's been a few years.” Sky blue eyes looked away, not really staring off at anything in particular. Nico simply stood there as his roommate sat there, contemplating things with his arms crossed. “Sometimes, I have a hard time even remembering her face.” Jason made a face. “I think the drugs helped with that lovely fact.”

“Is that why you did them?”

Jason shrugged. “Maybe a little. My life's never really been the most enjoyable experience.” The blond scowled, and Nico knew that they were beginning to tread into bad territory. “I mean, when you have a father that prostitutes his own children, you know you have the most loving family there is, right?”

“Your mother, Jason.”

The tan blond sighed. “Sorry, sorry. She was...disturbed, sort of. For whatever reason, she was in love with my father. The same man that made it very apparent that he wasn't planning on marrying her, or offer much assistance in taking care of her children. He had my bastard of a brother, what more would one need?” Nico frowned at the blond. “Right, mother, sorry. She wasn't a bad mother, but she was far from the best.”

Nico sighed. “Perhaps that was similar to mine. I mean, she wasn't insane or anything, but she could have done more, I guess.” His brown eyes became unfocused as he stared at the floor. “When I was younger, I remember her being much more vocal. She disagreed with my father a lot more.”

“So what changed?”

“My father.” Nico's eyes became nearly black as he focused back on Jason. “I don't know if he ever hit her. If he did, it was never in front of us. But something changed in my mother. My father is just an intimidating man, easily overshadowing my mother.”

Blue and brown clashed as the roommates watched each other. “She didn't ever stand up for you? Didn't try and stop your father from abusing you?”

“She would, at first. Mainly when it first started. But, as time went on, she became more and more quiet.” Nico sighed and shook his head. “There were times, when I would see her crying, and even once where I noticed her begging my father to stop. But it was always through a whisper.”

“Well, at least she tried. My mother had no objections letting our father whore us out, since it was what he wanted.”

“Did you love her?”

Jason scrunched his lips. “Maybe. Love is such a strange word for me sometimes. I liked her more than my father, but Thalia was more of a mother to me than she ever was.” Nico frowned when the blond scowled. “Until she left.”

Nico shoved off of the fridge, stopping in front of Jason. “I think you two should sort through your issues with each other.” He moved to touch Jason's arm, but the blond flinched away. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Jason whispered, already facing away from Nico. “Sorry, just not overly affectionate.”

“I could imagine. How do you deal with the job?”

“A lot of focus and willpower.” The blond sighed and stood up, causing Nico to have to look up. Jason rested a hand on top of Nico's head. “We can talk about my problems another time. You're going to be okay, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered.

Jason nodded and slipped past Nico to head to his room. Nico watched him go, until Jason turned the corner down the hall. A second later, the blond's door was shut. The raven haired boy let out a sigh before following in his roommate's footsteps. After he closed his door, he collapsed on his bed.

\---------------------------------------------

To put it lightly, Nico felt like shit. There was a loud pounding in his head, which did not seem to want to go away. He cracked an eye open, landing on his clock. It was nearly noon. How long had he been asleep? He let out a groan. He had been passed out for over twelve hours, and his stomach was actively reminding of how little he had eaten yesterday.

It was at this point that Nico came to another realization. The pounding in his head was not a headache. Someone was actually beating on his door. Letting out a sigh, he picked himself up and headed to the front of his suite.

His stomach lurched as he opened the door. Annabeth took a step forward when she noticed this action, her grey eyes blinking in surprise. “Is this a bad time?” She asked. Nico shook his head, but kept his mouth covered. The blonde reached out and felt his head. “Sweating a little bit, but you don't seem to have a temperature. Have you eaten?” Nico shook his head again. “Figured as much. I thought I should come and check on you.”

“Not sure if I can keep anything down.”

The Lost Girl gently pushed him out of the way, heading straight for his kitchen. “My mom, she used to have something to eat for every occasion. Let me see if I can whip something up.” She pursed her lips as she explored Nico's kitchen. “An orange might be good for you. Let's see...what about pancakes? Oatmeal?”

Nico just scrunched his lips. “Not really sure. Didn't do much cooking before I got here.”

“And you still don't,” Annabeth mumbled as she shut one of the cabinets. “You just need something simple.” She snapped her fingers. “Grilled cheese! Maybe some soup. It's time for lunch anyways.”

Before Nico could even protest or agree, Annabeth had him sitting at the island, while she went about cooking at the stove. She moved like a whirlwind across the kitchen, gathering supplies and flipping bread from time to time. It was almost motherly.

“Thanks, Annabeth,” he mumbled as a plate of grilled cheese was sat in front of him.

She smiled and went back to stirring the soup. “Not a problem, it's my job.”

“But why?” Nico blinked. Annabeth just stood there, her back to Nico. “Why do you, Luke, Apollo, and Thalia take it upon yourselves to do all this for the rest of us?”

The blonde sighed and sat the spoon he had been using for stirring down on the counter. “Because...sometimes we all need to be taken care of.” There was a sad look on her face as she finally faced Nico. “Sometimes you need to feel loved, whether it be similar to a parent or perhaps a sibling.”

“What about the rest of you?”

The soup was poured and, silently, the blonde slid it over to Nico. For a long time, Annabeth just stared at him, and Nico quietly poked at his food. He squirmed from time to time, unnerved by the girl's blank gaze. “It's where we get the most enjoyment.” Nico blinked and looked up, surprised by the response that finally came. “For all the pretending we do, we are still just a bunch of kids, hence the name. All the growing up we do, yet we're still the scared little children that left home.”

“Thank you.” Annabeth tilted her head to the side. “For everything that all of you do, that is.”

She let out a breath as Nico took a large bite from his grilled cheese. “It's our pleasure. It's the same with sex. It might be fun, and something to do, but it has another purpose.” Nico blinked at her, bread still hanging from his mouth. “It's a form of comfort. We make all of these people happy, loved, and yet we just want to feel the same. We want to be wanted, some more than others.”

“You want to be a family,” Nico whispered.

Annabeth nodded. “That's why, when it comes down to it, we watch out for each other.”

“What about Octavian?” Nico clenched his eyes shut as soon as the words left his mouth. Even though it had not come from someone he liked, he was learning that not all information was best shared.

“Complicated.”

“Why don't you like him?”

The Lost Girl sighed. “I'm not the one who has the problem. He's the one that doesn't seem to like me very much, possibly because of the fact that I'm the closest thing Luke has to a friend, besides Percy.” She gestured to the food. “You need to hurry up, Leo's going to take you shopping.”

Nico frowned as he picked up his spoon. “I don't want to go anywhere today.”

“It's for the funeral.” Nico sighed. Annabeth shrugged. “You need something to wear, and you haven't had an occasion to dress up yet.”

Nico nodded and stared down at his soup, stirring it around. Annabeth turned and began cleaning the stove. “Do you ever miss your family?”

He looked up when he was met with silence. Annabeth had frozen, her shoulders were now stiff. “Let's talk about something else, Nico.”

“I've only heard you mention your family once or twice, and it was always vague.”

Annabeth sighed, finally returning to her cleaning. “That's because I don't like to talk about them. Bad memories, and all that.”

Nico chewed on his lip. He furrowed his brow and shoveled a spoonful of hot soup into his mouth. “Where are they? Where did you grow up?”

She sighed again and pressed her back to the cabinets. “They're not with us anymore, which is partially why I ended up on the streets. I didn't know the rest of my family very well, and me and my step-mother never really saw eye to eye.” She shrugged, her eyes a shade darker. “She's still out there, though.” She made eye contact with Nico. “I'll never forgive her for what she did. If I had half a mind, I would have Percy make her suffer.”

Nico just stared at the blonde Lost Girl. “Why didn't you? What did she do?”

“Ancient history. Just because I haven't let it go, doesn't mean it should be brought up.” She tried to smile, but it came across as a forced, tired smile. “Trust me when I say that people should not be entirely trusted. Parents, they don't always fulfill their loving, protective role.”

Nico found himself at a loss for words. He just stared at the blonde, lips tightly pursed. He felt sad for her, for all of them. Once again, he was left questioning what had happened to yet another one of the Lost Kids. And he could not help but wonder if he would ever manage fitting all the pieces together of who these friends of his truly were.

It was not until he felt soft fingers in his hair that he realized he had drifted off. He had slumped at some point, and a frown now marred his face. “You okay?”

Nico looked up into Annabeth's grey eyes, giving a small nod. “Just thinking,” he whispered.

Annabeth let out a breath. “About your mom?”

Nico's frown increased. “Why did she have to die?” His vision blurred as he stared at the Lost Girl, but he did not care at this point. It hurt. It hurt deep in his chest, like someone had ripped his heart from his chest.

The blonde wrapped an arm around his head and pulled him into a hug. “You'll be okay, Nico, in time.” She offered a small smile and ruffled his hair. “But, right now, you need to get cleaned up and dressed.”

The worst part of all of this for him was that he had not been thinking about his mother at the time. How sad was it that the simple reminder that his mother was no longer with him set him into a fit of tears? On top of the tears, he also felt sick. Now that he was thinking about her again, he was beginning to fear that he would throw up the food he had just ingested.

He stumbled as he attempted to make his way towards the bathroom. But, with a little help from Annabeth, he managed to get inside and close the door. He sat down on the toilet for a moment and wiped at his nose. This was real. He did not want to accept it, but it was beginning to become impossible to deny. And by tomorrow, there would be no question about it. His mother was dead.

As much as he just wanted to simply sit there and feel depressed about things, he knew he needed to get moving. This fact also came from a knock on the door. Nico sighed and stood to his feet. Annabeth stood there, a few simple articles of clothing in hand.

“Thanks,” he mumbled before shutting the door again.

The water helped a little. The water and his body wash reminded him of Percy. Perhaps that had been the reason he had picked out that particular type of body wash. It smelled like the ocean, which, in turn, reminded him of Percy. Percy had a distinctive smell and feel.

While the young man had slightly rough and calloused hands, the back of them, as well as his arms, were soft. And a strong heat would often resonate from Percy's body. Percy's heartbeat was also enjoyable. The few times Nico had managed the opportunity, he basked in the sound of the beating organ. The young man's hair was also, surprisingly, soft. Not that Nico did not think Percy took care of himself, it was just really soft to the touch.

He was, for every available sense, intoxicating.

The most important thing about the shower was that it had gotten him to stop crying. That, or he had just failed to realize he was crying under all the water pouring down on him. He now wished that Percy was there, comforting him. As the boy stood there in front of the mirror, part of his large towel pressed against his face, he found himself wishing that Percy was there behind him. He wanted the manager's arms around him. Percy, without a doubt, was the person that Nico needed to go with him to the funeral tomorrow.

Nico winced as he wiped the towel across his face, where it made contact with the bruise on his cheek. The past few days, and the upcoming days, were not looking kindly on him. The brown-eyed boy just had to wonder what he had ever done to deserve all of this.

The Lost Boy frowned when he heard Annabeth's voice coming from the living room. And it sounded like there were other people now in the suite. The boy groaned, as he was not in the social mood. Who had come now? As far as he could tell, the others were being empathetic of his desire to be left alone.

All except the twins, apparently. Travis and Connor were doing their best to fight Annabeth as she struggled to push them out of the door. For two skinny boys like the twins, they sure were making Annabeth's job impossible. They even grinned down at her as they propped themselves against the doorframe, legs shoved opposite of themselves.

“Come on, Beth-” Connor pouted.

“Don't call me that.” The blonde glared at the grinning brothers as she shoved against their chests.

“We just wanted to see Nico.” Without much effort, Travis wrapped his arms around Annabeth and picked her up, depositing her a few inches to the right. The slightly taller brunet grinned and stepped into the room, his brother a step behind him. “Hey there, buddy.”

Nico frowned at him as he lowered his T-shirt over his body. “What do you two want?”

“Just wanted to see how you were doing.” Connor had already stepped away from his brother before he had even finished his sentence. Following after his brother, Travis stepped closer to Nico. The boy glared as the two wrapped themselves around him, one on either side. “If you need some company, you can just come and find us.”

Annabeth shut the door. “No. I know what you two are doing, and I'm not going to let Nico get tricked into getting into your bed.”

Connor pouted as he leaned his cheek on Nico's head. “Bethy, I'm hurt that you would accuse us of such vile acts.”

Travis smirked. “Besides, I'm sure he could use the distraction.”

“I don't want sex,” Nico mumbled.

“We won't tell, if you won't,” Connor whispered in his ear, while Travis grinned at the blonde at the door.

“I'm not sure if I believe that.”

Annabeth huffed and grabbed Nico's wrist, jerking him away from the twins. “I don't either.” She stepped in front of Nico and pointed a finger at them. “Look, I need to get Nico to Leo-”

“We'll do it!” The two brunets cried in unison.

Before either Annabeth or Nico could even blink, the twins had Nico by either of his arms and were dragging him out the door. Annabeth sighed. “You'll need this!” She called. Travis turned around and expertly caught Nico's wallet. 

“I can walk myself.”

This did not seem to get either of them to loosen their grips. Neither did it do anything to diminish the large grins on their faces. It only seemed to affect one person, and that one person was Nico. The boy did not like this, mainly because he had learned a long time ago that the twins were the biggest trouble makers, not only in the hotel, but possibly the entire state.

“Don't look so scared, Neeks,” Connor chuckled. They finally stopped at the elevator, and Travis pushed the button to summon it. “We just want to help. And, since you've had all this going on, we won't even make a pass at you.”

“Unless you want it,” Travis added. Connor nodded.

Nico frowned as he was led into the elevator. “Don't hold your breath.”

“Frowning's not good for you, Neeks.” Connor draped his arms around Nico's shoulders and pulled the boy into his chest. “You need to lighten up, have some fun.”

Dark brown eyes met with sky blue ones. “My mother just died, I think I'm entitled to some time dedicated to moping.”

Nico made a face when Travis poked his stomach. “Well, when you're ready, you come find us. We are experts at cheering people up.”

Nico let out a sigh. He knew they meant well, but he really did not want to think about any of that right now. It would be a while, he knew, before he would get past this. Even if she had not always been there when he needed her, she was still his mother.

Nico let out a sigh, which did not go unnoticed by the twins. Travis tilted his head to the side. “What's up, Neeks?”

“Everyone's just being really nice.”

Connor squeezed his shoulder. “Well, what did you expect? We keep telling you that we're family, but you seem to always have this doubt.”

Nico gave him an annoyed look. “Gee, I can't imagine why I'd ever feel that way,” he mumbled sarcastically. The shorter of the two smiled and wrapped his arms around Nico. The brown-eyed boy glared at the other twin as Connor rubbed his cheek against Nico's head. “I will hurt both of you.”

Travis chuckled and grabbed Nico on the boy's other side. “Neeks, don't be silly, you're too small.”

Connor grinned wickedly. “Is he?”

Nico glared and grabbed the Lost Boy's wrist as he attempted to grab Nico's crotch. “No touching.”

The taller of the two twins shrugged. “From what I hear, he's not that small.” He winked and stuck his tongue out at Nico. “But not as big as some of the other guys around here.”

“You two will never find out.”

The Stolls grinned and slung their arms around each other's shoulders. “Never say never, Neeks,” they both chimed.

“We just might accept that challenge,” Travis added.

They all turned when someone cleared their throat. Apparently, the elevator had arrived in the garage, because Leo was standing there with his arms crossed. “Please, can you two behave for once? Nico has enough problems right now.”

Travis grinned and pulled Leo to him. “Now, Leo, don't be like that.”

Connor poked the Latino boy's side. “Yeah, you know you enjoy our company.”

The curly haired Lost Boy smacked Connor's hand away. “That is neither here nor there. The point is that I have stuff to do with Nico.”

Travis winked at Leo. “Oh, I'm sure.”

“Not that kind of stuff, ass.” Leo huffed and grabbed Nico by the wrist. “Come on, Nico. Let's get you away from these two criminals.”

The two twins narrowed their eyes. “Don't start with us...alien,” Travis growled.

Leo tossed them both the bird. “Fuck off.”

Nico blinked as he was led away. That had certainly escalated quickly. What had just happened? As far as Nico was aware, very few things managed to set the twins off. The raven haired boy stared at Leo as the other Lost Boy slammed the driver's side door shut.

“You okay?”

Leo shrugged. “Don't worry about it. They weren't being serious.”

Nico frowned. “They looked serious to me. What was that about anyways?”

“Like I said, don't worry about it.” Leo was frowning as he buckled his seat belt. “Just some old history. As I said, they weren't being serious.” He sighed. “Believe me, you'll know when the twins are upset.” The curly haired Lost Boy glanced at Nico before pulling onto the street. “You going to be okay for tomorrow?”

Nico stared down at his lap. “I don't know.”

“You'll have plenty of support. A few of us are going with you.”

“Are you going?”

Leo shook his head. “I'm holding down the fort while Percy is away.”

Nico perked up a little at that. So Percy was going with him? That was good. “Who else?”

The driver blew out a breath. “I think it's the four siblings: Luke, Annabeth, Apollo, and Thalia.” He shrugged and picked at a spot on his jeans. A fact that made Nico feel uneasy, considering the circumstances for his mourning. “I think of a few of them just wanted to make sure you don't have a confrontation with your father.”

“I don't really care about him,” Nico mumbled. “I mean, I needed to face him at some point, right?”

Leo turned to stare at him briefly. “It's not always cowardly to run. Sometimes...sometimes it's for the best.”

Nico watched Leo as he drove. For such a simple statement, it seemed like it held a deeper meaning. What had happened to Leo and his mother? “Why did they call you an alien? I don't think they meant the green kind from space either.”

Leo let out a sigh. “Long story, and I'm not.” His brow furrowed as he turned his head to look at Nico for a brief second. “Well, technically, I'm not. My mom, she wasn't really born here, you see.” There was another sigh as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I mean, I guess it's not hard to tell, with her thick accent, and she sometimes slips into Spanish without realizing it.”

“So she crossed the border, what's the big deal? She wanted a better life.”

It was odd seeing Leo without his smile. Like the twins, a smirk was Leo's usual setting. “Yeah, well, not everyone agrees. She didn't do it legally, so that's why we ran a lot.” The Latino shook his head. “I just remember being unable to sleep most nights. I was just afraid they would come and take my mother away. Me? I wasn't really sure what to think about myself. Would they take me? Would I get left here and put in the system?”

Nico swallowed as he watched the side of Leo's face. “And Percy offered you protection?”

Leo nodded. “For the first time, I felt safe. Originally, the deal was just for me. But I couldn't just leave my mother out there, so I bargained for her safety. It was just...not as soon as I would have liked.”

“You didn't come here with your mother?” Nico's brow furrowed. Leo shook his head. “So how did you pull it off? For some reason, I don't see it being that easy.”

“Yeah,” Leo whispered. “As you can imagine, it's not easy to pull off a deal with Percy, especially one working in my favor.” The Lost Boy shrugged. “Fortunately for me, I had already begun working in the office. Come on.”

Nico blinked. When had they parked? “So what was it?” He asked upon getting out of the car. Leo arched his brows. “What was it that got you to be able to make the deal?”

“Oh.” Leo finally smirked, which made Nico feel a little better. “I found out that someone that was working for Gaea was embezzling some of her money. A good bit of it, too.” He turned his head to grin at Nico. “She was most pleased with my performance, told Percy to give me whatever I wanted as payment. Naturally, I only wanted one thing.”

“And Percy didn't know about this? I mean, it had to be happening here, or close by, right? How did he not already know about it?”

The other Lost Boy chuckled. “Who said he didn't?” Nico quirked his head. Leo chuckled again. “It was just this smirk that he gave me when we got done calling Gaea. I thought I had caught something big, like I had made a huge discovery. But, sometimes, I think he planned it all.”

Nico held the door to the store open for Leo. He frowned as he stepped in behind his fellow Lost Boy. “So, why did the twins get offended by the criminals remark? You were just joking, right?”

“Sort of,” Leo mumbled. “I wasn't being entirely serious, but I knew it would get to them.”

“Did they get in trouble, or something?”

Leo scrunched his lips, not meeting Nico's eyes. He nudged Nico and headed over to look at some dress shirts. “Not anymore. Well, sort of. You see, the twins may have their jobs, but they also work as profilers for Percy. With their history, they are good at reading customers. They can know if it's best to keep people out, or who could be a big spender. If you want to know how we get our special customers, those two are your answer. Percy has them keep an eye on potential clients, either within the hotel, or other places, and they report back to him.”

Nico frowned as Leo pressed a sleeve into his chest. The Latino shook his head. “So, did they get arrested, or something? Before coming to the Lotus, I mean.”

“Um,” Leo began. He picked out another shirt, a white one, and held it up to Nico. “I think that's a conversation you need to have with them. Yeah, they got in trouble. They don't know this, but Percy was already aware of who they were before he bumped into them on the street. I didn't understand why he had an interest in two thieves. He just kept telling me that they were interesting.”

Nico let out a sigh as Leo held up a black shirt with a few white trims up to him. It looked nice, he supposed. “I'm starting to realize why everyone says things are complicated.”

Leo just smirked at him. “I think this shirt will do.” He tossed the black shirt at Nico. “Let's get you a tie and some pants.”

“And shoes,” Nico mumbled.

Leo smirked. “Those too.” The boy sighed and ran his fingers along one of the racks. “So, how are you holding up?”

“I'm...holding. It just really sucks. And your birthday is in two days, and I feel like the mood is ruined now.”

Leo stopped walking and looked at Nico with a concerned stared. “Hey, man, don't beat yourself up like that.” He smirked again. “Besides, you've already been beaten up enough.”

“Shut up.” The short raven haired boy took a swing at the other Lost Boy. “It's not funny. And I still need to get you something.”

Leo shrugged. “Don't worry about it, dude. This is important.”

Nico poked around at the tie rack. He had never really liked them, prior to his arrival at the hotel. Not much had really changed about it since then, but he now knew they were sometimes appropriate to wear. And his mother had always joked that she never got to see him in enough of them. Maybe, if there was a heaven, she could get to see him in one tomorrow.

“Where's your father?”

Leo looked up at him from over the rack. He frowned and returned to browsing. “Don't know. Mom never really talks about him.”

“You never met him?”

“No. Not sure I want to.” Nico gave him an odd look. “Why would I want to meet someone who abandoned a pregnant woman? My mom did a great job at raising me, and did her best to fill both parental roles.”

The raven haired boy let out a sigh as he fingered a dark red tie. “She seems like a nice woman.” What he did not want to say was that Esperanza sometimes reminded Nico of his mother, in some ways. More in his younger years, before his father “broke” her.

Leo gave a small smile. “What was your mom like anyways? We know your dad's an asshole, but you never talked much about your mom.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He decided to go with the red tie, so he placed it around his shoulders. “She was a quiet woman. When I was little, I had a lot of memories of her. Her smile was always my favorite thing to see. But, as I got older, I remember seeing it less and less.” He sighed and let his shoulders slump. “Bianca says that she was always very attentive of me.” He finally smiled. “I was a small child.” Leo chuckled at him. “I know, it's hard to imagine.”

“Were you trouble?”

The boy scrunched his lips. “Bianca says I was. When she hit puberty, she kind of pushed me away. But when my father got worse, and my mom got more reclusive, Bianca began to step in.” The two walked away from the ties and went in search of shoes. “Bianca says I'd always try and find ways to get in trouble when I was little. Apparently, I liked to go places that would just wind up getting me in trouble.”

Leo smirked and stroked his chin. “Innocent Nico getting in trouble? That's hard to imagine.”

Nico glared at him. “I hate you.”

Leo nudged him. “Oh, whatever, you love me and the others.”

Nico chose to ignore the remark. “I just wish I knew if he hit her. I know he hit me, and I know why he did it, but I don't think I could stand for it if I were to find out my dad hit my mom.”

Leo crouched down in front of one of the shoe aisles. “Did you ever see bruises?”

The raven haired boy shook his head. “But, there are other ways to abuse people. My dad has always been a stressed out man. I mean, we weren't poor, but I do know that he worked himself extra hard to make sure everyone was taken care of.”

Leo tilted his head back to frown up at Nico. “Don't tell me you're defending him. He hit you, Nico!”

Nico gave Leo a look, letting the other know to keep his voice down. “I know that,” Nico hissed. “I'm just saying that he was usually tired when he came home. He didn't really hit me much, until I tried coming out to him.”

“Much,” Leo muttered. “Still means he hit you.”

“Just...I don't know. It wasn't that bad. He was just upset with me, because I wasn't the epitome of masculinity that he wanted me to be.”

Leo sighed and stood up, shoving a pair of black shoes at Nico. “And who is to say what defines a man anyways? A real man doesn't hit his children, or belittle his wife.” The Latino Lost Boy took a few steps before turning around to point a finger at Nico. “A real man is there when their children and spouse need them. Your father has no business telling anyone what a real man is.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he held Leo's gaze. “I wasn't trying to defend my father. The man is an ass, and I don't even love him.”

“Really?” Leo studied Nico, sounding unconvinced. “We'll see. Nico, you need to be ready for tomorrow. Something tells me you're going to have some choices to make.”

\----------------------------------------------

The casket was closed. That was what Nico found himself most upset with. He knew it had been a car accident, so they probably had a hard time getting his mother to look presentable, but now he was truly never going to get to see her again. He sat at the back of the graveside funeral, though Bianca had insisted that they sit together.

Nico's dark eyes found his father's back and he glared at the man. As far as he was concerned, his father was to blame for all of this. It was his father's fault that Nico had not seen his mother for the past few months. It was his father's fault that Nico had been torn away from his sister and mother in the first place.

Percy squeezed his thigh, probably sensing his anger. The boy's dark eyes darted over to meet calm green ones. Percy arched a brow at him, his lips tilted down. Nico looked down as the tall young man leaned towards him. “Calm down,” Percy whispered.

His other hand was currently being held by Annabeth, who was gently patting it. Thalia, oddly enough, had been quiet ever since they arrived. Well, other than quietly hissing things to Luke. But most of all, Nico noticed the hateful glares Thalia gave Hades. When Nico had first pointed out his father, Thalia had attempted to jump on the man. If it had not been for Apollo grabbing her, she might have succeeded.

Nico wiped a fresh set of tears away before nodding to Percy. He had been doing his best to ignore the priest from the church his father used to always drag him to, but the man was beginning to grate on his nerves. He did not want to hear about God right now. If there was a god, Nico wanted nothing to do with him or her right now, not after they took his mother.

Nico's brown eyes returned to his father's back. The man was slouching, which was uncommon for him. He was visibly upset, from what Nico had seen, another thing that was uncommon for the man. Nico just wanted the service to end. He wanted to go to his mother's casket, and he wanted his sister with him. He wanted to be beside his mother, one last time, before they lowered her body into the ground.

It was not a large service, nor was it a small one. His mother had been a likable person, and all of her close friends had come, as well as some family. And Nico wanted to be away from all of them. There would surely be questions about his whereabouts, should he be seen.

He wiped at his nose again and stared at his mother's black casket. Nico just wanted to see his mother again. Why couldn't he be a kid again, hugging his mother's leg as she baked? He just wanted to be able to look up and see her smiling down at him. She did not deserve to have her life ripped away like this. If it had to be one of his parents, there was one he would have preferred.

Nico sighed and stared down at his lap. He shook his head. He did not need to be thinking like that. His mother would be very disappointed in him if she had heard him thinking like that. But, then again, there were probably a lot of things his mother would be disappointed in him about, if she was still alive for him to tell her.

As the service concluded, some of the people began to make their way back to their cars. Some people walked by the front row, paying their respects to the family that sat there. No one came to Nico, though, if they even knew he was there. Perhaps they did not know he was there, and perhaps it was better that way.

Bianca turned to look at him while some old woman stood in front of her and Hades. She looked a little familiar to Nico. Possibly a distant relation? Nico stared back at his sister for a long time. He knew she wanted him to come up there and be with her, but Nico also knew he could not do that. Hell, Percy and the others probably would refuse to let him go up there.

“Thank you for bringing Nico, Percy.”

Nico frowned and broke eye contact with his sister when a soft hand stroked his hair. He looked up to find Minerva standing over him. He felt Percy pat his leg before the young man stood up.

“It was the least I could do,” Percy said, holding his hand out to shake Quintus's hand. “You must be Daedalus's father?”

The man nodded. “Yes,” he replied before turning his attention to Nico. “I didn't get a chance to speak with you the other day, Nico, but I'm very sorry about your loss.”

Nico offered up a weak smile before looking down at his lap. The tips of Percy's fingers brushed through his bangs. “I'm going to make sure he's taken care of, don't worry.”

“Oh.” Minerva reached into her purse. “I don't suppose I could get some additional contact information, could I?” Percy smiled at her. “Well, I mean, I'm sure Nico is just fine there, but it would just ease my mind if you were able to contact me if something were wrong.”

“Of course.” The young man nudged Apollo's foot. “Keep an eye on him, I'll be right back.”

Apollo nodded. Thalia let out a sigh and stood up, walking around to stand behind the curly haired blond's chair. Annabeth stared down at her own lap, picking at her black dress, though there was no imperfections to be found on it.

Annabeth reached down and picked up her purse. From it, she pulled a red rose. “Here, for your mom's casket.”

Nico pursed his lips and silently accepted the flower. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“I'm sure she was a very nice lady.” Apollo gave him a lopsided smile. “I never really knew my mom, she died giving birth to me and my sister.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “How is that supposed to help anything?”

“It's fine,” Nico muttered. “It doesn't bother me.” He felt Thalia squeeze his shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”

Annabeth slid her arm around him. “We figured you could use all the support you could get. Just be glad the whole lot of us didn't come.”

Suddenly, Luke shot to his feet, muttering a curse under his breath. Nico furrowed his brow and followed the blond's gaze. His face instantly paled.

Nico's father was heading right for them, looking as angry as the night he had kicked Nico out. “What the hell are you doing here, queer?” Nico heard Apollo growl. “I thought you were dead. Why couldn't it be you, instead of her?”

“Sir,” Annabeth began, “I think you should go back to your family.”

“Yeah,” Apollo growled.

Hades glared down at his son. “This...abomination has no business being here. He is no longer part of this family.”

Nico's eyes widened as Hades made to move towards Nico. However, the man was met by Luke's firm chest. The blond narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think you better leave...sir.”

“None of you have any business getting involved in any of this. Who are you people anyways?”

“The people that are about to kick your ass.” Nico's eyes widened again as Thalia made to dive over the chairs. Apollo managed to get to his feet and restrain her, though the raven haired girl continued to kick and claw in Hades's direction. “You fucking asshole. Who the hell gives you the right to treat your child like that?”

Hades glared at the short girl, who did not seem to be bothered by the large height difference between them in the least. “God did. His kind have no place in this world.”

“Dad!” Bianca was there now, glaring at their father. “Leave him alone.”

Hades turned around, but pointed at Nico. “Did you know about this?”

“Yes,” she replied, crossing her arms. “And I'm glad I found him.”

The man bristled and turned back to Nico. “I want you to stay away from my daughter. You've already done enough, I don't need more problems from you.”

Apollo slapped a hand over Thalia's mouth before she could yell at the man. Hades was then blocked by Luke's chest again, cutting his vision off of Nico. Annabeth, however, still appeared to be calm. Out of the four of them, she was the only one not glaring at Hades.

Annabeth finally took Nico's hand and got them to their feet. With Luke still blocking Hades, Annabeth began to lead Nico away from the scene. With much resistance, Apollo dragged the kicking Thalia behind them. Nico looked back to find Luke still standing there. He slowed down, which Annabeth noticed.

“Luke, come on.” The blond Lost Boy turned his head to stare at Annabeth. “Stay out of trouble.”

Luke grunted before walking away from a fuming Hades. Nico wiped at his eyes and gave a small wave to his sister before letting Annabeth lead him towards the van. Why did his father have to bother him? All he had wanted to do was pay his respects to his mother.

“Nico!”

Nico slowly turned to see what his sister wanted. His eyes widened as he found his father coming towards him again, his fists clenched this time. He jerked Nico away from Annabeth. Luke turned and began to step in, but stopped suddenly. They all stood there. Hades drew his hand back and Nico shut his eyes. “No son of mine is going to be a faggot.”

When the punch never came, Nico cracked an eye open. Hades was still standing in front of him, but someone had grabbed his arm. Nico removed himself from Hades's grasp and took a step back. Percy stood behind Hades, a firm grip tightly wrapped around the man's wrist.

“Who the hell are you?” Hades asked as he jerked his arm away from Percy.

Percy shrugged as he walked around to stand behind Nico. “I suppose you could call me his guardian. You know, since you abandoned your own son to survive on the streets.”

“To die,” Thalia growled.

Percy's green eyes tossed her a look from the corner of his eye. The raven haired girl pursed her lips and took a step back. When Percy returned his gaze to Hades, Nico found them to be several shades darker. Not good, Nico thought. He had learned by now that, while Percy could appear calm, his eyes would always reflect his true emotion. And right now, Percy was furious.

“Now,” Percy continued, “I don't appreciate you trying to strike someone that is under my care.” Nico tilted his head back to get a better look at Percy. “And I've made several promises, to Nico and others, to make sure he stays safe.”

“Looks like you've done a great job,” Hades spat.

“Like you even care,” Thalia snapped.

Percy let out a sigh. “If we're done here, I'd like to get going.”

“No, we are not.” Hades glared at Percy. “This child needs to be cleansed. I'm going to send him off for therapy.”

The next few seconds went by in a flash. Hades made to grab Nico, but Percy put his hand in a death grip. Nico was pulled back, into Percy's chest. Percy's free hand was tightly wrapped around Nico's waist, while the young man held Hades's gaze.

A shiver ran down Nico's spine as he looked up at Percy. The manager finally released Hades's wrist and wrapped both of his arms around Nico. There was a dangerous look in the young man's eye, and Nico half expected to see a forked tongue shoot out from between the Adonis's lips. Once again, Percy reminded Nico of a snake, ready to strike the man in front of them if he dared to grab the boy in his arms.

“Nico is not yours anymore.” Hades narrowed his eyes, but Percy did not release his hold on Nico's waist. His voice was firm and challenging. Nico became painfully aware of the fact that he was shaking, though he felt perfectly safe. Percy smirked and rested his chin on Nico's shoulder. “Nico. Is. Mine.”

Everything was eerily silent. The Lost Kids seemed hesitant to move, let alone speak. Bianca stood there with wide eyes, eyes drifting between Nico and the young man holding him. Even Daedalus and his parents were standing there, watching them.

And Hades was fuming. His face was red, fists clenched tightly at his sides. “This isn't over,” he spat at Percy, pointing a finger in the young man's face, before storming off.

The young man finally released his hold on Nico's waist. Nico looked up to find his eyes hidden, but a smirk on his face. Annabeth looked a little pale as she gently took Nico by the wrist and led him towards the van. As they walked past, Nico found the other three staring at Percy in bewilderment.

It was not until they were in the van that it all finally hit Nico. What had Percy said to his father? Mine. That was what Percy had said. But did he mean it, in the way that Nico wanted him to? When Percy got in the van, he hoped for an answer, but the young man just cranked the vehicle and drove.

The drive back was awkwardly silent. During the drive, Nico had realized he was still holding the rose that Annabeth had given him, though he had, apparently, broken the stem at some point. By the time they got back to the hotel, Nico felt sick.

Apollo helped him out of the van, immediately feeling his head. “You don't look so good.”

Percy stopped and stared at Nico. “Help him up to his room.”

Nico shook his head and grabbed Percy before he could walk away. “I want to stay in your room tonight.”

A lot of eyes watched Percy as the young man stared down at Nico. The young man finally gave a nod, easing Nico's nerves. He felt even better when Percy held his hand out for Nico. The boy stepped away from the others and let Percy drape an arm around Nico.

He found himself being stared at by the other Lost Kids during their time in the elevator. The one that bothered him the most was Annabeth, who looked like she was examining everything about Nico and Percy. But none of them said anything, which sort of surprised Nico. He figured they would have some words of protest.

When Luke and Nico locked gazes, the boy shuddered. The blond looked irritated. His eyes kept drifting between Nico's eyes and the hand on the boy's shoulder. Percy cleared his throat when the elevator stopped. “All of you need to get to work.”

Without objection, the elevator emptied. However, Percy did not speak again. They rode up a floor in silence, and even walked down the hall in the same fashion. Nico shifted his weight between his legs while Percy pulled out his keycard. During this time, Rachel came out of Percy's office. She froze and blinked at them for a moment. Percy just stared back at her with dull eyes before pushing Nico into his suite.

Nico made a noise in his throat when he felt Percy touch his chin. The young man forced Nico to look up at him. But, before Nico could question him, Percy wiped at Nico's eyes. Nico frowned when Percy stepped away to get some tissues. During this time, he touched at his face. A warm wetness met his fingers. He had not even realized he had been crying.

Percy held out the tissue for Nico, which was taken with a weak smile. The boy sniffed and wiped at his eyes, though more tears just appeared to take their place. “Come on,” Percy whispered. He led Nico over to the couch, where he had the boy lie down. “I'm going to be in and out of here for most of the rest of the day, but if you need me, you can just call me.”

Nico nodded. Percy brushed at Nico's bangs before standing up. He handed Nico the TV remote and walked towards his bedroom. Nico just sniffled again and stared at the ceiling. “Can't you just stay here?”

“I can't, I'm sorry. But I'll be coming in and out to check on you. And I'll be back as soon as we close upstairs.”

Nico sighed and curled up into a ball. He felt the couch shift, and he looked down to stare at Percy. The young man smiled at him while he worked on his tie. Nico slid himself up, letting himself end up brushing Percy's shoulder.

The young man hummed and ran a hand down Nico's back, while his other hand worked to get his shoes on. He was so warm, Nico thought. The boy just wanted him to stay there with him, to keep him warm and safe.

Before he could really think about what he was doing, Nico positioned himself to sit in Percy's lap. A soft smile touched at Percy's lips as he rested a hand on Nico's waist. “You okay?” Percy whispered.

Nico nodded before wrapping his arms around Percy's neck. He let his head fall onto the Adonis's shoulder, his legs now underneath him, on either side of Percy. “I just want you to stay here, though.” Percy stared back at him, letting Nico run his fingers through the back of his hair. “Please stay?”

The young man sat back against the couch. “I'll see if I can come back early, okay? I'm going to be here for you, but I also have a business to run.” Nico sighed, letting Percy run his calloused fingers through his hair. “You going to be okay without me for a while?”

The Lost Boy frowned, but nodded. He let his head fall as Percy took a hold of his waist. With a quick peck to the side of Nico's head, Percy plucked him from his lap and sat him aside. Nico let out another sigh, already missing the young man's warmth.

After Percy left, Nico was left in a depressing silence. He tried to watch TV, but found it did not satisfy him. He wanted human contact, he wanted comfort. He wanted Percy. And, as he watched the clock, he realized it would be a while before the young man was done for the night.

Unfortunately, Percy did not come by to check on him. Instead, Leo, Rachel, Clarisse, or Ethan came by to check on him. The first two were very talkative, but the latter two just seemed interested in if he was still breathing or not.

“Why hasn't Percy come down yet?” Nico sighed as Leo made to leave.

The Latino boy sighed. “He's just busy, and stuff.”

Nico frowned. “'Stuff'? What 'stuff'?”

Leo blew out a breath. “Just busy with work, nothing to worry about.”

The pale boy hung his head and nodded. “Okay. Just let him know that I'm still breathing.”

“You'll be all right, dude.”

Nico sighed and fell back on the couch after Leo shut the door. Perhaps he would have been better off in his own suite. Though, it would just be as empty as this one. At times, he wished it was fine for him to have company over. But, that could very well lead to questions he was not ready to answer.

The hours crept by at a snail's pace for Nico. A little after midnight, Nico padded down the hall, and crawled into Percy's bed. He did not get under the covers, just curled up in a ball and cried some more. He missed his mother. He missed her cooking, her perfume, her smile, and her touch.

He got so caught up with crying, that he did not even hear the door open. It was not until he felt fingers brushing through his hair that he realized Percy had returned. He wiped at his eyes and looked up, being met by warm, green eyes.

“Hey,” Percy whispered.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled.

The young man laid down behind Nico, propping himself up on an arm. “I heard you wanted my attention.”

The boy just grunted. Percy sighed and began stroking Nico's hair. It was a soothing touch, one that managed to wash away a lot of Nico's current depression. He felt better when Percy was around, especially close by.

Nico's heart was pounding in his chest as he lay there, letting Percy play with his hair. A lot of things had been going on through his head during Percy's absence. And, if he were in a better state of mind, perhaps he would have thought better about what he was about to do, but he really did not care at the moment. He just wanted Percy, and the comfort that came with the young man.

Percy blinked at him as the boy rolled over. It was the smile that Percy gave him that finally made up his mind. It was a genuine one, Nico's favorite. Without putting further thought into it, Nico moved forward and pressed their lips together.

The green-eyed young man was completely still for several seconds, which made Nico nervous. But then the young man kissed him back. It was quick, and over much sooner than Nico's liking, but it was better than nothing.

Percy frowned as he sat up and pressed his back against the headboard. “Nico, you don't need to do that,” he whispered.

Nico sat up and crawled forward, so that he was seated in the young man's lap. He frowned as he took a firm grip of Percy's shirt. “Yes, I do. I really need you.”

Both of Percy's hands reached up to hold his. “You're upset, and not thinking clearly. Nico, think about what you're doing.”

“I have. I want you, Percy. I've wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I just wish you would see me as more than an employee.” The young man froze when Nico reached out and touched his cheek. “You can deny it all you want, but I know you have feelings for me. I know you want me.”

There was no trace of a smile or frown on Percy's face now. He just stared into Nico's brown orbs with an emotionless stare. “I've never denied that I wanted you, Nico. I plainly said that you were a big temptation for me. But that doesn't mean we need to do this.”

“Please,” Nico whispered.

It was at that moment that Nico realized something shocking. Percy was shaking. He did not look scared, nor did he look angry, but he was shaking. The young man finally sighed and dropped his hands from Nico's own hands.

Nico continued to hold Percy's gaze. “There's nothing I want more. I just...need this right now. I need you right now.”

In an instant, Percy shot forward and captured Nico's lips. The shaking stopped, Percy's hands now cupping Nico's cheeks. The boy sat there in shock for a few seconds, while Percy closed his eyes and moved his lips against Nico's.

The boy finally sighed and opened his mouth, allowing Percy's tongue to slide inside. He gasped when Percy flung him on his back, sliding a hand under the boy's dress shirt. “Why haven't you gotten out of this uncomfortable thing yet?” Percy rasped in his ear.

Nico just panted and rutted his hips up into Percy's crotch. Percy's fingers expertly worked down each of the buttons on Nico's shirt, until Nico's pale chest lay beneath him. The Lost Boy's breath hitched when Percy's fingers slid down his soft stomach.

“Percy,” Nico panted, digging his nails into Percy's clothed back.

The young man pulled back, a smirk plastered on his lips. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the boy's soft lips. “Are you sure you want to do this?” He whispered.

Even though there was a smirk resting on Percy's lips, Nico felt as if it did not belong there. The sound of Percy's voice, it gave it away. He sounded concerned, almost hesitant. Nico ran a hand under Percy's shirt, feeling the young man's perfect stomach.

His answer came in the form of a kiss on Percy's lips. He grabbed the young man by the back of the neck and pulled Percy down, deepening the kiss. He wanted Percy. All of Percy. One by one, each of Percy's buttons were undone before Nico. The young man sat up and slid the fabric off his shoulders.

Nico reached out and traced each of Percy's abs. The young man smiled and leaned forward, capturing Nico's hand. The Lost Boy watched in wonder as the manager raised his pale fingers up to be kissed. From there, he placed Nico's hands above his head and hovered over the smaller boy.

Nico let out a loud moan as Percy descended on his neck. During this, Percy worked to remove Nico from his pants and underwear. Percy grunted and pulled away. Nico frowned at him, but understood what the young man was doing as soon as he got lower.

The Lost Boy chuckled as he watched Percy work to get his shoes off, which earned him a glare. “Don't laugh. I hate shoes during sex, they are too clunky.”

“Kiss me,” Nico breathed out.

Percy was back on top of him in an instant. Nico moaned and wrapped his arms around Percy, as the young man kissed his neck, chest, and lips. While this went on, Percy also worked to remove himself from his own pants. Once finished, he pressed his knee between Nico's legs. More precisely, against the boy's crotch.

Nico found himself being pulled into Percy's lap, where the manager devoured his neck. A tan hand found its way to Nico's backside, where it groped both of the boy's pale cheeks before sliding a finger between them.

Percy's eyes were dilated when Nico pulled back. The young man sat there before him, lust-filled eyes, panting, and almost naked. “Off,” Nico whined, tugging on Percy's green boxer-briefs.

The young man smiled and grabbed Nico's hand. With a quick kiss to it, he placed it to Nico's side and grabbed his own underwear. Jumping off the bed, he slid the fabric down, revealing his naked form to Nico. Much too soon for Nico's liking, Percy was back on top of him. Not that he did not like the young man's touch, it was just he wanted to admire the body more.

He let out a quiet moan when Percy brushed his fingers against his entrance. Closing his eyes, he let Percy do the work. He heard the drawer open, and he instantly knew what was coming. Not long after, the cool feel of lube touched his entrance. Percy leaned down and captured Nico's lips as he pressed a finger inside.

Nico's breath and hips hitched when Percy hit a spot inside of him. He let out a long moan and sucked on Percy's bottom lip. Percy smiled down at him and pecked him quickly on the lips. One of Nico's hands wandered down and wrapped around Percy's rather large manhood, giving it a few strokes. Percy let out a breathy moan and thrust his hips into Nico's hand.

There was so much warmth radiating from Percy's body. They had not even fully begun yet, and Nico was already beginning to show signs of sweating. Nico let out another moan, Percy's finger brushing against that spot inside of him again. When Percy moved to lie on top of him more, Nico reached around and grabbed Percy's smooth, firm ass, pulling the young man closer.

With a quick peck to the lips, Percy pulled away. Nico whined, while Percy leaned over to open the nightstand again. However, this did provide Nico with a good view of Percy's nude form. His eyes locked on to the manhood that rested between the young man's long legs.

Percy soon returned to his resting spot between Nico's legs. He pressed a hand beside Nico's face and hovered over the boy. “I really want you to think about this before we go farther, Nico.”

Nico frowned as he stared up at Percy. The young man's black hair hung in his face, blocking Nico's view of his eyes. The boy reached up and brushed the strands of hair away to find hesitant eyes. “I've thought about this for a long time, Percy.” He reached up and pulled Percy down for a quick kiss. “I've thought long and hard about it, and who I wanted my first time to be with. I just...I want this.”

Percy remained still. The boy beneath him fidgeted under the intense gaze he was receiving. Percy finally tilted his head to the side and leaned in to capture Nico's lips once again. In the back of his mind, Nico heard the distinct sound of the condom wrapper tearing, but Percy's lips were managing to keep the bulk of his attention. It was not until he felt the tip of Percy's head pressing against him that he truly acknowledged what was happening.

But, instead of proceeding, Percy just hovered above him. When Nico looked into his eyes, there was a brief second where the boy caught the dull glimpse that was coming from within those green orbs. He was not really looking at Nico, but perhaps through him.

The green-eyed Adonis finally let out a sigh and lifted Nico's legs up. “This is going to hurt a little.”

Nico had expected as much. He was very thin, after all. And Percy, well, he was not that small down there. However, he had not expected the sting that hit him the second Percy pushed into him. He bit down on his lip to prevent a scream.

“Shh.” Percy soothed him with a kiss. “The head is always the worst part.”

Nico winced again when Percy pushed forward more. “How much more?”

A small kiss to the boy's forehead. “I've only just started. Are you sure you don't want to stop?”

Nico nodded. It did not seem to convince Percy that much, probably since Nico's body had begun to shake. But Percy continued. He placed his hands on either side of Nico, causing Nico's legs to rise more, and slid deeper into the shorter male. Nico, on his part, clamped down on Percy's back, digging his nails into the young man's shoulders.

It stung. A lot. But Nico was going to endure the pain, because he knew pleasure would follow eventually. He just wished it would be sooner, rather than later. Percy's tongue slid into his mouth. And Percy's hand began to rub at his side, probably in a distraction attempt. How much longer was this going to go for?

Percy pulled back from the kiss with a moan. Nico was panting on Percy's pillow. It took him a few seconds, but he finally realized Percy had stopped moving. The young man brushed his cheek before leaning down for a quick kiss. “There, the worst part is over. Just give it a second, and tell me when to move.”

The boy on the bed just reached up and pulled Percy down for another kiss. He just wanted them to remain like this for a moment. He was being intimate with Percy, he wanted it to last. But he decided to go ahead and nod, giving Percy the okay to proceed.

For all Nico had seen in the video with Luke and Percy, the young man was being very slow and gentle. Percy even leaned down to kiss Nico's shoulder at one point. After several excruciatingly slow thrusts, Percy took a hold of Nico's hips. When Nico looked up, he found Percy gritting his teeth.

“What's wrong?”

Percy shook his head. He dropped, so that his head was on the pillow, beside Nico. “You're just...really tight. And I'm trying really hard not to go too fast.”

Nico kissed the side of the young man's head. “You can go faster.”

Percy pushed himself up, his eyes were now hazed over. “I don't want to hurt you. This is your first time, and your hips are very small. If I go too hard or fast, you'll be feeling it in the morning.”

The boy ran his fingertips over Percy's bare arms, enjoying the feel of muscle. “It's not like I'm going to be doing anything-ah!” Percy smirked down at him. He could have warned Nico about the oncoming thrust. He went to open his mouth, but Percy began slowly rocking his hips into Nico's small frame.

The pain, while still present, was not as unbearable as it had been. Now, it was more like a fingernail digging into his skin. A very large fingernail. But Percy was being patient. Nico felt so small, though. Percy, hovering over Nico, seemed so much bigger than him. Also, Nico was finding out that he could, in fact, put his legs over his head.

Percy had him pressed into the mattress by this point, sweat starting to form on his chest. Nico was probably the sweatier of the two, as his hair was completely matted down to his forehead. Percy continued to thrust in and out of the boy, eliciting a moan each time he drove in.

Very slowly, Percy's hips began moving faster. And, through it all, he did not lower Nico's legs from his shoulders. Their faces constantly remained inches apart, which Nico took advantage of immensely. Percy's kisses were soft, yet feverish. He seemed to enjoy playing with Nico's bottom lip.

Nico clamped his eyes shut, digging his nails into Percy's arm. Percy, on his part, had made a direct hit to Nico's prostate, and a very loud moan escaped the boy's lips. That seemed to also let Percy know that he could go faster, because that was exactly what he did.

He maneuvered a hand up to cup Nico's cheek, kissing the boy deeply. It was broken, however, when Percy delivered a deep, hard thrust into Nico. The boy's head fell back in an open, silent moan. His eyes saw white for a few seconds. But it did not hurt. No, it felt...amazing.

If this was what he could expect from sex with Percy, he understood why the others had called it so addicting. Percy was a drug, pure and simple. A drug with high stamina. Nico was now wondering if he was going to end up regretting what he said about making things last. From what he could tell, Percy was going to last for a while.

But another kiss from Percy made him stop caring about that fact. He just shut his eyes and let out moan after moan, as Percy slid into him.

Eventually, Percy got on his knees, Nico's legs now aimed directly to the ceiling. The young man took a firm grip of Nico's weeping member and began to stroke it. Nico moaned long and loud, as Percy delivered several fast, and precise thrusts. By this point, they were both covered in sweat. Percy looked arousing, though. With his hair matted down, and his body covered in sweat, Nico found it to be a heavy stimulant to look at.

Nico gasped as Percy continued with his thrusts and strokes. This caused Percy to moan as well, as Nico began to tighten around his member. Nico let his head fall back and he released the loudest moan he had all night. His seed shot out, covering Percy's hand and Nico's stomach. But Percy, he was not done.

Nico's loud moan turned into breathy gasps as Percy continued to drive into him, over and over again. He finally found his voice and moaned again as Percy picked him up. He clung to Percy's back, letting the young man lower and raise him onto the large dick inside of him.

Percy let out a moan, and Nico pulled back to look at him. The young man had his eyes tightly shut, as well as a death grip on Nico's thin waist. He would probably have a bruise there in the morning. Percy grasped the back of his head and slammed their mouths together, immediately beginning to devour the boy's lips.

The green-eyed Adonis released a moan into Nico's mouth and thrust a final time. Nico moaned back, feeling Percy's arousal spasm inside of him. Percy released him, letting Nico fall onto the bed. A few seconds later, Percy was laying on top of him, breathing heavily in his ear.

He did not think it would be a big deal, but when Percy removed himself from Nico, the boy found himself a little sad. It was like feeling whole, and then having a portion taken away. But Percy was still close by, so he did not think much more on those feelings.

The young man sat on the edge of the bed and tossed his used condom in the trash. With a content sigh, he hopped up and left the room, only to return seconds later with a towel. He leaned in and kissed Nico, while he worked to clean the boy up.

But, when Percy pulled back, instead of being met with a smile, he found a frown. And Percy just sat there, staring at him. Nico let out a breath and trailed his fingers down Percy's bare chest. He could feel the young man's heart still pounding heavily in his chest. Nico's own was doing the same, though he soon realized it was for another reason.

Or perhaps a problem. One that part of him hoped would never arise. Things were already complicated enough for him, he did not need this to add on to it.

Percy kissed his forehead and got up again. Nico decided to take the opportunity to enjoy the sight of Percy's firm ass walking away. And it was an opportunity well invested. The young man's body had to have been sculpted, there was no other explanation for it.

The lights were turned off, and Nico soon felt the bed shift beside him. He scooted over and was prepared to lay on his side, away from Percy, but was immediately pulled towards the young man. He sighed and let his head rest on the still sweaty chest, chewing on his lip. As exhausted as he was, he was not going to fall asleep that easily tonight. He had a problem.

Nico di Angelo was in love with Percy Jackson.


	30. Sleep Now, My Child, Your Time's Coming Soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what I'm doing with some of these chapter titles. I'm still rolling with a sort of dark lullaby theme.

The sunlight was not kind on Nico's eyes the next morning. The boy's forehead wrinkled as he slid deeper into the sheets. He refused to open his eyes, only letting out a deep sigh. He was not ready to be awake. But it seemed he was not going to get to go back to sleep, as a phone went off behind him. This was when he was met with a surprise.

A pair of lips pressed against his shoulder, accompanied by some movement in the bed. He felt a body shift and the phone stopped ringing. “Hello?” Percy's groggy voice came from behind him.

Nico rolled over with a confused look. The manager was now sitting up in bed, phone pressed against his ear. Without even looking, he ran his fingers through Nico's hair. Nico's brow furrowed as he studied the manager. This was a first. He had been starting to think he would never get to wake up to someone in the bed with him the next morning.

“Give me an hour and I'll be there. Yeah, I know what time it is.” Percy groaned and leaned his head back. “We'll talk later, I'm busy right now.”

Nico's eyebrow rose as he watched Percy set the phone down on the nightstand. “You're still in bed.”

Percy smiled and slid back under the covers. “That I am.” With little protest on the brown-eyed boy's part, Nico was pulled against Percy's chest. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm okay,” Nico whispered. “Just...sort of wanting to not do anything today.”

Percy did not respond to that right away. He quietly rubbed circles into Nico's back. “Well, you should take it easy today, at least as much as possible.”

Nico frowned and rolled onto his stomach, resting his chin on Percy's chest. It was also just dawning on him that they were still completely naked. He might have taken advantage of that fact by pushing the sheets down Percy's body. The manager chuckled when Nico lifted the sheets.

“Find something you like?”

Nico's cheeks lit up. “Shut up,” he mumbled. “And yes.”

Nico's cheeks darkened further when Percy's hand slid down to feel his ass. “So have I.” The boy glared at him, though he did not stop Percy from what he was doing. “But you shouldn't try getting up too fast.”

“Why's that?”

“Oh, you'll find out eventually.” It bothered Nico slightly when Percy failed to add his signature grin to that. In fact, all traces of the manager's smile seemed to have vanished. “I am going to have to leave for work soon,” he pulled Nico closer, “but I'm also tempted to continue our activities from last night.”

Nico bit down on his lip. “No objections from the receiving party.” Percy laughed, allowing Nico to breathe easier. “How sore am I going to be, though?”

The young man blew out a breath. “Pretty sore, if we go again. That's why I'm debating if it's a good idea.” He grabbed Nico and laid him on his back, hovering over him. From this position, he also gave Nico a view of what rested under the sheets. “But, I think we'll wait for another time to do that again.” Percy's lips tilted down as he got up and sat on the edge of the bed.

He was stunning, Nico thought. Perfect. Every inch of skin was the same color, not even a hint of tan lines. And Percy's eyes seemed like two emeralds in the morning light. Though, they seemed to lack some of their usual sparkle. There was just something off about Percy's mood this morning. It was like he could not quite figure out if he was happy or sad.

This was when Nico noticed the red marks on Percy's back. His face turned red. “Um, I might have been a little rough with my nails last night.”

The corner of Percy's lips tilted up. “It's not a big deal,” he said calmly with a shrug. “Besides,” he grinned, “you've got a hickey, and bruises on your hips.” Nico's face resembled a tomato as he shot up. A sharp pain coursed through his lower back, and he let out a hiss. “Told you that you'd be sore.”

Nico glared at him as he stood up. Percy's eyebrows rose as he watched Nico's naked form get up and walk to the mirror. Nico let out a sigh as he observed the small hickey on his neck. It was not that bad, but it would be noticeable. At least he could hide the small bruises that were now on his hips. His eyes found Percy's in the mirror.

Percy offered him a lazy smile. “Have I told you how nice your ass is?”

The boy rolled his eyes. “You're horrible.” He winced and placed a hand against his lower back. “People are going to see the hickey.”

Percy released a long breath as Nico walked back to bed. “Oh, trust me, they'll know we had sex for other reasons.” Nico quirked an eyebrow at him. “You're limping.”

Nico collapsed on the bed, laying on his stomach. Percy hummed in appreciation as he felt of Nico's bare ass again. “I was hoping that it could just stay private,” Nico mumbled.

The hand on his body froze. “I, um, don't think that'll happen.” Nico rolled onto his side to look at the young man. “A deal is a deal, Nico, and you broke your end,” Percy whispered.

Nico curled up, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. What had he done? Percy reached over and placed the covers over Nico's body. “You-you can't...please.”

“I'm sorry, Nico,” Percy whispered. He was now sitting up, though he did not move from the bed. “I didn't want this for you. I asked you to reconsider.”

“I know.” Nico's eyes began to brim over with tears. If things had not been bad enough for him already, his mistake might end up destroying him. No, it had not been a mistake. He had wanted to be with Percy, but he had not wanted the consequences. Why did they have to be there? “Can't you just not go through with it?”

Percy let out a sigh. “I...can't. It wouldn't be fair to the others. I told you that you couldn't do something like this without consequence.” Raven haired locks shook as Percy's head did the same. “You had a special circumstance, and I needed there to be something in there to balance it out. I wish...I wish you hadn't of gone through with it.”

“You regret what happened?” Nico barely managed to get out.

“No, I don't.” Percy's hand rested near Nico's face, supporting the young man's weight. “I regret the circumstances, not the action.” Percy's head was lowered, searching the bed for something that was not there. “I'm just disappointed, that's all.” That stung. Nico's chest ached deeply. “Look, things are just complicated. You knew what this would mean.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. A lone tear slid from his eye. “I just wanted you, and I was upset.”

Percy's other hand reached over to brush some of the boy's hair away. “I know you were, and that's one of the reasons I did let it happen. But-this is what has to happen, I'm sorry.”

Nico was not sure if he should feel angry or depressed. And who with was the better question. Himself was the best choice, even if he did want to be upset with Percy. It had been what Nico had wanted, and Percy had simply given him that. And it was not like Percy was gloating over the fact that Nico now had to suffer the consequences of his actions.

“When?”

Percy sighed and pulled his hand back. “Tonight.”

Nico's stomach twisted into a knot. “Already?” He sat up, ignoring the pain. “Can't I have a few more days? I'm still healing from the fight, and my mom...” Panic had laced every inch of the boy's voice. He shut his eyes after hearing himself. He sounded near pathetic. Why had he been so stupid?

The manager moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “I'm sorry, Nico. It's best to just get it over with, trust me.” He stood up and walked across the room to find a fresh change of clothes. “The girls will help you hide your bruises.” When he turned back around, Nico was met with a blank look. “And I want you to see Octavian before dinner.” He broke eye contact as he slid a pair of boxers on. “Get dressed.”

Nico just sat, frozen, on the bed. His body shook. Percy, now with a pair of pants on, crouched beside the bed and wiped some of the tears from his eyes. “Percy,” was all the boy could get out.

“Everything will be okay, Nico. I'll be there when it's over, I swear.” He reached down and picked up the boy's underwear. “Now come on, I'll take you back to your room before I head to my office.”

When Nico found himself unable to move, Percy pursed his lips. Without any words of irritation, Percy calmly slid Nico's legs into his underwear. Nico's eyes met with Percy's when his head was slipped through the shirt he had worn yesterday.

A small kiss was placed onto Nico's palm. “You need to calm down. Just for tonight, and then I won't make you do it again until you've gone back to work.” He handed Nico his pants. “Okay?”

The boy wiped at his face before nodding. His eyes remained glued to the floor as he accepted his pants from the taller raven haired male. Without much effort, he slipped into them and stood up. Percy attempted to meet his gaze, but the boy would not look up. The manager finally sighed and reached up to button the boy's shirt.

“And you do have to be somewhere today.”

Nico frowned and finally looked up. Percy was slipping on his own shirt. “Where?”

“It's Leo's birthday, remember?”

Nico sighed and nodded. “I never got him a present,” he whispered.

Percy slid an arm around the boy's waist as he led Nico out of the bedroom. “Don't worry about that.”

Nico looked up. “Aren't you going to shower?”

The manager's other hand reached over and fixed a strand of Nico's hair. “I'll come back at lunch and take one.”

“Sorry for making you late,” Nico mumbled as Percy shut his door.

“Don't be.” Percy smiled at him, leading the boy towards the elevator. “I chose to stay in bed.”

Nico's heart was still in overdrive when he opened his door. Jason looked up from a bowl of cereal, still in his pajamas, and blinked at them. Percy tossed the blond a small wave from the hallway. Nico blew out a breath and turned away from his roommate. “Can I see you before?” He asked.

Percy nodded. “Of course.” Nico looked down when he felt his hand being squeezed. He looked up with a small smile. Percy returned it. “Get some rest, go see Octavian, and I'll see you tonight.” The smile he gave Nico was far from genuine. “Well, I'll see you shortly for the party, but you know what I'm trying to say. Try not to worry too much about it.”

Nico's head nodded. He let the door shut softly, letting out a small sigh upon its closing. He could feel another tear creeping down his cheek. When he turned around, Jason was staring at him. The blond sat there quietly, chewing his cereal. “Is that a hickey?”

Nico barely managed to choke back a sob.

“Sorry,” the blond mumbled, looking down at his bowl. “So, I guess you did the deed and will be joining the rest of us in our hell-I mean job?”

The raven haired boy found his hands shaking. “I really don't want to talk about it,” he whispered. “I'm sure the others are going to throw it in my face.”

Jason shrugged his broad shoulders. “If you're so upset about it, I just don't understand why you'd do it.” His blue eyes locked with Nico's brown ones. “Sex is not worth what you're going to have to go through, even if it was with Percy.” His brow furrowed. “Why would you give all that freedom you had up, for what we have?”

“I didn't feel very free,” Nico mumbled. He rubbed his arm and shifted his weight. His eyes shifted a few times, until they met Jason's. “I was upset, and I let feelings get in the way.”

“Crushing on the boss is not healthy,” Nico's roommate mumbled around some cereal. “Especially ours.”

Nico frowned. “Percy is not as bad as he makes himself out to be. He's a nice person.”

Jason's eyes flickered up, mouth open, ready to eat another spoonful of his breakfast. “You don't...actually like him, do you?” When Nico did not respond, Jason eyed him over. “Oh my god, you do.” His spoon was dropped back into the bowl. There was something new in Jason's eye now, something Nico had not really seen there before. “Well, it's not like he's going to reciprocate anything.”

Nico sighed and popped the first two buttons on his shirt as he headed towards is room. “People keep saying that, but I'm not sure they are right.”

He turned to find Jason looking at him over his shoulder. The blond's jaw seemed locked, chewing on his lip. No words were spoken further between the two, yet Nico felt an air of tension fill the room. He broke eye contact and slipped down the hall, shutting the door to his room behind him.

After getting himself a shower and a fresh change of clothes, Nico headed for the elevator. Jason had already vanished by the time the raven haired boy exited the bathroom. Probably already headed to the party, Nico thought.

The party had been set up in the same place that Butch's had been, in the conference room. Leo's mother was present, as expected, and was busy taking pictures of the large cake that had been purchased and now sat on the long table in the room. And, as far as Nico could tell, all of the Lost Kids were present, even Apollo.

Speaking of the blond, Apollo was being surprisingly friendly towards Leo. “Seems you got a lot of presents this year,” the blond observed, sitting on the edge of the table, right next to Percy. The Latino boy even made the effort to put on a smile and chuckle in return.

“Hey, Nico.” Nico groaned and turned around. The twins stood in the corner, grinning wickedly at him. “Did you sprain an ankle?” Travis snickered.

“Aw, our little Nico is growing up,” Thalia joined in, pinching Nico's flushed cheek. Her finger was then pressed into his slender neck. “Look, he's even got a hickey.”

Nico's brown eyes flickered over to where Percy was perched on the table. The manager watched them without any expression. He just simply sat there, sipping away at the cup of punch in his hand. It irritated the boy a little. The irritation only began to boil within him when he saw Percy quirk an eyebrow.

Nico began to seethe when an arm was slipped around his shoulder. He looked up to find Octavian taking a sip from his cup. “And I hear I have the absolute pleasure of having your company in my room later this afternoon.” Nico chose to remain silent, his eyes like daggers as they tore into the blond. “Oh, don't worry, all clothes will be staying on. You'll have plenty of time to have them off later tonight.”

A small plate with a piece of cake was thrust into Octavian's hands. “Be nice.” Juniper's lips were tightly pursed as she sent the blond a warning glare. “He's probably nervous enough as it is. Is it really necessary to torment him further?”

“And that's our fault? It was his choice.” Nico followed Luke's voice and found the blond standing with Annabeth, who was palming her face. Luke's icy gaze was trained on the pale boy, his jaw firmly set. “I guess we get to hear you whine and cry some more, eh, twerp?”

Nico managed a glare, though he felt a heavy weight on his chest. “Is it so hard for you to learn a simple name?”

“Maybe if I actually cared.”

That hurt. But Nico held it together, standing his ground in front of Luke and the others, who had become completely silent. “Maybe if you did a better job at being the older brother, Octavian wouldn't have turned out to be such a dick. But I guess that just runs in the family. You abandon him, too?”

If possible, the room became even quieter. Even the twins were holding their breaths, eyes as wide as they could go. Percy, for his part, kept his eyes on Luke. Octavian, surprisingly, stood there, shocked, his mouth hanging open. But Luke was the one that had Nico frozen where he stood.

Luke was fuming. His hand shot out and grabbed Nico by the collar of his shirt, his teeth gritted. “You fucking little bitch, you must want to get hit more. No wonder you got those bruises, you can't keep your mouth shut.” His head cocked to the side. “Or your legs closed it seems, when it comes to Percy.” And to Nico's horror, the blue-eyed Lost Boy's gaze fell upon Percy. “What, did you even attempt to push him away this time, or did you take advantage of his current state?”

“Luke,” Annabeth hissed.

Percy let out a breath. “I'm going to let that one slide, since you're upset.” Blue and green eyes clashed. “But don't speak to me like that again. What I do is my business,” he nodded his head over to Nico, “as is his.”

“So confident in your little, innocent angel,” Luke mumbled. “Seems he's nothing but a disappointment.”

Percy sat his cup down on the table beside him. “I think you should go get some air. Cool off, come back for work.” Luke squeezed his fist tighter. “Now.”

Luke let out a grunt, but offered no further protest. But as he exited the room, Nico found himself following after him. He drew back slightly when the blond reached the elevator and slammed his fist into the call button.

“What the fuck do you want?” He did not even look at Nico, did not even bother turning around.

“What is your problem with me anyways? I've never done anything to try and piss you off, yet you've always seemed to have it out for me.”

Luke let out a dry laugh and boarded the newly arrived elevator. Nico shoved his way onto it as well. The blond's eyes felt dead as they stared into Nico's brown orbs. “You are my problem. Your very existence irritates me, because you can't seem to appreciate what you have. You're ungrateful, selfish, immature, and an idiot.” Nico was shoved into the wall. “And for whatever reason, Percy's getting all soft over you. But you just seem to have that effect on people, easy to talk to and easy to get people to let their guard down.

“You want to be part of us so badly, yet we all want what you had. If you think we just love letting strangers have their way with us, you've lost your mind.” Luke's lip tilted down in a sneer. “Have you even thanked him for what he's done for you? Because you sure as hell don't show it. You're nothing but a disappointment.” Luke's fist slammed into the wall beside Nico's head, causing the boy's eyes to widen. “You don't appreciate what he's done for you; you just toss it all aside. Do you even see how much you've disappointed him?”

Nico found a heavy lump in his throat when he went to speak. Luke just rolled his eyes and pulled away, leaning himself against the opposite wall. “Then why hasn't he said anything?”

Luke chuckled, only serving to irritate Nico further. The boy wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk from the blond's face. However, he had seen what Luke could do, and he had no desire to get injured further. “You know, when Octavian and I were back at home, I'd always try telling him not to do something when we were little.” The tall Lost Boy cocked his head to the side. “And do you know what I eventually did, when he wouldn't listen?” Nico shook his head. “I stopped lecturing him. I found that, sometimes, he just needed to learn things for himself.”

It took Nico a moment, but he eventually realized tears had begun streaming down his cheeks. “You're just upset...because I'm encroaching on your territory.”

The blond scoffed. “Please. If you want jealousy, go talk to Apollo. Percy is just my friend, aside from the sex.” There was so much coldness in Luke's eyes and voice. It was like a dagger, piercing him straight through the chest, to listen to the older Lost Boy. “Aside from the amazing sex, our relationship is strictly platonic. The way I care about him is vastly different from the way you...apparently feel about him.”

Nico found his stomach tighten, his heart pounding in his chest. Why was Luke so angry right now? It was not his mistake, it was Nico's. And why did it even matter to the blond? “What does it matter how I feel about him? It's not hurting anyone.”

“See now, that's where you're wrong.” The elevator came to a stop, and Luke moved to stand at the exit. “You're hurting Percy. And I rather not see what happens when other people see what he's becoming.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Percy's not changing because of me. He even made all those efforts to push me away.”

The blond rolled his eyes. Nico huffed and followed him off of the elevator. Luke's pace seemed to quicken as they walked through the garage full of cars. “How stupid are you anyways, brat?”

“I'm not stupid!”

Nico's blood was now pumping with anger. He was tired of this. Luke had no right to speak to him like this. The blond was being an asshole, and Nico did not deserve it. Luke simply scoffed and opened his car, pulling out a motorcycle helmet from the passenger seat. He shoved past Nico, sending the small Lost Boy stumbling backwards, and took the few steps over to where a parked motorcycle sat. Without hesitation, the blond tossed the tarp onto his car, revealing the stunning bike underneath.

It was slender and black. The handles were a sharp silver, and polished to perfection. The entire body looked like it could have just been bought from the store. The back jutted out and the logo sat on the side. The word 'Ninja' ran across its black surface in a fine, silver print.

Luke slipped his head into his helmet, completely masking his face from Nico's eyes. The small Lost Boy fidgeted as Luke brought the beautiful machine to life. “Is that even yours?”

Luke turned towards Nico. In the reflection of the helmet, Nico could see himself. He looked a mess. His eyes were red and his hair was slightly disheveled. “Always picking your sorry ass up from school, I never get to use it much.”

The blond did not even bother waiting for a reply from Nico before shooting out of the parking space and flying out of the parking garage. Nico stood there for a long time, just staring at the exit. He had never pictured the day after losing his virginity to have gone so poorly. And the worst part was that it was far from over. He dreaded the end of the night.

With a deep intake of breath, followed by its release, Nico slowly turned back to the elevator. He no longer cared about the pain in his chest, or the tears that continued to fall from his eyes. He no longer knew what to do. No one was going to help him, nobody wanted to. They had wanted this, they had said so themselves. And he had just screwed everything up. Was that all he could ever manage to do?

And, yet, through all the hurt, he felt a hint of anger. Luke's words still infuriated him, and the others and all their past conversations came crashing down on him all at once. He even found himself irritated with Percy. If the manager really did care about him, why would he let all of this happen?

To make matters worse, the elevator stopped at the lobby and a family of four boarded the metal box. The parents eyed him over, and the mother even went as far as to offer him a tissue. Nico managed a small smile. Thankfully, though, their floor was on the lower levels.

He debated just going back to his room, but it was Leo's birthday, and Leo had not really done anything bad to him. He was not really surprised or disappointed to find that no one was waiting there for him upon his return. He did, however, hear the sound of all the other Lost Kids laughing inside the conference room. Nico made little noise as he slipped back inside. And, as per usual, he pulled it off flawlessly.

“Nico!”

Nico's eyes widened as Leo's arm swung around his shoulders. “What?”

“Thanks for the present, man. You didn't have to get me anything.” The Latino boy flashed him a bright smile. “But this is awesome.”

The raven haired Lost Boy blinked and looked down at Leo's hands. Sitting there was a small, metallic dragon. Its wings were spread wide as it stood its ground upon the roof of a ruined building. Two red gems sat in the dragon's eye sockets.

“But I-”

Percy clamped down a hand on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. “Just wanted you to have something nice.” Nico's brown eyes locked with Percy's green ones. The manager winked at him. And, if it was even possible, the contact he was receiving made him feel slightly better. The green-eyed Adonis smiled when Nico wiped at his face. “Everything okay?”

Nico gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

The boy's eyes grew wide as Leo practically tackled him with a hug. The Latino boy chuckled, having been caught by Percy, so they would not go toppling over. “This was really great, Nico. How did you even know I liked dragons?”

Nico's mouth floundered. “Um, lucky guess?”

Percy smiled. “He had some help.”

Leo hummed in response before dashing off in a whirlwind of energy. And then it was just Nico and Percy. The boy tilted his head back to look up at Percy. The manager draped his arms around the boy. “You could have told me you were going to buy him a present for me.”

“You had a lot going on,” Percy whispered in his ear. “You were upset, and I didn't want you to worry about other issues. I had it delivered yesterday.”

“Thanks.”

Percy nodded in response. “So, how did your talk with Luke go?”

Nico pursed his lips and straightened his neck. “Fine.” He let out a sigh. “Are you disappointed in me?”

When he was met with silence, he chanced a glance back up at the manager. He bit down on his lip when he found Percy's eyes to be dull. “I had hoped that things would not have escalated like they had.”

“So you are,” Nico whispered.

Percy grabbed Nico's chin and forced him to look up. “Don't get upset. Yes, I am. But I also know you're human and you make mistakes. I don't expect you to be perfect.” The Adonis let out a heavy sigh. “I just trust that you'll learn from this, and learn to listen to me.”

Percy's arms wrapped tightly around him and pulled him into a hug. He let out a sigh. Even if he was not receiving a kiss, he could feel Percy's lips against his forehead. The hot breath from Percy's nose sent a shiver down his spine. But, much to his disappointment, Percy released him. He tossed Nico a smile before stepping over to Beckendorf and Thalia.

A heavy sigh escaped the youngest Lost Boy's mouth. Even through all of this, Percy still had such a strong effect on him. More and more was he convinced of his feelings for the young man. And, yet, it was still painful. Painful, knowing that Percy could, or would, probably never be his. That he would have to suffer being alone, in this new situation he had gotten himself into.

“Mmm. Cake?”

He blinked as a fork with a chunk of cake on it was shoved into his face. Rachel stood there, watching him expectantly. He quickly shook his head. The girl shrugged before shoving the fork into her mouth.

“You should try some, it might make you feel better.”

Nico shook his head again. “I don't think any kind of cake would help.”

“It's got weed in it,” Travis snickered, walking by with his brother.

Rachel rolled her eyes and waved them off. “Pay them no mind, they are idiots. Seriously, it's just cake. You sure?” Nico nodded. “Okay, more for me,” she mumbled, shoving another piece into her mouth. “So, that was something with Luke.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. “What's up with him? And when did he even get a motorcycle?”

Rachel smirked. “Birthday present from Percy.” The girl's tongue darted out to lick her fork. “Why wouldn't Luke be upset about what happened?”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean? Does Luke actually like me?”

Rachel's bright, green eyes darted over to him. “Well, I don't know about the way you're thinking, but I figure he likes your company. Just don't try getting him to admit it.”

Nico shook his head. “But it makes no sense. Why is he so angry about me having sex with Percy? I thought all of them wanted to see me slip up.”

Rachel blinked at him for a moment before sitting her empty plate down and wiping her hands together. “You don't know, do you?”

“Know what?” Nico asked cautiously.

“Who do you think made the deal with Percy in the first place?” Rachel flickered her eyes over to Percy, then to Apollo, and finally over to Annabeth and Thalia. “It wasn't Percy. Apollo and Thalia were the ones that suggested making you sell your body.” The girl's head of red hair shook with her head. “Luke suggested the compromise. So, take that into consideration next time you have a fight with him. At least he had faith, for whatever reason, that you could uphold your end of the agreement.”

Nico's mouth opened and closed several times, unable to find any words. His brain was giving him a headache from how fast it was trying to process all of this. It made no sense to him. Why would Luke, the guy who loved to see him suffer, want to help him like that? Nico had just figured it had been Percy. But, no, it was Luke. Why? It just did not make sense.

“I don't understand.” Nico's eyebrows knit together. “Why would Luke do that?”

Rachel placed her hand on the Lost Boy's shoulder. “That, my dear Nico, is something you'll have to take up with him.” She blew out a breath. “Though, I'd wait until he's cooled off about it first.” She poked a finger into Nico's shoulder. “Oh, and you do realize the full implications of what you've gotten yourself into, right?”

Nico shrugged his shoulders, his heart hammering in his chest once again. Was there more bad news? “I have to sell my body?”

The Lost Girl nodded. “Yes, but there's more to that. Remember that you will have female customers, more so than men.” Nico let out a groan, his face paling. Why had he not thought of that? The girl smirked and squeezed his shoulder. “Yep. I hope you're ready to get a good taste of vagina, Nico.”

Nico's stomach lurched. “Do I have to? I don't think I can.”

Rachel scratched her cheek. “I don't think you really have a choice at this point. Besides, several of the others have been in your shoes, and they all got past it. Try talking to Apollo. See what he has to say.”

Nico managed to nod his head, though his entire body was screaming from panic. It was hard to breathe all of a sudden, and he stumbled until he caught the table behind him. Rachel motioned to someone. Everything seemed to tone out for Nico. His breathing sounded very loud in his ears, bringing everything else down to a dull roar to him.

He nearly jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around him. “What's up?” Will squeezed him closer. “You don't look so good, Nico. Well, I mean aside from the bruises.” When Nico did not answer, Will turned to Rachel. “What's wrong?”

Rachel sighed. “I just told him that he would be having sex with women.”

Will turned the smaller Lost Boy around to face him. “How about I take you back to your room? I need to do some doctoring to your injuries anyways.”

Nico's stomach lurched again, preventing him from answering. He did manage to nod his head absently. Will wove his arm around Nico's waist, leading him from the conference room. Nico was beginning to worry that he was going to have panic attack from how hard and fast his heart was pounding. All he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and stay there.

But instead of being taken to his room, he ended up standing in front of Will's door. The blond fished out his wallet and slid the key into the door before pressing on Nico's back and bidding him to go inside. The door closed behind him, but all Nico could do was stand there like a zombie. Truth be told, that was what he was starting to feel like.

Will left him standing there to go to the bathroom. He was back moments later with a first-aid kit. He walked Nico over to the couch and got the boy to sit down, while crouching on the floor himself. Nico leaned forward and took several deep, ragged breaths.

Will let out a sigh. “You need to calm down. It won't be as bad as you think.”

Nico looked up. “Really?”

“Well, perhaps your first time.” He chewed on his lip. “And maybe a few times after that. But it'll be like nothing at all, after a while.”

Nico watched as the blond Lost Boy opened the first-aid kit. “I screwed up. Why can't I have another chance?”

Will blew out a breath and lifted Nico's shirt. He tugged a bandage off above the boy's ribs before pulling a new one out. Pursing his lips, he replaced it and looked up at Nico. “Why did you have sex with him?” Nico opened his mouth, but Will continued on. “Why not me?”

Nico frowned. Was that what the blond was upset about, that it had been Percy and not him? “Really? I'm about to deal with all of this, and you're going to get upset about that?”

“I wouldn't have told anyone.” The blond Lost Boy shook his head as he stood to his feet. Nico watched him walk over to the fridge. The blond pulled out a ziplock bag from a drawer before opening the freezer. From it, he pulled ice cubes and dropped them in the bag until it was nearly halfway full. Without a word, he returned to the couch and placed it against Nico's cheek. “What makes Percy so special?”

“This coming from the person who seems to be addicted to having sex with him.” The boy pressed his lips together. “Wasn't it you who told me how great sex with him was?”

“I didn't think you'd go through with it.” The blond's eyebrows knit together. “What cost did it come at? You could have just had it with me, and none of this would have happened.”

Nico's brown eyes darkened. “Is that all you care about? Are you even upset about what I'm getting into, or are you just upset that it wasn't you who got me out of my pants first?”

Will's lips tilted down and Nico felt him press the ice more firmly against his cheek. “Of course I'm upset about what you're getting into.” Nico doubted that. “I just don't understand why you threw it all away.”

Nico shoved Will's hand away, taking the ice for himself. “I don't really want to talk about it. If you want to be helpful, you can start by helping me to prepare for this.” Blue and Brown eyes locked with each other. “I'm terrified, Will, and I need help getting through this.”

The blond nodded his head lightly. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “You just...sometimes we have to do things with people that we don't want to.” The taller Lost Boy released a breath. “You're attractive, and believe me, people do notice. But trust me: it's not always a good thing to look good.” There was something there in the blond's eyes. A hint of real sadness and pain. “You get a lot of attention that you don't always want, or perhaps people hate the attention you get. Both together are never good things to deal with.”

Will let out a breath and turned forward on the couch, clasping his thighs. Nico frowned at him, still pressing the bag of ice to his cheek. “Will?” The blond did not answer. “Is everything all right?”

The other Lost Boy finally nodded. “Just thinking.” He turned to Nico, though something felt different about him all of a sudden. “Just be careful. I know I hurt you, like the others, with my stunt. And I do know what it feels like to go through that.”

“They did something like that to you?”

The blond shook his head. “No, not them.” Nico shot him a concerned look. Will reached up and rubbed at his hair. “Just, um, don't worry about it. You'll, um...get the hang of it, I'm sure.”

Nico reached out and touched Will's arm. The blond did not react to it. “Will, you seem upset. What happened?”

“Nothing,” Will answered, shaking his head. “It's nothing.”

Nico nudged the other Lost Boy's knee with his own. “Why are all of you so evasive? I feel like walking on egg shells sometimes.” The blond's eyes looked at him in sadness. “None of you ever want to talk about your problems.”

Will looked at him from the corner of his eye, avoiding full eye contact now. “Some of us don't like thinking about our old lives, Nico.”

“You're the one who made the sexual innuendo about your old life the other week.”

Will stood up and shrugged. “Humor just makes things easier, just ask the twins or Leo.” Nico's eyes fell away from the blond as the slightly older boy walked into the kitchen, retrieving an iced coffee for himself. “I think you're supposed to be seeing Octavian shortly.”

Nico blew out a breath. “Don't really want to go to that,” he muttered.

Will cracked a smile. “You're welcome to hide in my room.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I'm sure you'd like that.” With a sigh, he stood up. He smiled and handed the melting bag of ice to his blond friend. “Will I be seeing you tonight?”

The blond Lost Boy nodded. “Yeah, I'll be working upstairs.” Nico could feel the blond's blue eyes on him as he made for the door. “Take care of yourself tonight, Nico. Just try not to think about it.”

Nico stopped to turn around. He kept his mouth closed, but nodded. As soon as he was out the door, his heart began pounding into overdrive once again. He was not sure how much more of this he could take. How was he supposed to get through tonight, when he could barely manage his breathing? That was the main question he was going to have to find an answer for over the next few hours.

Nico stood there in the hallway for about thirty seconds, just debating going back to his room and locking the door. If he did not think Percy or one of the others would not take the door off its hinges to get to him, he might have actually gone through with that plan. However, he decided against it and continued down to Luke and Octavian's suite.

As luck, or perhaps bad luck, would have it, Octavian was there. The blond rested his arm on the door as he stared down at the boy. “Well, well, come to learn the big boys' game, eh?”

Nico rolled his eyes and slipped past the other Lost Boy. He frowned as he looked around, Luke's door was wide open. “Where's your brother?”

The slender blond's eyes narrowed as he stood there. “Still out, cooling off, I'd assume.” He raked his pale fingers through his hair. Blond locks fell over his blue eyes. “Now then, you need to know something about what's going on tonight.”

“You mean besides letting some old stranger have their way with me?” Nico grumbled.

Octavian flashed a smirk. “Not my problem. So, while you're getting defiled and crying tonight, please do remember that we have another job to accomplish in those rooms.” Nico quirked an eyebrow at him. Octavian sighed with a roll of his eyes. “You're there to gather information. Do you think Percy really cares if they get their needs sated? He's after any source of information that could benefit him or Gaea's business.”

Nico sat himself on the arm of the couch. “I'll try to remember that while I'm fighting the urge to vomit.”

“Oh,” a wicked grin crossed over Octavian's lips, “I'm sure you'll be doing a lot more than that. Just remember not to throw up on the customer. As much of an annoyance as you are, you don't need to get yourself thrown out of here.” The blond's blue eyes traveled down to inspect his nails. “You're just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. We don't need you failing to do your job, simply because you're curled up in a corner.

“I take it you remember all the lessons we gave you when you first started stripping?” Nico slowly nodded his head. “It's pretty much just like that, except you have to be a little more discreet with your words.” Octavian made a gesture with his hand, as if indicating someone beside him. “You can't just go up to them and say, 'Oh, kind sir, would you mind telling me the account info to your company's finances, or perhaps the location to all your weapons of mass destruction?'”

Nico frowned, glaring up at the blond. It did not have the desire effect on Octavian that Nico had hoped for. The blond simply dusted off his shoulder. “I know that, ass. How about you try being a decent human being, and try to remember what it was like when you first came here.”

“Oh believe me,” Octavian's eyes pierced him like an icy dagger as he spoke, “I didn't get paid like you're going to be when I had to first experience this. Don't come whining to me about your problems, when you don't even know half the shit the rest of us had to go through.” Nico sat back, closing his mouth. “I'd like to see how you handled our situations. I wonder if Percy could still find that innocence in you. But after tonight, it probably won't even matter, now will it?”

Once again, Nico found himself angry. “I won't give you the satisfaction of that happening.”

The blond tilted his head to the side. “Maybe then my brother will lose this fascination he has with you. Do you even know what it's like, feeling like an echo?” The blond was practically shouting now. “He's wrong about you.”

“I don't even know what you're talking about.”

Octavian shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed. “Just forget it,” he breathed out. “We have other things to worry about right now, and you're far from ready.”

“Are you even willing to help me, or should I expect the same treatment I got from Apollo during my first night stripping?”

Octavian narrowed his eyes. “Firstly, don't throw me in with his brain-dead ideas. I just kept my mouth shut about it. If I really wanted to ruin you, I'd use a more tactical approach.”

“But you just told me your method,” the younger Lost Boy mumbled.

“Maybe I'm not out to destroy you.” Octavian eyed Nico over before rolling his eyes. “Yet.” He let out a sigh. “There's not much I can do for helping you survive the night. All I'm here to do is make sure you know your job. I'm sure someone else will take you aside before you do anything and make sure you have tips for staying calm.” Letting out a long breath, Octavian pulled a chair out from the kitchen's island. “Okay, let's begin.”

\------------------------------------------------------

The ticking of the clock that hung from the cafe's wall was starting to drive Nico mad. He found it hard to look away from it, watching as the minutes went by. Octavian's lesson had been nothing short of nerve wracking. And now here he sat with Zoë and Apollo, waiting until the moment of his doom.

He had barely touched his food, finding himself unable to stomach anything. He felt sick and dizzy. Maybe if he threw up, he would not have to do this tonight. It felt as if a fist had taken hold of his stomach, and was twisting it into a knot. He slumped lower into his chair with a heavy sigh.

Zoë regarded him from the corner of her eye, but chose not to say anything. Apollo took a large sip from his cup of coffee before turning to the small Lost Boy. “You know, you could always get wasted beforehand. Maybe then you won't have to remember it.”

It took Nico a moment to even process what the blond had said. He finally blinked and looked away from the clock. “I don't know. I've already screwed up enough, I don't think that's going to help matters.” He sighed and pushed his food away. “Though, it does sound appealing right about now.”

“Yeah,” Apollo whispered. “Just...don't think about it.” The blond took another sip of coffee. “Just think about something else. Distract yourself. Do whatever it takes to help you in this situation.”

“But I'm supposed to.”

“Percy's not going to care if you don't do the full extent of your job on your first night.” It surprised Nico a little to have Zoë jump into the conversation. The girl speared a piece of fruit with her fork before placing it in her mouth. “It's your first time. Percy knows how you're going to be feeling. Trust me, take Apollo's advice, you'll be better off for it.”

Nico's brown eyes met Apollo's blue ones. “But I can't do that forever.”

The curly haired blond sat his coffee down. “No, but it's a start. Just this one time. By the time you have to do it again, it'll give the rest of us some time to get you situated into the role.” He placed a hand on the other Lost Boy's shoulder. “Just get through tonight. And whatever you do, don't cry. You have to hold it in until the customer leaves the room. You can't shove them away either.”

“No matter what your body screams for you to do,” Zoë added. Apollo nodded in agreement.

“And what about afterwards?” Nico whispered.

Apollo sighed. “Just worry about getting through it first. We can worry about the rest later.” None of this helped Nico calm his breathing, and the blond took notice. “You'll be fine, Nico. If things go horrible, we'll step in.”

Nico still felt terrified, but he nodded his head anyways. Zoë wiped her hands with a napkin before standing up. “Don't forget to come by and see us girls before we have to go to work tonight. You need to get those bruises covered up.”

Apollo tossed her a small wave before she walked off. He nudged the Lost Boy next to him. “You haven't really eaten anything.”

“I can't right now,” Nico confessed. “I'll just throw it up if I do.” His frightened brown eyes found Apollo's form. “How did you get through your first time?”

“The same way you're going to.” Apollo sighed and stood up, picking up Nico's food and placing it on his tray. “Don't worry so much, it's not good for you.” Nico just sat there as Apollo took their trash and threw it in the garbage, depositing the small tray on top of the garbage bin. “Come on, you've got a little more time before you have to see the girls.”

Nico frowned and stood up, following after the tall blond. “Where are we going?”

“To get you something sweet, that maybe you can hold down.”

They ended up walking out to the cabana, where Ganymede was finishing up with a customer. The woman that stood at the counter giggled as the dirty haired blond slid her drink across the counter with a wink. He flashed her a bright smile, which vanished the second she had turned her back.

Ganymede arched a brow as the two Lost Boys stepped up to the counter. “And what can I do for you two today? It's rare that I get to see you at work, Apollo.”

The curly haired blond flashed his pearly white smile. “That's because I don't really do sweets, aside from the healthy ones you do on occasion.”

“I've got something healthy for you, if you just come up to my room.” Ganymede winked.

Apollo chuckled. “Not tonight. I'm actually here for Nico.”

The bartender blinked and swapped his gaze to Nico. “What's up, cutie? I hear you're getting thrown in with the rest of them.” He scrunched his lips up. “A shame, and here I thought you'd make it without getting into all that.” He raised an eyebrow and looked Nico over. “You don't look so good.” He glanced back to Apollo. “Does he need to lie down?”

Apollo sighed and ran his fingers through Nico's hair. “He'll be fine, I hope. He's not really eating, so I thought you could make him something.”

Ganymede clicked his tongue. “It just so happens, cutie, that I have just the thing.” The man flashed Nico a bright smile. “Just a second.” He busily moved around the cabana, all the while Nico's stomach kept feeling worse. The boy was beginning to feel like passing out. “So, how was it?”

Nico blinked. “What?”

Apollo rested his elbow on the counter. “He wants to know about last night.”

“Um,” Nico rubbed the back of his neck, “that's kind of private.” He watched as Ganymede's lip tilted up. “I don't really want to share that. It was nice, let's just leave it at that.”

The ex-Lost Boy scrunched his lips. “That's no fun. How are you supposed to make it as a Lost Boy, if you can't even act like them?”

Nico shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe it's time to change things.” Ganymede's eyes crinkled in amusement. “But it got me into all of this.”

The man sighed. “Not really, that was your own fault.” Nico frowned at him. “You are the one that made the decision, after all.” He started the blender before walking back over to Apollo and Nico. “Baby boy, I just didn't figure you'd do it, feelings for the big guy aside. You just don't seem cut out for this kind of stuff.”

As much as Nico wanted to be offended by that, he knew it was true. He should also probably take it as a compliment. He knew he was not like the others. Deep down, he had come to accept that a long time ago, even if he did want to fit in better. The others were right in their judgment of him on that regard.

Ganymede smirked and poured a smoothie into a glass. Wagging his eyebrows, he slid it over to Nico. “Well how are you feeling about tonight?”

“Like throwing up,” Nico mumbled, stirring his drink lightly.

The dirty haired bond motioned to the drink. “Apollo's right, though, you need something in your stomach.” He leaned on the counter as Nico sighed and took a sip. “You might throw it up afterwards, though. Just make sure you drink plenty of water before you go to sleep tonight.”

Apollo scrunched his lips. “And you'll probably want a long, hot shower. It's to be expected.”

Ganymede nodded in agreement. “If I do recall, Silena and Will had to be dragged out of the showers.”

“Yeah,” Apollo mumbled. Nico quirked an eyebrow over at the curly haired blond. “Old ghosts. Their first time working here did not sit well with them.”

Nico found it odd how similar, yet different, the two blonds were. Ganymede had the more defined features, that was certain. Apollo's eyes were the more vibrant, even if Ganymede were to take his contacts out. And there was the fact that Ganymede had two inches over Apollo in height. But, around the face, Nico thought they looked a little similar. Their smiles were definitely the same.

But there was something else about them, something different. Ganymede felt worn, but not broken. Apollo, on the other hand, felt alive, yet broken. Even if the curly haired blond seemed in pieces, Nico could see the blond's light buried underneath. But this place was suffocating, Nico could see that. It did not matter, though, things would not change around here.

Fear, sexual dominance, and comfort. What an odd combination to keep the employees in line, Nico thought. Why did it have to be this way? Perhaps it was due to some of those classes that Nico had been thrown into, but he did not feel this was necessary.

The boy blinked, nearly choking on his smoothie, as Ganymede waved a hand in front of his face. “You okay there, cutie?”

Nico let out a string of coughs, while Apollo patted his back. “Just,” another cough, “thinking.”

“What's on your mind?” Apollo inquired.

Nico stared into the blond's sapphire eyes for the longest time. It felt so unimportant really. Percy would not change the way the hotel was run, and so none of what he had been thinking about would ever matter. Hell, Nico did not have it all pieced together. He knew certain measures were necessary, but to do what was being done to him felt unfair.

Not in the regard of breaking the agreement, Nico knew he had messed up on that end, but with how soon it was following his mother's death and burial. It felt cold, it felt unloving. It felt cruel. But what was he going to do about it?

“Nothing,” Nico finally answered. He sighed and took another sip of his smoothie. All of this thinking was beginning to hurt the Lost Boy's head. It felt like he was missing a piece to a puzzle. There was just something missing about all of this. He could not even fully place what he was confused about.

The sudden thought on wanting to change things, it had just made him question being placed in his business class. When Apollo gave him an odd look, Nico looked down at the bar and worked on finishing his smoothie. Perhaps he was missing more than one piece.

When the boy was finally finished with his drink, Ganymede slid the empty cup across the bar and deposited it into the sink. Apollo swiveled in his seat to look at Nico. “You should probably go up and start getting ready. The girls will be expecting you soon. And you don't need to make them late for work.” He smiled. “Just enjoy yourself tonight, at least until later. For the most part, you'll just be sitting around with Percy.” He rolled his eyes when he saw Nico's lips tilt up minutely. “I figured that'd get a reaction.”

Nico hopped off the stool he had been sitting on. Ganymede tossed him a wave. “Bye, cutie. Try not to throw up on the customer.”

Nico let out a groan. Apollo chuckled. “Don't listen to him. Now, go get ready.”

The trip up to his room turned out to be relatively quiet and uneventful. Families went on with their lives, a few kids even ran around the lobby. There were a few people at the front desk, waiting to get their keys. But all Nico could think of was: were any of these people going to be his first customer? What if it was one of these people that he was seeing at the moment.

By the time he boarded the elevator, his heart was pounding once again. He ran a hand across his face, feeling a small layer of sweat there. His stomach, once again, was in knots. The sun was almost gone from the sky, and in a few short hours, he would be sitting around to be bought out by a customer. Honestly, he could not figure out which he was more nervous of it being a man or a woman.

He let out a small breath as he pushed the door to his suite open. It was quiet inside, signaling Jason was not there. He tilted is neck to the side, reaching a hand up to rub it. His body stiffened when a pair of hands began massaging his shoulders.

Nico shuddered when Percy's chuckle was heard in his ear. “How are you feeling?”

Nico turned his head and shrugged. “Been better. Haven't really managed to eat anything all day. I feel like throwing up.”

Percy slid past him and Nico shut the door. “You'll be fine. And just remember, I'll be there when it's over.” The young man shrugged his shoulders. “If you're lucky, it won't take long.”

“That's so comforting,” Nico mumbled. He frowned and walked to his room, Percy following after him. He turned his head to look at the young man when Percy shut his door. “The thought of having sex with a woman just makes my stomach lurch. I'm gay, I don't even know if I can get it up for a woman.”

Percy chuckled, which only served to irritate Nico. “You'll be fine. If it is a woman, just close your eyes.” His lips tilted up when he saw the look Nico was giving him. “If it's that big of a deal, we can give you something to help you out. Sorry to say, but you just have to deal with it.”

Nico rubbed at his face and sat on the edge of his bed. “What were you before all of this anyways? Straight, bi, or gay?”

The manager stood there for a moment. He looked deep in thought, tapping a finger to his lip. “You know, I don't really remember. I was still relatively young when Gaea took me in, and sex and dating was the last thing on my mind while living on the streets.” The green-eyed young man shrugged. “I guess I didn't really have an orientation until the job, and even now I don't really think of it as having one.”

Nico stared up at him with a frown. “But if you were to find yourself in a relationship, do you have a preference?”

Percy stepped up to him and Nico placed his hands on the back of the young man's legs. Percy hummed and slid his fingers through the brown-eyed boy's black locks. “Curious, aren't we? Well, I'm sure I know what answer you want to hear, but I'm sad to say that it isn't the case.”

“Oh.” Nico frowned.

Percy smiled and tilted his chin up. “I'd want to be with someone who made me happy, regardless of gender. I don't really care if it's with a man or a woman, as long as they are right for me.” He let out a sigh and stood to his full height. “But, as I've said, dating is not the best thing for me right now.”

“So, you're just going to be alone? Forever?”

The young man sighed and climbed onto the bed. Nico bit down on his lip and leaned back, until he was flat on his back. “I'm not alone, I have all of you. And Chiron, Circe, Ganymede, Gaea, and Kronos. I have my family.”

Nico's fingers lightly traced Percy's stomach through his shirt. “You don't want someone who will love you, and you love back?”

The young man leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of Nico's head. “I love Gaea and Kronos, as I do all of you.”

Nico's brown eyes flickered down to Percy's lips. “But it's not romantic love.”

Nico closed his eyes as Percy leaned in. His head tilted to the side, feeling the young man's breath on his neck. His stomach tightened when he felt Percy's fingers run under his shirt. When Percy rested himself against Nico's crotch, the Lost Boy lifted his hips and bent his legs on either side of Percy's waist. Percy smiled down at him when Nico let out a quiet moan.

The boy finally opened his eyes when he felt Percy's arms cross over his chest. He blinked, finding Percy resting his chin on his arms and staring down at him. “You're a curious little thing, aren't you, Nico? Why are you concerned about me?”

“Because I care about you.”

The manager did not respond. He held Nico's gaze in utter silence. It unnerved the boy slightly, the way Percy watched him. It was something about his eyes. There was just something there, something Nico could not quite place.

Nico cleared his throat and slid out from under Percy. He pulled his legs up to his chest, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. “I'm going to need to get ready.”

Percy smiled. “You can change in front of me.” He sat back on his knees and grinned. “Besides, I needed to talk to you.”

Nico frowned. Percy crawled around behind him and draped his arms around Nico. “What is it?”

In the mirror, Nico saw the sinister grin that plastered Percy's face. It made his heart race. This was not going to be good, whatever it was about.

Percy leaned in, until his every breath could be clearly heard by Nico. “It's about your father.” Nico leaned his head away, slightly shifting his body away from Percy. He did not like where this was going. “He did say this was not over. But, Nico, I don't want him causing any more problems for us.” The way Percy's body moved reminded Nico of a snake, slithering along the ground. “I don't think you want him to take you. I know you don't want to go back to living with him, not when you know what he might do to you.”

Nico chewed on his lip. He eventually turned his head to stare at Percy from the corner of his eye. “What are you suggesting?”

Percy's eyes were a dark green. His lips were slightly parted as his eyes traced every inch of Nico's face. “Just what I offer to all of my Lost Kids. I can make sure your father never bothers you again, if that's what you want.” He took Nico's hand, pressing his larger palm to Nico's and intertwining their fingers. “Is that what you want, Nico?” By this time his face was mere inches from Nico's own.

Nico's heart pounded in his chest. From what, he did not know. It could have been the fact that Percy was so close to him, touching him, or it could have been from what was coming out of the young man's mouth. “You're suggesting murder. You want to kill my father?”

“I promised to keep you safe, and he is threatening to jeopardize that.” Percy's ran a hand along Nico's cheek. “Is it what you want?”

“No.” They both blinked at his quick response. Honestly, he had not even had to think on it. He knew the answer, even after all his father had done. “I just lost my mother, Percy. He might be an asshole, but he's still my father. And he's taking care of Bianca.” The Lost Boy shook his head. “I don't want to be like that, to have my father murdered. I've already messed up, and I've disappointed you a lot, I know that now, but I know this is not the path I want to take.”

Percy was still for a moment, but a smirk finally touched at his lips. “Good. At least you're learning.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Wait, what?”

Percy pulled away from him with a smile. “You might have been slipping up lately, but I know you, Nico. And as much as I'd love to hang your father from my balcony, I knew what your answer would be.” He shrugged. “Unless you really have lost your innocence. But that's what I'm hoping you hold on to, even after everything you're about to go through.”

When Percy turned to leave, Nico reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Percy.” The young man quirked a brow. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“What is it?”

“I'm...sorry.” Nico chewed on his lip. Percy tilted his head to the side. “I've screwed up and I've disappointed you. I made mistakes, and I'll probably make more. You've done a lot for me, and I haven't really shown any appreciation.” He let out a sigh and lowered his head. “I threw away what you gave me, and I'm sorry. And I think...I think I understand what went on during Thanksgiving.”

Percy had his arms crossed now. “Oh?”

“You were constantly disappointed in my mistakes. I asked to be a stripper, I was trying to have sex with you, I drank wine, and then we had sex. You were trying to keep me from living a life like the rest of the Lost Kids, and I showed you no appreciation for it.” The boy finally looked up, barely meeting Percy's gaze. “I'm sure you were tired of trying, of my mistakes.” He bit down on his lip. “I just don't want you to give up on me.”

Percy pursed his lips, his arms dropping to his sides. His head lightly nodded, his eyes not meeting Nico's own. “Show me that you can keep your innocence intact. Show me your strength, and you'll have my trust.”

Nico nodded his head. He got off the bed and wrapped his arms around Percy, who widened his eyes. The young man eventually wrapped his arms around Nico. “I'm sorry,” Nico mumbled into the warm chest in front of him.

“You're fine, Nico.”

Nico looked up at him with wide eyes. “But you're disappointed with me.”

Percy chuckled and patted Nico's head. “Nico, you act like this is the first time I've ever been disappointed in one of my Lost Kids.” The young man arched his brow. “Does your first night on stage ring any bells?” He grabbed onto Nico's shoulders and held the boy at a distance. “Don't worry so much, it's not good for you.”

Nico nodded and Percy smiled again. With a quick pat to Nico's cheek, the manager took his leave, leaving Nico alone in his room. The boy sat down on his bed with a sigh. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of the door shutting, signaling Percy's full departure.

He chewed on his lip for a few seconds before hopping up and grabbing a change of clothes from his closet. Making sure he had everything, Nico exited his room. Once in the hallway, the Lost Boy walked out of the boys' hall and headed across to the wing the girls inhabited.

The youngest of the Lost Kids knocked on Calypso and Zoë's door. It took a few seconds, but the door was finally opened. And before Nico could even react, he was pulled inside. Thalia cracked her knuckles in front of him. “Time to get to work.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I don't trust you with this.” Though, when Drew came in with a backpack full of nothing but makeup, Nico reconsidered where his trust should be placed. “Um, actually never mind.”

Silena smiled and ruffled his hair, coercing him to sit in the chair by the couch. “Don't worry so much, Nico, Drew is an expert with makeup.”

“And besides,” Piper added, “we'll be supervising the entire time.”

Drew sneered at the other Lost Girl. “Please, I don't need any of you to help me. I can make him look brand new.”

Nico frowned as she pulled out a brush. “Do I really have to wear makeup?”

Zoë rolled her eyes from the couch. “Do you really think you're the only one of the boys that has had to do this before?”

Annabeth let out a sigh from beside her, flipping through a book. “Several of them have had to do this.” Closing the book, she placed it in her lap. “Luke was aggressive, Will got in a fight or two at school, Beckendorf and Luke actually got into a fight once.”

Nico noticed Thalia shoot Silena a look. Calypso lightly nodded her head. “And we've had to use the stuff for our own needs. The customers aren't always gentle.” All of the girls nodded in agreement. “If you want to see Percy angry, wait until a customer is stupid enough to actually try and cause harm to one of us in the rooms.”

Thalia made a face as she picked up a tube from Drew's bag and inspected it. “But it's not just us. I remember Connor's first time with a male customer.” Annabeth let out a sigh and pursed her lips. “Travis nearly went ballistic.”

“Took a chunk of hair from the guy,” Reyna mumbled.

Drew dusted her brush and tilted Nico's face up. “You should go ahead and remove your shirt. You probably won't be needing it tonight anyways.”

Nico's eyes were wide and questioning as they turned to Annabeth. The blonde let out a sigh. “You're being advertised tonight, Nico. Even if you're not going to be on stage, or working the floor, you have to be presentable.”

“Basically,” Thalia added, “you're not wearing your shirt.”

Nico let out a sigh and slumped his shoulders. He lifted his shirt over his head and sat it to the side. Drew pushed him back and began applying some concealer to his chest bruises. “At least the ice has been helping,” Drew mumbled.

A bowl of fruit was held out for him. He looked up to find Juniper smiling at him. “You should eat something. Zoë and Apollo told us how little you've eaten today.” Nico shook his head. “Just try a few pieces.” The boy sighed and accepted the small bowl. “On the bright side, though, you'll be in dark areas the entire time, so you won't have to have a ton of makeup.”

“If your bruises are still hurting you, you can keep them from touching you there,” Piper suggested, “as long as you do it right. You can't just smack their hands away, or snap at them.”

“Unless they're into that.” Thalia grinned over at him. He just frowned and let Drew do her job.

Drew tilted his chin up, her lips a thin line. The girl seemed in deep concentration. Her eyes did not even meet Nico's once. He found himself grateful for the brief moment of silence. Though, he also worried that Drew might feel how fast his heart was beating. His time was nearly up, and he would soon be sold off like some pig to a farmer.

“Here, take this.” Reyna held out a small pill for him.

Nico reached out with a shaky hand, nearly knocking it from Reyna's grasp, and grabbed it. “What is it?” He winced when Drew applied some pressure to the bruise on his cheek.

Reyna sat down on the arm of the couch. “A nerve pill. Nico, you look like you're about to have a nervous breakdown.”

Nico's eyes began to brim with tears. “I don't want to do this.” Drew grunted when he leaned forward and held his face in his hands. “I screwed up. I can't do this.”

Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder. “It's too late now, Nico. We all have consequences that we have to live with. There are things that we do, not because we want to, but because we have to. And, while they may seem bad, sometimes they are for the best.”

“This can't be for the best,” Nico hissed. He rapidly shook his head.

Drew put a death grip on his chin, glaring down at him. “If you start crying, you'll ruin the makeup, and then I'll have to end you.” She shoved a manicured nail into his face. “Man up and stop acting like a child. Save your tears for when it's over, because trust me, you'll need them.”

Nico pressed his lips together, nodding his head in the Lost Girl's grasp. Annabeth stood to her feet and looked him over. “All done?” Drew gave a nod, pulling back. “Come on, Nico, I'll walk you upstairs.”

Nico quietly got to his feet. Hazel and Juniper surrounded him for a big hug. But Nico did not respond to it. He simply stood there and let it happen. He felt a little numb, his heart sinking in his chest. A few of the others smiled at him, placing their hands on his shoulder.

Calypso opened the door for him and Annabeth. She smiled and hugged the Lost Boy herself. “You'll be okay, Nico. It'll be over before you know it.” She pulled back with a sad smile. “Good luck.”

Nico forced a smile, which he knew would never pass for being real, and nodded his head. He followed Annabeth out the door and gave a small wave to the girls before walking towards the elevator. He felt like he was walking to his doom. Out of all the bad decisions he had ever made in his life, he was sure this would prove to be the worst.

And it only was made worse by the silence. Annabeth did not speak, and since he was behind her, she was not looking at him. He looked down at his fist, which was still clamped around the pill that Reyna had given him. He would take it later.

When the elevator doors opened, he actually found himself hoping the silence would continue. Octavian stood there, arms crossed and scowl in place. His eyes found Nico first, before shifting over to Annabeth. “Leading the lamb to the slaughter?”

Annabeth sighed and shoved past Octavian. The blond sneered at her, taking a step back. Annabeth motioned for Nico to get on, which he did, albeit reluctantly. “Just shut up, Octavian. He doesn't want to hear your cruel jokes.”

“Oh, that's so sweet of you, Annie.” He narrowed his blue eyes. “Watching out for the poor unfortunate soul, are we?”

“Someone has to.”

The blond chuckled dryly. “Yes, I suppose someone does.”

Nico's eyes shifted between the two. The two had their gazes locked in a stare off. Octavian's lip tilted up in a small smirk. Annabeth's jaw tightened in response. The two really did not like each other.

Annabeth ran her fingers through her hair. “Why don't you try acting like a civilized human being for once?”

“Oh, you know how much I love my role around here.” He chuckled again. “It isn't always about what he wants, you know.”

Annabeth narrowed. “And what would you know about that?”

The blond Lost Boy just smirked. The elevator opened and he stepped out. Annabeth rolled her eyes and turned to Nico, motioning for the young Lost Boy to follow her. Octavian was already up the stairs and out of sight by the time they were making their way up them. Nico's vision began to sway, and he ended up having to reach out for the railing. Annabeth stopped and put an arm around him.

“Come on, Nico. You can just sit down the entire night.” She gave a small smile and motioned to his hand. “Just make sure you take that before the end of the night.”

Nico took in a deep breath and nodded his head. He hated this. He felt so weak and pathetic right now. But who in their right mind would be anything other than terrified, put in his situation? Surely, the others felt like this for their first time doing this, right?

Percy stood beside his booth. Nico looked up to receive a small smile from the young man. “I'll take him from here, Annabeth.” The blonde smiled and nodded. As she began to walk away, Percy's hand grasped hers and gave her knuckles a small kiss. “Thanks for looking after him.”

“Not a problem.” Annabeth smiled again before leaving. Nico watched her leave. Even if she was going to just be over on the other side, Nico wanted to go with her. Perhaps even make a run to the elevator.

Nico sat down at the booth, hands clamped down on the table. The pill Reyna had given him sat in front of him. Percy eyed it, but chose not to say anything about it. He simply sat down next to Nico. He cleared his throat and placed his arm along the back of the booth. It would have been nice, given better circumstances. Nico could have just leaned back and enjoyed the young man's warmth.

But all he could find himself focusing on was the dread of what was to come.

By the time Leo showed up an hour later, Nico was still frozen where he sat. The Lost Boy had turned down anything to eat or drink when Travis came by to take their orders. The brunet had just given him a sympathetic look before taking his leave.

Percy sighed as the Latino boy sat down across from him. His fingers found their way into the back of Nico's hair. “Everything taken care of?”

Leo's eyes darted over to Nico, a sad look emanating from inside them. “Yeah,” he mumbled.

It only served to make Nico's heart sink further. It did not take a genius to figure out what they were discussing. “A-and?” 

Percy's hand gripped Nico's shoulder and bid him to lean back. The young man's arm continued to rest around him. “Calm down. Leo was just making it clear to parties that might be interested that they can have some time with you.” Nico let out a small whine, his shoulders trying to brush off Percy's arm. It did not sit well on him to hear that. Percy sighed and leaned in to whisper to him. “Just relax. I know how it sounds-and I'm sorry-but this is business. I promise that you'll get through this.”

Nico lightly nodded his head. He was not really paying attention to the stage, or even who was on it. He was, however, grateful that he was not being made to get up there and strip as well. This was already enough, and he was still unsure if he could endure this.

But Percy had faith in him, as did the others, so he needed to at least try. He stiffened when Percy placed a hand on his leg. He looked down, realizing that it was tapping on its own. The Lost Boy stopped it and let out a small breath.

Percy was handed some paperwork by Leo and the manager's hand was removed from the boy's leg. Nico's eyes roamed to the young man that sat next to him, watching as the Adonis massaged his temple as he read of the contents of the document.

When Travis went walking by, Percy flagged him down. The brunet made a quick turn and came over with a smile. Percy propped his chin and sighed. “Can I get a bottle of Everclear?”

It took Travis a second, but he blinked and nodded. “Yes, sir. I'll get right on that.” Percy gave a nod and the brunet hurried off to the bar room.

Nico's eyes were dull as they watched the green-eyed young man next to him. “I thought you only drank that when you were really upset?”

Percy smirked and turned to face Nico. “You do have a good memory, or so it would seem. You're going to make me feel special, keeping track of my habits like that.”

Nico exhaled through his nose and rested his chin on his crossed arms. His eyes stared emptily at Will, who was currently working the stage. “That's because I do care about you.”

“And that's going to hold true after tonight?” Percy's brow furrowed. “I figured you'd hate me or something, since I'm making you do this.”

“You're just being an honorable man of your word. I am upset,” the boy mumbled, “but it's my own fault.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “I just want to get it over with. Thinking about it is starting to drive me insane, and I don't know how much more I can take.”

Something that only drove Nico more insane was the fact that there was no clock in the room. And by the time Nico checked the time on Percy's phone for the fifth time, it was taken away from him by the manager, who had just finished his sixth shot of Everclear.

Time ticked on and the hours passed by. Leo was called away from the table from time to time to deal with customers and their requests. Nico's stomach only managed to clench further. He had Travis bring him a glass of water, and he was now staring down at the pill that Reyna had given him.

With a heavy sigh, he downed it, following it up with a large swig of water. Why had he let this happen? Why had he not thought his actions through better? But it was too late for questions. None of that mattered anymore.

Leo returned to them a little after midnight. The Lost Boy looked over at Percy, giving the manager a small nod. Percy glanced back down at his documents with a nod of acknowledgment. Nico just sighed and hung his head. His fate was sealed, he knew it. Percy reached over and patted his hand, but did not spare the boy a glance.

Luke walked by their table, on the way to deliver an order. It stung a little when he did not even spare a glance in their direction. Nico hung his head and pursed his lips. He wanted to cry. No one would really notice, not with the music as loud as it was.

Apollo had taken the stage at some point, and was busy showing off his body for the crowd. The curly haired blond slid along the edge of the stage, ending up on his back. He slid along the ground until he grabbed the pole and pulled himself up.

To Nico everything was beginning to become mushed together. People passed by the table like blurs, the music now a dull roar in his ears. He did not even acknowledge it when Percy rubbed his back. His time had run out and there was nowhere that he could hide. He bit down on his lip and clenched his eyes shut, curling in on himself.

He became vaguely aware that Percy was saying something, but he had begun to cry and no longer was able to make anything out. He felt someone grab him and lift him up. He came face to face with Travis, who flashed him a smile. Leo and the brunet got on either of Nico and helped him walk to the back. Nico looked up to see that Apollo had stopped moving on stage.

The blond's eyes darted from Nico over to Percy. The green-eyed Adonis gave the blond an annoyed look and pointed in Apollo's direction. The blond Lost Boy pursed his lips and went back to gyrating his hips on the pole.

Travis and Leo led him into the back, where the other boys were. They glanced up and stood to their feet. “What's going on?” Will asked as the two dragged Nico towards the back. “Is it already time?” Nico's heart sank a little.

Leo sighed and shook his head, holding up a hand. “He's just having a hard time. We're just going to take him to the back, where he can lie down. You can come see him before anything happens.”

Will did not seem happy about it, but he nodded and stepped aside. Travis opened the door and allowed Leo to step in with Nico. Another door was opened, and Nico was placed on the bed. He could not help but cringe upon contact, knowing full well what he would soon be doing on it.

Travis patted his leg, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Going to be okay there, Neeks?”

“I'm sorry,” Nico mumbled into the mattress.

The brunet tilted his head to the side, sparing Leo a glance. “Why? What did you do?”

“I just feel...feel so weak.” Nico was painfully aware of the tears that were streaking down his cheeks, but he no longer cared. “I'm sure all of you think I'm,” his chest racked in a fit of sobs, “pathetic.”

Travis's brow furrowed as he leaned in, the playful and mischievous boy gone. “You don't need to think like that. Nico, you might be surprised, but I think I can speak for the rest when I say that I think we all acted like you are when we had to do this for the first time.” The brunet squeezed his hand. “I would not even speak with my brother the entire day before it happened. I was in my room the whole time, locked away and barely eating.”

Leo nodded. “This isn't unusual. You can ask the others, they will tell you the same thing.”

Travis pulled the boy on the bed in for a hug. “You're going to be okay, and you're not weak.”

Leo frowned and pulled out his phone, which was lit up. He sighed as he looked at it. “We've got to go.” He gave Nico a weak smile. “Travis is right, you'll be okay. But it's time now. Percy and a few of the others will be in shortly, though.”

Nico wiped the tears from his face and sat up with a nod. Travis gave his shoulder a pat before standing to his feet and walking from the room. Leo stood in the doorway a moment, giving the boy a nod before exiting as well. Nico was left alone, his head dropping to stare at his lap.

He leaned his head back, against the wall, and closed his eyes. Why did this happen now? Maybe if he had been given more time, he could have prepared himself better. The boy shook his head. No, he thought, that would not have helped. He would have just stressed it more.

He opened his eyes when the door opened again. Percy, Apollo, Juniper, and Silena entered the room. Apollo and Juniper sat on either side of him, taking a hand each. Percy paced in front of Nico, clasping his chin. Silena kneeled in front of him and squeezed his knee.

Nico took in several breaths, finding a fresh pain in his chest. It was hard to breath, like there was not enough air in the room. His chest ached deeply and a fresh set of tears burned his eyes. Juniper pulled him to her.

“It'll be okay, Nico,” she whispered into his hair. “It'll be over before you know it.”

Silena nodded, tearing up as well. “Just think about something else, something happier.”

Apollo locked his jaw and turned to Percy. “Are you really going to make him do this? He's upset, he can't handle this.”

Percy stopped his pacing to stare back at Apollo. “I do believe it was you that suggested this in the first place.”

Apollo pressed his lips together. “I'm changing my mind.” He motioned to the boy next to him. “Are you not upset about this? Don't make him do this. Please.” The blond shook his head. “Things have changed and I've changed my mind. He doesn't deserve this.”

Percy's eyes shifted over to where Nico lay, curled up into Juniper. The manager showed no response. He ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth. “My mind has already been made up. He knew the consequences.” He shrugged. “You were in his place once, and you got through it.”

“Maybe I don't want him turning out like me anymore.”

Nico gave Apollo an odd look through his tears. Juniper stroked his hair softly. That had been slightly unexpected, to say the least. Percy's brow furrowed as he studied Apollo. Silena squeezed his leg again with a weak smile. “Focus on something else, Nico. It's what I used to do.”

She was the first to leave. Apollo was next, giving Nico's hand a small squeeze. He let the young Lost Boy's hand drop into is lap as he got to his feet. Juniper continued to stroke his hair. She watched Percy with a frown. “Can I talk to you in the hall?”

Percy gave her a dark look. The girl held her ground, though. Percy inhaled deeply before wiping a hand across his mouth and nodding. He nodded his head towards the door and Juniper got up, but not before hugging Nico again. Nico sat up straight, staring at the young man in front of him. Percy crouched down in front of him.

“You going to be okay?”

Nico nodded his head. “Will you be here when it's over?”

“Yeah,” Percy whispered. “I'll be in the surveillance room the entire time. If he takes it too far, I'll pull you out.”

Nico's heart sank. It was going to be a man then? He supposed he should be thankful that he was not expected to have sex with a woman for his first time doing this. He pursed his lips and closed his eyes, nodding his head. His heart was now pounding in his chest.

Percy stood to his feet. Nico held on to his hand until the last of Percy's fingertips fell from his grasp. When Percy opened the door, Nico reached out for him. “Please don't go. Please.”

Percy shut the door, pressing his back against it. He sighed and walked back over to Nico, sitting beside him. Nico buried his face into Percy's chest. The young man wrapped an arm around him. “I have to, Nico. I know you're stronger than you give yourself credit for.” He tilted the boy's chin up to look at him. “Show me I'm right.”

Nico's heart dropped again as Percy rose to his feet. The young man tossed Nico a final glance before walking out the door and closing it behind him. Nico was alone, and the next person that walked through that door would be his client. It was all Nico could hope for that the door would not open, that no one came in. He only hoped that Percy would come back in and tell him it was not really happening, that he was not going to be subjected to this.

His was out of luck, though, when a middle-aged man opened the door and smiled at him. He plastered on his own smile, his fingers gripping the sheets beneath him. The man's hair was beginning to thin out in the front, while a small set of glasses rested on his face. He was dressed up nice, wearing a coat and bow-tie.

His hand was cold to the touch as it made contact with Nico's shoulder. “You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?”

“Thank you,” Nico whispered.

Nico lay back on the bed. He gripped the sheets again to keep his hands from shaking. The man removed his glasses and folded them before sitting them on a nearby table. Nico's eyes fell upon the ceiling as the man began undoing his tie.

“You're a lot quieter than the others.”

Nico continued to stare at the ceiling. “Sorry.”

“No, no, don't apologize. The others are always so talkative, so interested in my life. It's a little nice to not have all that.”

The bed shifted and Nico briefly closed his eyes. Every inch of his body screamed when the man ran his hand down his chest. He finally rolled his head to the side to look at the man. The man sat on the edge of the bed, clad solely in his underwear.

Nico's stomach lurched when fingers found their way to his waistline. “And you're almost undressed. Why don't we just get you out of these?”

Nico managed a smile and lifted his hips. He shut his eyes and pressed his lips tightly together, fighting every urge to cover himself. His shorts and underwear were tossed aside, and he now lay, naked, before the man.

Nico propped himself up on his elbow. “Why don't we just get started?”

The man grinned at him and stood up. “All business, eh? I like that.”

Nico just grunted and lay on his back again as the man finished undressing. He cringed a little when the man hovered over him, skin brushing against him in several places. The portion of the ceiling he was focused on no longer was appealing to him, now that the man's face inhabited it.

The Lost Boy's body was screaming at him to shove the man away and run from the room, but he could not do that. His legs were squirming beneath the man. The older man's hand reached out and touched Nico's cheek, the boy shut his eyes in response. “You are just a jewel.”

The bed shifted again, and was soon followed by a familiar sound. It was one that he had heard the night before, when Percy had torn open the condom wrapper. A faint click filled Nico's ears. The man grabbed his legs and lifted them. Nico pressed his arms over his mouth, partially to muffle any cries, and partially to hide behind.

Nico rolled his head to the side and stared at the wall. He thought back to his day on the beach with Percy. He had been happy then, not so many problems. He thought of Percy's bright smile and the way the departing sun reflected in his sea-green eyes. He thought back to the first time he laid eyes on Percy, back when the young man had found him on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. All of that seemed so far away now, like a far off dream.

A sharp pain in his lower region brought him back to reality. He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood, and it was no surprise to him when the taste of copper filled his mouth. The insertion did not take as long as it had with Percy, and Nico praised whoever might hear him for the man's lack of size.

The man panted and breathed in his ear, thrusting into the boy on the bed. But Nico, though his body was moved with each thrust, kept his eyes on the wall. A tear fell from his eye, staining the pillow he lay on.

It hurt, but not in the way it had last night. This hurt emotionally. Nico's heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest. He wanted to roll over and expel the contents of his stomach onto the floor. He felt sick. He felt anger, towards the man. Nico wanted the man off of him, he wanted this to stop.

The man moaned above him. It was not enjoyable, nowhere near the experience he had the night before with Percy. This felt wrong, it felt disgusting. He felt disgusting. He felt unclean. The man's touch felt like a searing fire, scalding his flesh.

His lip trembled, holding in a sob, when the man delivered a hard thrust into him. Nico squirmed on the bed, clawing at the sheets. He wanted to sink his nails into the man's eyes to get him to stop, simply to make it stop. A bead of sweat dropped onto his chest, which made him cringe.

Every second that passed felt like agonizing torture. He tried to focus on other things, his eyes dull as they stared at the wall. He tried, he really did. But everything that was happening made it difficult for Nico to concentrate. His mind was screaming, and little else could work its way through.

Only one thing kept him composed: Percy's face. Not the serious, business one that the young man was known to put on. It was the one that Nico preferred, the one where Percy's genuine smile could light up an entire room, where his eyes were their normal sea-green color. He thought back to the feel of Percy's lips pressed against his, and the feel of Percy's hand massaging his back as they fell asleep last night.

Nico felt the man convulse above him and he pursed his lips tighter. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand, another tear falling from his eyes. The man panted several times before leaning back and removing himself from Nico. The boy on the bed shook lightly as the man dressed himself again.

The man pushed his glasses up and headed for the door, but not before smiling at Nico. “Perhaps I'll see you again.”

Nico could not even muster a smile in return. He just pressed his lips together and nodded. The door shut, but soon something made contact with it, causing a loud thud. Someone said something from outside. Nico finally released a sob and curled up in a ball.

Tears began steaming down his face. It was so hard to breath. His chest heaved in harsh, raspy breaths. He kicked at the sheets, scrambling off the bed. He crawled over to a corner and pulled his legs to his chest. The boy began scratching at his arm harshly.

The door opened again and footsteps fell upon the floor in quick succession. A hand reached out and grabbed his hand, preventing him from clawing at his arm. Nico looked up with wide eyes. Percy was crouched in front of him.

“It's over, Nico,” he whispered. Nico buried his head into his hands and released more tears. Percy reached out for him, but Nico jerked away. The young man sighed and held out his hand. “Nico, it's just me. Come on, I'll help you get dressed so you can go back to your room.”

“I don't want you to leave me.”

Percy stared back at him, his eyes a dark emerald in the low light. His black bangs hung into his eyes. “I'm right here. But we need to get you back to your room, okay?”

Nico nodded. His chest continued to heave as Percy reached over to grab his boxers. The young man slipped Nico's feet through the holes. The boy lifted his body to help. As soon as they were on, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Percy, burying his face into his chest. The young man rubbed small circles into his back and let Nico cry.

Percy finally pulled Nico away and pulled out a blue shirt with the Sea World logo on it. “Here, I brought this for you.”

Nico blinked and wiped at his eyes. “This isn't one of my shirts.”

“I know,” Percy smiled, “I brought it from my room.”

Nico just sat there and let Percy slip it on his body, lifting his arms when he needed to. Percy stood up and held his hand out. Nico sat there a moment before reaching out and taking it. Percy yanked him to his feet with a smile. Nico's stomach lurched again and he ran for the bed. Sitting down, he grabbed the trashcan and leaned forward, expelling the few contents in his stomach into the wastebasket.

Percy opened the door while Nico was still heaving. Thalia, Juniper, and Apollo stepped inside. Percy rubbed at his face. “Would the three of you help him up to his room?” Nico looked up with wide eyes. Percy sighed. “I'll be up shortly, I promise. I have to have a talk with Luke, so I'll be right back.”

Nico frowned as Percy walked out and shut the door. He rubbed at his mouth and sat the trash can down. “What did Luke do?”

Thalia chuckled, cracking her knuckles. “Probably dislocated your client's shoulder.”

Apollo shook his head. “He came into the security room after finishing with a client and saw that the guy was finishing up. And before we knew it, he was gone. Next thing we know, Luke bumps shoulders with the man rather harshly.”

Thalia cackled. “Wasn't too happy about it either. But Percy talked him down, and Luke claimed it was an accident.”

Nico's stomach lurched again. He leaned forward, but nothing came up. Juniper rubbed his back gently. Apollo handed him his shorts, but allowed the boy to put them on himself. He felt empty and broken. He felt unclean as well. He needed a shower as soon as possible.

Nico stood to his feet and pulled his shorts on. “I'm ready,” he whispered.

Juniper took his hand and walked with him out the door, while Apollo and Thalia followed behind him. No one was around when they left, not even sitting at the tables. The Lost Kids were already gone, or still doing business.

Once back inside Nico's suite, Juniper sat him down on the couch. “Sit right here, I'll make you some warm tea.”

Nico could not even get himself to nod. His body was shutting down on him, and his limbs felt like lead. He was sore and disgusted with himself. His face ached from all of the crying, but no more seemed to come.

Apollo sat down beside him. “You okay?”

“No.”

When Apollo reached out, Nico drew back. “Sorry. I didn't really wanna be touched after my first time either.” He handed Nico the blanket that sat on the back of the couch. “I think you did a good job, and don't let anyone tell you different. Most of us reacted the same way you are after our first time.”

Thalia sat on the other side of the blond, on the arm of the couch. “Well, except for maybe Butch or Beckendorf.”

Apollo shot her a look. “Beckendorf punched a hole in the wall, and Butch...well, Butch just has his own problems that he's still sorting through.”

Thalia leaned forward, towards Nico. “You really did do a good job, at least for your first time. And Apollo's right, we all cried, even me. And even those like Hazel and Silena, who had to go through all this before coming here.”

“Thalia,” Juniper hissed from the kitchen. “Private is private.”

Thalia held her hands up. “Sorry, sorry.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He sniffled as he looked at Thalia. “What happened to Silena? I already knew about Hazel.”

Juniper walked back over and handed him his tea. “Here drink this. Don't worry about any of that right now. You need to drink this and then get a shower.”

“And sleep,” Apollo added.

Juniper nodded. “You'll feel better in the morning.”

Nico sipped at his tea, watching the others over the top of it. “Thank you,” he mumbled, thumbing he mug.

Apollo gave him a lopsided grin. “We're family, we got to stick together in the hard times.”

A nice, warm feel washed over him as the warm liquid slipped down his throat. He breathed out a long breath and took another sip. His body felt numb, for the moment. His eyes still held their dull, lifeless quality that they had for the past few hours. He felt empty.

After finishing his tea, the boy stood up and wrapped his arms around himself. “I-I'm going to take a shower.”

The three stood to their feet with nods. “Get some sleep, Nico,” Juniper said, touching the boy's arm. “Make sure to come find us in the morning. You're going to be upset still, but you don't need to be alone.”

Nico nodded. The three left him standing there, where he remained for a full minute before walking to the bathroom. He slipped out of his clothes, wrapping his arms back around himself afterwards, and stepped into the scalding shower that he had set up.

More tears finally came, mixing in with the water that was turning his skin pink. He sat down on the shower floor and let the water hit him in the face. With a washcloth in hand, the Lost Boy began scrubbing every inch of his skin profusely. But no matter how much he tried, the feeling of being unclean would not leave him. It was like it was seared into his very flesh, never to leave.

When he finally emerged, half an hour later, he found Percy sitting on his bed. The young man looked up with a small smile. “Feel any better?”

“No,” Nico whispered, shaking his head. “I can't-” Nico rubbed at his arm. “I can't get this feeling off of me. Will you stay here tonight?”

Percy sighed and pulled Nico to the bed, getting the boy to sit down. He smiled and fingered the shirt Nico wore. “You're still wearing my shirt.” He sighed and looked up. “I'll stay until you fall asleep.”

It was better than nothing. Nico nodded his head and laid down, curling up in a ball. Percy pulled back the covers and placed them on top of the boy. He slid up the bed, behind the boy, and draped an arm above his head. Nico felt him shift, so that he was lying down. And then Percy's fingertips were brushing against his arm.

It was surprisingly nice. And more surprising that he did not pull away. Nico let out a sigh and relaxed his tense shoulders. This was only the beginning, a voice inside his head reminded him. It was only going to get worse from here. But at least he had Percy there, at least for the moment.

A tear slid down Nico's cheek. The boy sighed and let his eyes close. It was not until that moment that he realized how tired he was. It was not long before sleep claimed him, Percy's soothing fingers still running through his hair.


	31. We Were Always Meant to Say Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I changed the title of this like five times before I went with this one. I was going to go with "You're Not Here, You're Already Gone" but I like this one better. I just kept thinking that I feel like there's a song that sort of fits a lot of the talk that goes on in this chapter. Then I remembered the Kelly Clarkson song. "Already Gone" is a pretty good song to go with this chapter.

Quiet breathing filled his ears as Nico stared at the wall in front of him. He rested on his stomach, his arms resting under his head. He could not really say how long he had been awake, or even what had woken him up, but he knew it was still early in the morning. He also felt like shit. His head hurt, his stomach was in knots, and his body ached.

He was still tired, but as much as he tried, Nico was unable to go back to sleep. There was a dull pounding in his head as he lay there. He was alone in his room, and he was not even sure if anyone was in the apartment. If it was too early, Jason could have still been asleep.

With a groan, Nico sat up in bed. His stomach instantly lurched. Shooting out of bed and ignoring the pain coursing through his body, Nico made a run for the bathroom.

He hunched over the toilet just in time to expel the contents of his stomach into the bowl. He heaved a few times, but nothing else came up. He pressed his hands against his eyes as he fell back, landing against the large tub that rarely got used.

The sound of footsteps was heard from the hall. Nico pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his head. He let out a groan when he heard the sink get turned on next to him. In the next second, he had his head lifted up and a rag pressed to his head.

Percy's green eyes stared back at him, pressing the damp cloth to the boy's head. “You should get back to bed.”

Nico frowned at the young man, his face paler than normal. “You're still here?” With a quick glance over the young man, Nico found that Percy was in his pajamas and looked like he had barely slept at all. “What are you doing?”

“Well, I was catching up on some work.”

“You stayed the night?” Nico blinked. “I thought you went back to your room?”

Percy removed the cloth and felt Nico's cheek. “Well, I did go back when you fell asleep, but I just went to get my laptop and a few things.” Percy stood up and offered Nico his hand. “Come on.”

Slowly, Nico reached out with a shaky hand. Percy yanked him up and placed a hand on Nico's back to help guide him out of the bathroom. They entered the living room, where Percy left him for a moment to clean off the couch. A blanket looked like it had been in use, but had been tossed away randomly. Percy's laptop sat at the foot of the couch with a stack of papers and a pen. On the table sat a coffee mug.

Percy removed his things before motioning for Nico to get on the couch. “Stay here.” He handed Nico the remote for the TV. “Find something to watch, I'll get you some breakfast.”

“I'm not hungry,” Nico mumbled, rolling away from Percy.

He heard Percy blow out a breath. “Well you're going to eat something. I know things suck for you right now, but you have to deal with it.” The remote was placed in his hand again. “Find something to watch and enjoy yourself, you're staying in your suite today.”

Nico sat up and narrowed his eyes at Percy. “You're confining me to my room?”

“After last night and the events of the past week, I figured you could use some rest.” The manager simply shrugged and headed for the kitchen. “I thought I was being thoughtful. You have today and tomorrow, but you're going back to school and work on Monday. There will be no discussion about that.” Nico's eyes darkened as he glared at Percy's back. “So get some rest, you've been through a lot.”

Nico pursed his lips, staring down at the floor. He nodded, even though Percy could not see it. He was not sure why he was being so angry; he knew it was uncalled for. Still, part of him was upset with Percy about what happened last night. True, it had been his own decision that led to it all, but to push it so soon after the death of his mother felt harsh.

He let out a sigh and leaned back. Pressing a button on the remote, Nico flipped through the channels on TV. “So I can't do anything for the next two days?”

Percy glanced up at him from where he was peeling an orange. “You can do whatever you want, I just would like you to get some rest. Your body needs to recover.” He focused back on what he was doing. “Drink plenty of water and try to stay out of trouble.”

Nico rolled his eyes. Percy placed a waffle in the toaster. “You talk like I go looking for it.”

Percy shrugged. “You make me wonder sometimes.” He smiled when Nico glared at him. “Just being honest.” The green-eyed young man cracked his neck before reaching up to massage it. “I'll have some of the others drop by and check on you, so you aren't alone all day. You'll also be working the bar for a few nights when you start back.”

Nico focused back on the TV. His stomach was still not ready to settle, and his body now felt weak. He frowned at his arm, rubbing it lightly. “I'd rather be alone.”

The waffle popped out of the toaster. “You don't need to be alone.” Percy picked the waffle up and put it on a plate with the orange. He grabbed some syrup before walking back over to Nico and placing it in front of him. “Now eat.”

Nico stared blankly up at Percy. “I'm not hungry.”

“And I didn't ask if you were.” He pointed at the food. “I told you to eat.”

Nico sighed and swung his legs over the side of the couch. He pulled the table closer, grabbing the syrup and covering his waffle. “You don't have to treat me like a child.”

The manager quietly picked up his cup of coffee and raised it to his lips. “Then maybe you should make more adult decisions.” Nico dropped his fork and glared at him. “As of late, you've just done a lot of immature things.”

“I-”

“I didn't want you stripping, I didn't want you drinking, and I didn't want you to have to end up selling your body.” Percy's brow furrowed over the cup as he took a sip. “There's a lot I could have gotten in trouble for, but I was trying to do something good. I was trying to keep you together, so you don't end up broken like the others.”

Nico looked down, finding his feet interesting. Percy felt like a giant to him at the moment. He felt small, insignificant. Ungrateful. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, unable to meet Percy's gaze.

The green-eyed young man let out a sigh. Nico flinched when Percy reached out and patted his head. The contact burned, stinging at Nico's heart. He was just a disappointment, which was all he ever really was.

Percy's fingers tangled in his hair. “Hey.” Nico was forced to look up. The manager crouched down, squatting in front of the boy. “I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but I can tell it's nothing good.” Nico's lips continued to tilt down as he stared into those green eyes. “Stop being depressed, you're cuter when you smile.”

As much as he would have liked to, Nico found himself unwilling to smile. He was not sure if it was him, but things just felt so different today. The world felt a little less bright and there was just this empty feeling hanging in the air. And inside, Nico felt his body going to war with itself. Part of him wanted Percy to reach out more and hold him, but the other part of him wanted to shove the young man away.

Black bangs were pushed from Nico's eyes. “I've got to go,” Percy whispered. “There's a lot going on today. Gaea will be here in a little over two weeks, and I've still got a lot to get done.” Nico did not move. Percy sighed and stood up. “If you need anything, you know you can always call or text me, or any of the others.”

Stay, was what went through Nico's mind as he stared into Percy's eyes. There was something odd about how Percy looked at him, concern written on the young man's face. Running his fingers through Nico's hair one more time, Percy took his leave.

Nico stared at the remainder of his food, not sure if he was capable of finishing it. He found himself wishing Percy was back, or someone was there. The silence was deafening, torturous. Licking his lips, he made a face. He could still taste the vomit in his mouth.

The dark haired boy stood up and dragged his feet back to the bathroom. Grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste, Nico worked on cleaning his mouth. When he was done, he spit the contents of his mouth into the sink and cleaned off his toothbrush. Standing up straight, Nico froze.

A chill ran across his body as he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked horrible, but that was not what bothered him. There was a dark, empty look in his eyes. What was worse was that it reminded him of the look in his father's eyes at times. Was this why Percy had looked at him like that? Was he going to become like the others, destined to lose himself in this toxic environment?

“You look like shit.”

Nico's eyes widened as they made contact with Jason in the mirror. The blond was leaning against the doorway, eyebrow raised. Nico turned around and leaned against the sink.

“You look like one of those murderers in those horror movies, after they've killed their victims.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “You know how they always show the murderer looking into the mirror, while they clean the blood off?”

Nico crossed his arms. “Is there a point to this?”

The blond shrugged. “Just wondering if I need to hide the knives.” As he left the bathroom, Nico followed him. “So, I see you survived last night.”

Inside, Nico could feel his stomach twist into a knot. “I'm fine.”

Jason stopped in the kitchen, spinning around on his feet. He grabbed Nico's chin and forced him to look at him. The blond's eyes looked over his face, analyzing every inch of it. Jason finally let out a grunt and released him. “You sure look fine,” he said sarcastically. “So, how long did you spend in the shower last night?”

Nico opened and closed his mouth several times. Jason raised a brow before searching through their kitchen for something to eat. “I don't remember,” Nico mumbled, rubbing his arm.

“Don't sweat it too much.” Jason closed one of the cabinets. “I think I spent around two hours in the shower after my first time doing this.” Nico went to speak, but Jason continued. “Yes, the water was freezing.” Turning his head, he stared at Nico from the corner of his eye. “Helped dull the pain.”

“How did you...deal with...you know, strangers doing that stuff to you?”

Jason stopped, pressing his hands to the counter surface. “A lot of practice and focus.” Nico's eyes stared down at Jason's hip, where his pajama pants were hanging loosely. The scars may have been almost gone, but it seemed the blond still carried them emotionally. “You get used to it, after a while.” He turned around, causing Nico's eyes to land on the blond's abs. Nico's cheeks tinged pink as he quickly looked up to meet Jason's eyes. The blond just shrugged. “Doesn't bother me.”

Nico pressed his lips together, shifting his weight slightly. “But it does bother you to be touched.” He noticed Jason stiffen. “Why?”

His roommate's head was down when he looked up, hiding his eyes from Nico's gaze. “It's different when it's not business. I don't like to deal with it when I'm off the clock.”

“You haven't...had sex with the others?” Nico asked. Jason shook his head. “Why?”

A hand came up to push the blond's growing bangs away from his eyes. Something seemed to be going on in the blond's mind, his eyes unfocused. His forehead wrinkled. “It's not something I have to do. I don't like sex, believe it or not.” Blue eyes closed until they were half-lidded. “At least you got paid for your first time, though.”

Why did that sound familiar? Nico's brow furrowed. Octavian had said something similar yesterday, had he not?

“You don't...need to be like me.” Jason's head was down again. His lips pursed as he shook his head. “Don't be like me, or the others. Once you're like us, you're trapped with all of this.” He finally met Nico's eyes, his eyes red. “I hoped that when my sister ran away...I had hoped she wouldn't have ended up in another version of our life.” Blond hair shook sadly. “But I suppose it was too much to ask for. Life isn't that kind.”

Nico moved to grab his plate from the living room. Walking back into the kitchen, he dispensed his leftovers into the trash before placing the plate into the sink. He now stood next to Jason, where he was being watched from behind blond bangs. “At least you found her again.”

“This place, this life, it corrupts you. It destroys you. It's like a toxin being injected into your body.” Jason finally looked up. “It's a cycle, just look at Ganymede and Apollo. I don't want my sister here.”

“So why don't you just take her and leave? I'm sure she has plenty of money by now. Surely you two could manage to find a place and make a life.”

“And do what?” Jason crossed his arms, staring at the boy with a blank look. “What can we do? Most of us that are here have never had a job before now. This is what we know, there's security here.” He pointed a finger into Nico's chest. “And you're going to be doomed just like the rest of us.”

Staring off to the side, Nico pursed his lips. He would not turn out like them. Percy had done so much for him, and he had done so little to show his appreciation. But this would be different. The one thing Percy asked of him was to not be like the others, to hold on to a sliver of his innocence. He would keep his word on that, he had to.

Jason glanced at the clock. “I've got to get a shower. I told Leo I'd help him decorate the lobby.” Nico stared down at the floor as his roommate walked off. “You can come down and help, if you find yourself bored.”

Nico plopped down on the couch once he was alone. He heard the bathroom door shut, the sound of the shower soon following. The boy placed his hand under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Percy was right, he needed to act more responsibly. For all Nico knew, he was just being counterproductive to what he was aiming for.

Perhaps showing Percy that he was not a kid was not just about doing mature and adult things. Even if he did those things, even he had to admit that he acted like a child most of the time. He needed to be more responsible with his decisions, even if he had already dug his grave by this point. But it was still an opportunity in and of itself. If he could survive this, without becoming like the others, then maybe he really was not the weak person he made himself out to be. And it would be a chance to do something for Percy, and possibly make him happy.

After all Percy had done for him, what he still might do for him, Nico figured it was the least he could do to repay the young man.

Nico pulled himself up and headed for his room. The problem was that he really had no idea how to go about all of this. What was he supposed to do? Was it better to remain in his room and just think about everything that had happened, or should he socialize? He just did not want to end up crying in the lobby.

An uncontrollable cringe washed over him as he stood in his closet. It was like he could still feel that man's hands on him. And all that did was bring that man's face back to the front of his mind. He really could not see how this was supposed to get easier with time.

Nico gathered some loose clothing when he heard the shower turn off in the bathroom. Letting out a sigh, Nico stepped out of his room. Jason exited the bathroom at the same time, drying his still wet hair with a towel. A tight pair of briefs clung to his waist, his chest still dripping with water.

“You look sick,” the blond commented, eyeing Nico from the side.

Nico flipped him off as he brushed past his roommate to enter the bathroom. Jason raised an eyebrow at him as the door was shut in his face. Nico stepped out of his clothes. He stood there in his underwear and adjusted the shower. He felt exposed, even though there was no one in the room to look at him.

By the time he was dressed and out of the bathroom, Jason had already left the suite. Nico wrapped his arms around himself as he stood in the elevator, holding the sleeves of his black sweater in his grip. The elevator doors opened and the Lost Boy stepped out with a sigh.

He froze. Nico found himself gaping up at the giant Christmas tree now on display in the lobby. The top literally reached to the balcony on the second floor. The twins waved down at him while they threw some tinsel on the top.

Nico rubbed his arm and walked over to Leo. “Hey.” The Latino boy glanced up from a box with a smile. “Is there anything I can do?”

A grin broke out across the boy's lips. “Disobeying orders, eh?” The curly haired Lost Boy reached into the box and handed Nico a small box filled with candles. “Would you mind placing these around the lobby? I gave Hazel some, so you can just help her out.”

Nico stared around the lobby, box now in hand. A lot of green and red covered the large room. And, somehow, someone had managed hanging some mistletoe from the crystal chandelier above him. The boy blinked in surprise as Will pecked him on the cheek as he walked past. Nico's cheeks tinged pink, Leo snickering at him.

“So,” Leo said, focusing back on the box of Christmas decorations, “how're you feeling today?”

Nico focused his attention on the box in his arms. “I don't know how they do it, pretending like they are okay with all of this.” The boy's dark eyes followed two men dressed in business suits as they walked from the restaurant to the elevator. “I can't even look at the people here without wondering if one of them will be my next customer.”

“I don't know what to tell you.” The boy turned and grinned at him. “Maybe Luke will keep beating them up and you'll stop getting people requesting you.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Somehow, I don't think Percy would allow that.” His eyes found three children laughing and chattering, watching the Lost Kids decorate. “And I don't think Luke would do it anyways. I know he can be a nice guy, but he still has his tough love side to him.”

Leo hummed in response, nodding his head. “Take it easy today, Nico. You're getting a short break from all of this, but you'll be back in soon. And when that time comes, you're just going to have to deal with all that you're given.” The Latino Lost Boy offered him a lopsided smile. “Just keep your chin up and try to keep your mind off things.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. His eyes found the floor as he walked off. Hazel was not hard to find, really. She was currently straightening some decorations in the lobby's lounge.

She smiled at him as he approached. “I see you decided to walk amongst the living today.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You come to give me a hand?” Nico nodded. “Good. Let's hope you're better than your roommate, who can't be trusted to decorate properly.”

Nico placed one of the candles from the box on the small table between two of the couches. Hazel pulled out a lighter and ignited it with a warm smile. Even with the new source of warmth, Nico's body still felt cold. And empty.

“You okay?” Nico blinked, glancing down at Hazel's hand on his shoulder. “You look really sad.”

“Just thinking.”

“About last night?” Hazel kneeled down and placed a wrapped present under the small table. Nico was going to assume it was just for decoration. The boy nodded his head. “I figured. It's not easy, when you first go through it.”

Nico frowned. “But it gets better?”

“Well,” Hazel bit down on her lip, “I wouldn't say better. Easier, maybe.” She smiled and enveloped him in a hug. “But we'll help you get through it.”

The raven-haired boy rubbed his eyes, tears beginning to form. “Can I trust you guys, though?”

Hazel pulled back with a hurt look. She looked down with a sigh. “It's hard sometimes, you know? Looking at someone who went through a similar situation as you, and still coming out better in the end. None of us managed to stay the same while we were on the streets, and yet you made it.”

“It was only a few months.”

The girl shook her head, her cinnamon colored curls whipping about her face. “I was only out there for a few months.”

Nico reached out and touched the girl's arm. “But you went through horrible things before that.”

“And you didn't? Your dad beat you for being gay, didn't he?” Nico opened his mouth, but shut it and stared at the floor. Hazel offered him a weak smile. “It's okay to talk about it, you know. If you expect to get the others to open up to you, you're going to have to be willing to share your own past.”

Nico pursed his lips. He stood there, frozen. Hazel smiled and touched his arm before pulling another candle from the box Nico brought and placed it on a small stand that sat against the wall. “It wasn't for being gay, at least not at first.” Hazel turned to stare at him. “I didn't tell my dad until much later. He never laid a hand on my mom or sister, mainly because they were girls, so I was pretty much the only option.” Nico could only stare at his shoes. “I, um, had figured it had been something I must have done. Maybe I had done something I wasn't supposed to, but Bianca kept reassuring me that I had never done anything.

“It was rare... at first, and never really that bad,” Nico continued. He looked up to find Hazel looking at him with her mouth open and some tears in her eyes. Nico's own vision blurred and he reached up to wipe more tears away, only for them to be replaced by new ones. “I'd get beaten for things like not getting an A or a B on a test. And then there was the time I refused to join any sports' team in school.”

“I'm so sorry, Nico.”

Nico shook his head. “It wasn't your fault, and I know now that it wasn't mine either. My father has his own issues that he needs to work out. Perhaps it was just stress from his job, I may never know.”

Hazel hugged him again. “It doesn't give him the right to abuse his child.” She looked up at him with a frown. “Don't make excuses for what your father did, I know I stopped trying to make them for my mother a long time ago.”

“What she did was horrible. She doesn't deserve your pity or excuses.” Nico sat down on the couch, Hazel joining him a few seconds later. “I just don't know how you do it.”

Hazel placed her hand on his back and began rubbing circles. “Do what?”

“Survive this life. I don't see how all of you survive this life. How did you manage living with your mother, with that life?”

The Lost Girl took in a deep breath. “You expect a parent to love their child, at least growing up.” She let out her breath. “But, then again, you believe a lot of things when you're younger. How did you deal with your father?”

The brown-eyed boy shrugged. “I just...let it happen. Like I said, I figured it was my fault. I still feel like a disappointment, especially messing up like I have recently.”

Hazel's brow furrowed, pursing her lips. “I don't think you're a failure, Nico. But I know how you feel. I didn't know what to think with what my mother did, but I still wanted to make her happy.” Hazel's hand found his, squeezing it softly. “I heard Percy offered to deal with your father.”

“It wasn't the answer. I didn't want him murdered for what he did.” Nico stared down at his and Hazel's hands. “He can't touch me here, and revenge isn't the answer.”

Hazel nodded her head. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I gave him the same answer, you know. But, unlike your father, my mother doesn't even know if I'm dead or alive. And I want it to stay that way.” She offered him a small smile. “Let's get back to work, yeah?” Nico smiled before nodding and standing up.

\------------------------------------------------------

For once, Nico felt calm sitting on the top floor. He sat beside Percy, casually stirring his drink and watching Silena and Juniper dance around on the stage. And that was why he felt calm; he was sitting on the girls' side of the top floor. The only way any of these customers would be interested in looking at him would be if they were bisexual.

The boy rubbed his neck. After helping with decorations, Nico had spent the rest of his day in his room, sitting on the couch in the same position for several hours. It had not been kind on his body. He winced. Percy's fingers were pressing against his neck.

“You okay?”

Nico nodded, his eyes closed from mild pain. “Yeah, just a little sore.”

Percy smiled. “You should have laid in bed. But, instead, I find you looking like a zombie on the couch.” Nico scowled at him. “A cute zombie.” The comment did not cause Nico to falter with his glares. “Would you like a massage later?”

Nico looked up at Reyna, who was tending to Percy's booth. Her lip twitched as she set down Percy's drink order. “But I was supposed to come by later.”

Percy turned to face her, his hand still massaging Nico's neck. “I can spare a few minutes. We can still negotiate.”

The brown-eyed boy scrunched his lips. But, upon receiving a glare from the Lost Girl, Nico quickly looked away. Without saying anything, Reyna walked off to see to another table. Nico groaned as Percy squeezed his neck. “You really don't have to do that.”

Percy chuckled. “Yeah, well, I don't mind.”

Nico sighed, glancing at the stage briefly as the two Lost Girls finished their routine. “Percy?”

“Hmm?”

Glancing over at the young man, Nico found him looking over a stapled document. His other hand was still busy working the muscles in Nico's neck. “Why didn't you ever tell me it was Luke who made the deal? I thought it was you.”

Percy blinked and turned to glance down at Nico. “When Luke does something like this, he doesn't really like people knowing it was him.” Percy scrunched his lips, focusing back on his work. “As for the second thing, I didn't suggest anything, because I figured Luke would. I try to stay neutral as much as possible, and I know Luke well enough to predict when he will do something like that.”

“Oh.” Nico's face contorted in confusion.

Percy glanced at him with a smile. “I've known Luke for a little over two years now, he's one of my best friends. I knew I could count on him.” Percy shrugged. “You're sort of a bad reminder of his history, an old wound that won't quite heal, so I knew he would jump in. Dealing with you can be hard on him, and I think that's why he looks to give you a hard time, at least part of it.” The manager studied Nico for a moment. “You're like...a bad memory, no offense. He had been getting to a point where he could move on, but then you showed up. And, yeah, it was like reopening an old wound.”

“So, Octavian doesn't like me because I'm hurting his brother?”

Percy blew out a breath, trying to focus on his documents. “Not really. It's a little more complicated than that. I'm not really the person you want to talk to about that.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “But you know everything about the Lost Kids.”

The young man shrugged. “Not my place to talk about it.”

Nico let out a sigh and took a sip of his drink. Percy was right. Still, it would be nice to have an idea of what Luke's issue was with him. If he knew, perhaps he could do something to not be a problem for the blond.

The raven-haired boy let out a groan, receiving a pat on the back from Percy. “Why don't you go sit down in the bar?” Percy suggested. “I figure you don't want to be up here that much.”

Nico stared at the side of Percy's face. He really could not argue that. It was true, for the most part. For most of the night, he had found himself having a hard time even sparing a glance at the customers from either side. Not after last night.

The boy nodded his head. Percy smiled and stood up, allowing Nico to slip out of the booth. The young man slid his fingers into Nico's hair. “I'll come by your room later, okay?” Nico nodded again. “Behave yourself.”

Nico glared at Percy before taking his leave. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked down the stairs, moving to the side whenever a customer came across his path. Once inside the elevator, Nico leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms, his eyes becoming dull.

What was he supposed to be feeling through all of this? Because, what possibly scared him the most was that he was having a hard time feeling anything at all. At times, during the day, he would get upset. He spent an hour crying on the couch earlier, and then twenty minutes later, he was laughing at something on TV. And then, at times like right now, he found himself empty.

He had gone through another shower before he had come to the top floor. And, even after the three showers since it happened, he still felt unclean and violated.

Nico shook his head as the elevator opened to the bar. The bar was as crowded as always. But, even with all of the noise and people, Nico still felt safer here. Sure some of these people could always just go upstairs and be someone to request his private company, but he did not try to focus on that at the present moment. He had always seen the bar as a safe haven away from the world above them.

Chiron smiled at him as he wiped off a spot on the bar. “Good evening, Nico. What can I get for you?”

Nico sat down on the chair opposite the bartender. “I was sent down to be away from things.” He sighed and crossed his arms on the bar's surface. “Can I just get some tea?”

“Anything to eat? You're not looking so good.”

The Lost Boy scrunched his lips, unable to meet the man's gaze. “Maybe something small. I've not had much of an appetite.”

Chiron nodded his head, reaching out the pat the top of Nico's hand. “Hang in there, my boy.” Nico's brown eyes glanced up. “The lights are dimming on you, that is for sure, but I think you can manage holding on to a flashlight.”

Nico's face contorted in confusion. “Flashlight?”

“Find yourself something to ground you, get yourself a goal.” Chiron smiled as he took out a small mug and poured some hot water in it. “Always keep the goal in mind and head towards it. Use it as a light, to guide yourself through the darkness ahead of you.”

Nico's dark eyes watched Chiron take out a teabag and place it in the mug. His shoulders slumped. “And what if I get swallowed by the darkness? What if I'm not strong enough to make it on the journey?”

“Then I would say Percy made a misjudgment of character, and that's something that does not happen very often.” Chiron pushed the mug of tea across the bar. “Hang in there, my boy, I'm sure you can find the strength to get through your trials.”

A salad was placed in front of him, and when Nico looked up, he found Piper standing beside him. Chiron smiled and went back to taking orders from people at the bar. “So, how are you?” Piper asked, leaning on the bar.

“Fantastic,” Nico mumbled. He motioned to his face. “Can't you tell?”

Piper smiled and picked a crouton off the boy's plate and tossed it into her mouth. “Yeah, you do look like crap.” She handed him a fork, which he took. “But I'm sure you'll be fine, or should be. You're not the first of us to have to go through this, and not all of us took it smoothly. I didn't. I threw a fit afterwards, kicked and screamed all the way back to my room. I wanted to punch the man that touched me.”

“What changed?”

The Lost Girl shrugged. “Sometimes, what you really want is some attention. Having the attention on stage is nice, right?” Nico shrugged. “It was just...nice, having someone completely willing to show me affection and give me their time.” Piper let out a sigh. “I suppose it's a little sad, but I'm not the only one that had this epiphany about this life.”

Nico glanced at a bottle of brandy as Chiron poured it into a man's glass. “I don't know how I'm supposed to move on from where I am right now. How do I come to a point where I don't feel disgusted with myself?”

“That's something I can't really tell you. It's just something you have to figure out for yourself.” She shrugged. “Most of us came to accept things in a different way, and I'm sure the same will apply to you. For those like Luke and Octavian, they realized it was a way to take action against the things they hate.”

“Like?”

Piper let out a small chuckle. “Well, Octavian's not the biggest fan of politicians, so if he can give Percy any information that could cripple them down the road, then he's usually content.”

Nico blinked as he speared some of his salad. “But he wants to be one.”

“If you have a problem with something, wouldn't you want to change it?” Piper cocked her head to the side. “But that's saying that Octavian would ever follow through with that idea. Remember: once a Lost Kid, always a Lost Kid. It's just this place,” the Lost Girl motioned around them, “it doesn't exactly let you leave. You can't let yourself leave.”

Nico glanced up from where his tea sat on the bar, at a bottle of vodka. “Yeah,” he whispered.

Piper followed his line of sight. “Don't.” Nico blinked and turned to look at her in question. “You don't want to start drinking, it'll just lead to things you don't want. And it'll just be another means of keeping you here. If you want to know how not to become a prisoner in this place, you need to not do certain things that are expected to happen. Drinking is one of those things.” The girl's brow furrowed as she stared at the bottle. “It's a bad habit anyways.”

An hour passed by in the blink of an eye for the boy at the bar. Nico sat, staring at his finished plate. He let out a sigh and looked up, glancing around the room. The place was still packed, as was expected. It was only nearing midnight, after all. Blowing out a breath, Nico debated leaving. Something caught his eye, though.

Chris waved at him from a table in the corner, farthest from the bar itself. Nico picked his empty plate and mug up and deposited them behind the bar. From there, he weaved around Drew and some customers that were heading to the elevators, making a beeline for Chris.

The young man smiled at him as he sat down at the table. “Haven't seen you around the past few days.” He scrunched his lips as he took a sip from whatever he was drinking. “Sorry to hear about your mother.”

Nico shook his head. “Don't worry about it.” He stared down at the table. “How are you?”

“Adjusting.” A crooked smile appeared on Chris's lips. “But I suppose that's all you can really do around here. And I suppose that's what you're trying to do.” He made a noise as he sat his drink down. “You know, I was kind of surprised when I found out you were involved with what went on upstairs. Well, was, and then Clarisse told me you weren't being a prostitute.” Nico bit his lip. “But then she tells me you sort of chose to be one anyways.”

“I was stupid.”

The young man chuckled. “Yeah, perhaps. I don't think I'd choose to do something like that.” Nico cringed as Chris popped his knuckles. “You don't really seem like you belong in a place like this. But, after learning everything I have, I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised by anything that goes on here.”

“It was a stupid mistake.” Nico shook his head, glancing off to the side. “I haven't really been appreciative of what I had, and now I lost it. And now I feel like a child, and I wonder if I'm being laughed at by the others. They seem to do things so easily, like this doesn't even bother them.”

“Well, not anymore.”

Nico frowned. “What does that mean?”

Chris shrugged. “I mean, I've worked here for about a year now, and I did see Will and Hazel when they first arrived. They were different back then, yet still sort of the same. I guess it's hard to explain. They seemed happy, yet you could tell something had happened to them, something was bothering them.” The security worker rubbed his neck. “When they first arrived, they were happier. And then, one day, something changed. I would assume, knowing what I know now, that they met with a client.”

“But were they like me?”

Chris looked at Nico. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “You're not quite like any of them, Nico. And, I mean, I didn't see a lot of them when they first arrived, but I just get a different vibe from you.” He chuckled and took another drink “This just doesn't seem like the place you belong.”

Nico shook his head. “Well, it's not like I can just leave.”

“Can't you?” Chris raised a brow. “I'm sure you've got some money saved up, unless you've blown it all.”

Nico's eyes were dull as they stared at the table. “No, it's just sitting in the bank. Don't really need anything.”

“See.” Chris sat his drink back down. “Why not just leave? I don't think Percy would stop you, and from what he's told me, he doesn't want you turning out like the others anyways. So, why not just pack up and go? Surely there's somewhere you could stay.”

Nico chewed on his lip, his fidgeting with each other on the table. “I just-yeah, I guess there's somewhere I could go.” Daedalus. “But-”

What about the others? What about Percy? Would he ever see them again?

In all honesty, Nico had not thought about leaving. Sure, Minerva had suggested it. But, at the time, Nico was quick to dismiss it. He had wanted to stay with Percy. But here he was, whining about hating how things were turning out for him, when he had a way out the whole time. He could have just left, instead of doing what he did last night. He could still leave.

“I don't know,” the Lost Boy whispered.

Chris chuckled. “Nico, I don't think you should try enduring this place. You seem like a nice kid, the world could use all the nice people it can get.” He sighed and looked around. “And, looking at this place, I say that more than ever. This is not your world. I may not be a Lost Kid like Clarisse and Ethan, but I can tell you that this is not where you need to be. Kid, you've got an entire life ahead of you. I mean, even the others don't want you turning out like them. So why risk it?”

Nico's hands shook, a chill running across his body. He blinked back some tears that were threatening to spill out. “I'll think about it.”

Chris leaned on his hand, still watching Nico. “If it was me, I'd just pack up and leave. This place is like a hive of everything that is wrong with the world. Sure Gaea and Percy are collecting information, but what are they really doing with it?” The young man blew out a breath. “They're just using it for their own gain. Why not use it to better the world?”

“Then why did you accept the full job here?”

It took Chris a moment to reply. “I'm still human, just like everyone else. I guess I didn't think it would be as bad as it was.” He shook his head. “But, I mean, it's not as big of a deal for me. I can handle myself. You...you just need to get out while you can. You can get by. You can find somewhere to stay, you can finish school, and then you can get a normal job. You can have a normal life outside of this place.”

But he would probably never see Percy again, was all that ran through Nico's mind. And what about the others? These people were important to him now, even if they had hurt him. But was Chris right? What if he could not do what Percy wanted? He would become like the others, and then he would truly be lost.

Suddenly, the title became more accurate, more real. It was not that they were lost, like in the story of Peter Pan, they were lost in the place they were, lost who they were. The hotel took these already damaged individuals, and simply made them worse. Did Nico really want that to happen to him?

What would Percy had been like if his life have been different? What would any of them have been like?

Later that night, Nico stood outside his door, trying to fish his wallet out of his pants. Sliding the card in, Nico slipped inside his suite. But, before he could shut the door, a hand shot out and pressed against the surface. Nico slowly opened it again.

Percy smiled down at him cheekily. Nico eyed him for a moment before stepping aside and motioning for the young man to enter. Percy closed the door behind him. Rubbing his neck, the young man walked over to lean against the wall in the hall. “So, how was your night?”

“Considering I didn't have a man on top of me, just peachy,” Nico mumbled, crossing his arms as he walked past Percy to enter his bedroom. He heard Percy chuckle from the doorway. Nico ignored him and stripped off his shirt. Shooting Percy a pointed stare, he poked through his dresser, looking for something to sleep in. “It's not funny.”

Percy shrugged. He slipped behind Nico, winding his arms around the boy's slender waist. “No, but you're cute when you're aggravated.” Nico turned his head to glare at Percy. “So, why are you getting dressed?”

“Because some of us like to go to bed at a decent hour.”

Percy ran his hands down Nico's arms. “But then I can't give you that massage.” Nico bit down on his lips as Percy worked on his neck with his hands. It did feel really good. “Go lie down on the bed,” the manager whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down Nico's spine.

The boy obeyed, lying on his stomach, his arms resting below his head. “You don't have to do this.”

Percy gave a shrug, slipping out of his shoes. He crawled on the bed, pulling on Nico's waist. Nico let out a gasp as his ass was pulled against Percy's crotch. “But you'll have to get out of these jeans.” Without waiting, Percy worked to unbutton and unzip Nico's jeans. Nico rested his forehead against the mattress, as his jeans were slowly pulled down his legs. Percy chuckled and tossed the tight pair of jeans to the side. “Much better.”

With a little prompting, Nico lay flat on his stomach, while Percy hovered over his legs. Nico moaned into his pillow as Percy began working on his back muscles. Percy's hands felt amazing. They were not rough, like that of Beckendorf or Butch, but they were not soft like Travis, Connor, or Will either. They were firm and strong, and knew how to perfectly work his back muscles.

Nico's eyes closed on their own accord, his body fighting to stay awake. “That feels really good,” he mumbled.

Percy chuckled. Nico laid his head to the side, glancing at Percy from the corner of his eyes. A small smile rested on the young man's lips as he massaged Nico's back. This was what Nico wanted; this was what he wanted it to be like with Percy. He wished it could stay like this forever, and that the world around them would just cease to exist.

As Nico's eyes threatened to flutter close, the boy was reminded of his conversation from earlier. Letting out another small moan, he stared at the door to his room, his eyes half-lidded. “Percy?”

“Hmm?”

The Lost Boy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “If I ever left, would I be able to see you again?”

When no answer came, and the hands working on his back stopped, Nico shifted so that he could look at Percy. The young man was staring at him with an unreadable expression. “Why do you ask?”

Even his tone was unreadable. Nico's lips tilted down as his eyes fell away from Percy's gaze. “Just...wondering,” he whispered. “I'd miss you.”

Percy pressed his palms against Nico's lower back, working the muscles there. “I think...I think you'd be better off moving on and forgetting about me, if that were the case.” Nico lay back on his stomach, a distant look now in his eyes. “Stop your frowning.”

Nico let out a sigh. “At all? I could never see you? Just like that, you'd be gone from my life?” Nico bit down on his lip. “You wouldn't miss me, or want me to stay? Even see me?”

Percy's thumb brushed against his face as his vision blurred. The young man leaned forward. “It's not about what I want, it's about doing what's best for you.” With a sigh, Percy jumped off his back. He reached down to run his fingers through the boy's hair. “Get some sleep.”

Nico sat up. “Can you stay with me?” The Lost Boy reached out and grabbed Percy's fingers before he could leave. “It's just...after last night...”

“You have to learn to deal with it, Nico,” Percy whispered. He tilted the boy's chin up. “I can't, I have some business to take care of. I'm not going to be able to stay with you after every experience. You'll be fine.”

Nico's eyes dulled as Percy's fingers fell from his grasp. The boy's head fell as the door closed, the light being turned out as the manager left. He had his answer, though it was not quite what he wanted to hear. Nico curled up on his side, clutching the spot where Percy's hand had been resting on the sheets just a moment ago. 

Percy was right, though, he needed to be able to deal with this. But, at the same time, he knew it was not going to be enough. He needed to become stronger, but he also knew he had to retain who he was. Enough mistakes had already been made to last him a lifetime. And, while he knew more would probably be made in the future, he also knew it was time to start acting like the adult he talked about being.

\---------------------------------------------

The next day, Nico found himself learning how to dodge. It seemed like the entire hotel had broken out into chaos. Decorations were going up all over the place, Leo and Rachel were running around to collect paperwork from the different sections of the hotel, and the staff seemed overly stressed. No one even apologized when they bumped into him.

He was starting to regret his decision to leave his room. After his journey around the lobby had almost resulted in him getting trampled, he had gone to the top floor, hoping to find a more peaceful environment. He had been mistaken.

Drew had elected herself as dictator of getting the entire floor decorated. “Nico! Good, you can help, too.”

Juniper was the first to his defense. “Leave him be. He's barely taken any time to heal after everything.”

The Asian girl was busy inspecting her nails. “And that's my fault, how?” She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Nico. “Fine, whatever. Just stay out of the way.”

Nico tossed Juniper an appreciative smile. She patted him on the back before jumping onto the stage. Nico sat down at one of the tables, burying his face into his hands with a groan. He had barely slept at all last night. All he could think about was his discussions with Chris and Percy.

“If you want quiet, why not just stay in your room?”

Nico peeked out from between his fingers. Drew sat down across from him, crossing her legs and digging out a nail file. Had she even done any work herself, or did she just make others do it for her?

“The quiet was driving me insane,” the boy mumbled, letting his head drop to the table. “But everything is so chaotic downstairs.”

“Percy's stressing himself out over Gaea's arrival. She'll be here around the twentieth, so our hero wants everything perfect.” Drew shrugged. “It's whatever. I guess it gives us something to do.”

“You look so busy,” Nico droned.

Drew tossed him an evil glare. “Which also means more customers. And if I'm good at anything, it's getting what I want.” She smirked as she worked on her nails. “It's why I was picked to come here. I'm the best at what I do, and this is Gaea's favorite and most profitable branch. So, naturally, I would get picked to be transferred.”

The brown-eyed boy lifted his head, resting it on his palm. “So, when did you first meet Percy and the others here? I suppose it was after you got taken in?”

Drew ceased her movements. She looked shocked, like no one had actually asked her that question before. “I-I...” She dropped her nail file. But, before she could reach down and grab it, Nico had it in his hand. Their eyes met as Nico handed it over to her. “It was in the winter.” She nodded her head, placing the file on the table. “Gaea had been in Japan at the time, and had brought along Percy and Kronos.”

Nico shuddered at the name. If he dreaded meeting anyone, it was Kronos. Nothing good had been said yet about Gaea's real son.

“Frank, the current manager of the Asian branch, had been with them, tending to his predecessor,” Drew continued. “It was snowing that day, quite heavily. And, you have to understand, Tokyo is very crowded.” She pursed her lips, spinning the nail file on the table. “But he saw me. He walked over and offered me some of his hot chocolate.” Drew pointed a finger over to him. “He was about your age at the time, perhaps a year older.

“I wanted to hate him.” Drew tapped the file against the table. “He was dressed so nice with his scarf and expensive looking coat. And then there was Gaea with her diamond everything, fur coat to go along with it.” She shook her head. “But it was that smile. It was so friendly and warm, inviting even. I couldn't bring myself to hate him.” She let out a long breath. “I took the hot chocolate and haven't looked back since I got in the limousine with them.”

Nico looked away from the girl, staring down at the table and running his finger along its surface. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You're the one who asked?” She replied, arching a brow.

She shook his head with a shrug. “But you just told me. I...didn't really think you would open up.” He looked up at her finally, eyebrows knitted together. “Why tell me, the one you probably know least of all?”

Drew sighed, inspecting her nails again. Her icy look had returned. “Why not? You're not quite like the rest around here. All you seem to do is listen and keep it to yourself.” Nico frowned at her. “Maybe you're the first person to really ask me something like that,” she whispered before standing to her feet. She glared, pointing the file at his face. “Repeat anything I just said, and I'll claw out your eyes.”

Nico shook his head, watching the girl walk over to where Juniper and Beckendorf were hanging some tinsel. Maybe she just needed a friend, he thought. A very patient and enduring friend. 

The Lost Boy stiffened as a pair of arms wove around his neck. “Hello there, sexy,” Will's voice whispered in his ear. Nico squirmed. Will frowned and loosened his hold on Nico. “You okay?” He rubbed Nico's shoulders. Nico shut his eyes and curled in on himself. “Nico?”

The boy's stomach did a flip. He knew it was Will, but he kept seeing that man's face, could feel the man touching him. “Please stop,” he whispered.

Will's hands fell to his side. Nico shifted in his chair to look at him. The blond stood there with a hurt look. “I'm sorry,” the blond Lost Boy whispered. His face contorted into confusion. “I thought...I thought you were okay with being touched.”

Nico flinched when Will reached out to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. “I can't help it,” Nico whispered.

Will's lips tilted down, pulling a strand of Nico's hair away from the boy's face. “You were okay with Percy touching you.” Nico's head jerked up to look at the blond in confusion. “Why is it okay for him to touch you?”

Nico's eyes darkened “Can nothing stay private around here?” The other Lost Kids stopped what they were doing to look at the boy in surprise. Will's eyes were wide, stumbling out of the way when Nico stormed towards the stairs.

He huffed at the elevator, hitting the button to summon it to him. He raised a hand to weave into the front of his hair. This was not how he needed to handle this situation, Nico reminded himself. The boy blew out a breath and boarded the elevator, pushing the button to Percy's floor.

Nico had just told himself last night that he needed to act more mature, and here he was about to blow up at Percy over a small issue. He wanted Percy to see that he was actually trying to appreciate what he still had, not act like a child. Because that was what he had been acting like lately, even if he hated to admit it. He now understood the problem was with himself, not with the others.

The door to Percy's office opened before he could grab the handle. Travis stood in the doorway, having stopped when he nearly ran into Nico. He smiled and waved, stepping around the raven-haired Lost Boy to make his way to the elevators.

Nico watched the brunet until he was out of sight, a distant look covering his face. Rachel glanced up from her computer as he closed the door, not halting in her rapid typing. “Hello, Nico. I suppose you want to see Percy?”

The boy nodded. “If he's not busy.”

“Um,” Rachel pressed a finger to her lips, “let me go check.” She stood to her feet. “I just handed him some paperwork before Travis came in, so he's probably looking that over right now.” She opened Percy's door and poked her head in. “Hey, Nico is here to see you. Do you have a minute?”

Percy mumbled his response, preventing Nico from hearing it. The groan, however, did not escape his notice. Rachel pulled her head out and smiled, nodding towards the office. Nico nodded and stepped around the girl, pushing the door open and slipping inside.

Percy sat at his desk, his face buried in his hands. A pen sat between his fingers, while stacks of papers were piled on his desk. The young man was dressed rather casual. Nico would not have guessed what had just gone in this office a few moments ago, if not for Travis's departure and the can of air freshener that sat on the corner of the desk.

The green-eyed young man sat back in his chair, pushing his bangs to the side. “Just sit over there for a minute. I need to finish up with this and then I'll be right with you.”

Nico nodded and walked around the desk to sit on the couch. Percy flipped the page of the stapled document in his hands. Nico scrunched his lips, tugging at the sleeves of his black sweater. He watched the young man work in peace. Percy's brow furrowed as he circled a few things before signing his name. He dropped the document on a growing pile in the far corner of his desk.

Percy folded his hands in front of him, spinning his chair to face the Lost Boy in his office. “Everything okay?”

Nico could hear the exhaustion in the young man's voice, as well as see it in his eyes. He nodded. “Just wanted to talk to you.” Percy's lips tilted up. “You look tired.”

The manager motioned to his desk. “Lot of work to do. I do have Leo and Rachel, but I need to look everything over before Gaea gets here.” He rubbed his neck. “And there's all the sections in the hotel, not mentioning the other businesses we own.”

Nico brought a hand up to chew on a nail. “I guess it helps to find some ways to unwind.”

Percy raised a brow, smirking. “Is that a jab at Travis's visit?”

“What if it is?” Nico held Percy's gaze. “Speaking of, don't I need to negotiate with you now?”

The young man leaned his chair back, eyeing the boy in amusement. “I'm sure you're looking forward to that. But, I suppose you do. It's your call, though.” He waved a hand absently. “As you know, I do try to give fair hours and placement to everyone. The negotiations are just to help get on stage more often. So that's up to you.”

Nico stood up, stretching his arms above his head, and walked over to Percy's desk. He sat down on the edge with an innocent look, resting his hands in his lap. “And if I am fine working the bar, but still want to have some fun with you?”

The Lost Boy smiled as Percy's eyes raked down his legs. “Is that what you want?”

Nico's eyes inched down to stare at Percy's perfectly shaped lips. “I'm happy just being with you.”

Percy's fingers brushed against Nico's arm, pushing the black fabric up to feel the boy's arm. “I still find it amusing when you say things like that. You're learning.” His eyes met Nico's brown ones. “Saying things like that are surely to make plenty of women drop their skirts for you.”

Nico wrinkled his nose, causing Percy to laugh. “But I was being serious.” The manager calmed his laughing, letting his head tilt to the side to smile at Nico. “So I just do it whenever I feel I need to?”

“That's all up to you,” Percy whispered. “You don't have to, if you don't want to.” Nico placed his hand on top of Percy's hand, which was still brushing against his arm. “Your hands are cold.”

The Lost Boy narrowed his eyes. “That's not why I came up here, though.” Percy nodded his head, glancing at his computer. He started typing, his eyes moving across the screen. Nico crossed his ankles, his hands now resting behind his back. “Can I ask something?” Percy glanced at him from the corner of his eye, not ceasing in his typing. “Why did you tell the others about last night?”

Percy stopped, leaning back in his chair. “You mean about the massage?” Nico nodded. The green-eyed young man shrugged. “I didn't.” Nico's brow furrowed. “That would have been Reyna, who was at my table when we were talking about it.” He smirked at Nico.

“But Will mentioned that I was okay with you touching me.”

“I was asked how you were.” The young man shrugged. “I didn't see the problem in giving a reply. All I said was that you seemed to be doing better and that you were calm.” He quirked a brow at Nico. “Why, did something happen with Will?”

The boy looked down, rubbing his arm. “I kind of freaked out when he touched me,” Nico mumbled. “He wasn't happy that I was calm when you touched me, but not when he tried.”

Percy rested his elbow on his desk, planting his cheek on his palm. “And why is that?” His eyes flashed dangerously at Nico. “Why does it seem like I'm the only person you're fine with touching you right now?”

“I, uh, don't know.” Nico could feel his cheeks heat up.

The corner of Percy's lips tilted up. He inched forward, hovering close to Nico now. The boy swallowed a lump in his throat, leaning back. “Tell me, Nico,” Percy whispered in a husky voice. He inched the boy's legs apart with his knee. Nico had to support himself with his hand, Percy now hovering over him. Percy lifted Nico's right leg to sit on the corner of the desk, the manager's hand running along it. “Why are you fine with this? Why are you comfortable when it's me?”

Nico's vision grew hazy. His brown eyes focused on Percy's parted lips. So inviting, so alluring. The hand that he was not currently using to support himself reached out to press against the young man's chest, balling in a fist to clutch the dark blue shirt.

“I don't know,” Nico whispered.

“You do know.” Percy leaned in to nuzzle Nico's neck. A hand came around Nico to press against his back. “Tell me,” he whispered in Nico's ear. “You need to be comfortable with everyone. Why is it just me right now? You're clearly still upset, so why is it okay for me to touch you?”

Nico's hand shook as it still held onto the young man's shirt. He rested his head on Percy's shoulder, closing his eyes. “Because I love you.”

Percy's body froze. He jerked back to look at the boy with surprise. “What did you say?”

Nico's head shot down. His face was burning, now resembling a tomato. “Don't make me say it again,” he mumbled.

Percy tilted his chin up. “You don't mean it. You can't-”

“I do.” Nico's eyes were dark as they battled with Percy's, currently a light shade of green. “I know how I feel. I wasn't planning on telling you.”

“Look, you're still young-”

“Percy.” Nico's brow furrowed. “Please stop treating me like a child. If you don't want me to act like one, then shouldn't you stop treating me like one?”

Percy was staring at Nico's lap, his bangs now hiding his eyes. “Maybe I need to stop teasing you so much.” He wiped a hand across his face. “Fuck.”

Nico reached out and grabbed his hand. “I don't want you to. I'm not going to let it get in the way of anything, I promise.” He bit his lip. “I don't want you to pull away from me again, not like when I was first here. Remember the movie night?” Percy nodded, his eyes still hidden. “Yeah, that hurt.”

“I'm sorry,” Percy whispered. He finally glanced up, studying Nico. “Just don't let it hinder your performance as my employee. You're going to paint another target on your back if you do.” He reached out and patted Nico on the cheek. “Dammit, Nico, you're going to be the death of me.”

Nico glanced down from Percy's eyes again, studying the manager's lips. Percy's eyes flickered with amusement. Nico yelped as he was shoved onto his back, Percy now on top of him on the desk. “What are you doing?”

“It's okay for me to touch you, right? You're okay with it. And I guess then I can do whatever I want to you.” Percy's fingers ran under the front of Nico's shirt.

The boy frowned up at him. He pressed his hand to Percy's chest, bringing the young man to a halt. “You're doing it already.” Percy frowned at him. “Just because I like you, doesn't mean I always want to have sex with you. I don't think that would be love, if that were the case.”

“No, then you'd be more like Apollo.” Percy smirked down at him. “But you do want something from me right now.” Nico arched a brow. “You want me to kiss you.” Another blush spread across the Lost Boy's cheeks. “You keep looking at my lips.”

Nico cursed silently, realizing he had been doing it again. “Sorry.”

Percy crawled off of him, allowing the boy to sit up. Nico let out a sigh. Percy sat down in his chair again. “Maybe you'll get lucky and catch me under the mistletoe.” He folded his arms and inspected Nico. “You're so confusing. I don't even know how to deal with you.”

Nico shrugged, smirking at Percy. “I'm just waiting for you to admit that you have some sort of feelings for me.”

Percy narrowed his eyes, his lips still smiling. “I think you'll have to keep waiting.” He reached out. Nico raised his hand, extending his palm. Percy slid his fingers between Nico's. “Your hands are still cold.”

“Can't help it. My hands and feet usually are cold in the winter.”

Percy groaned and rubbed his face. “I really don't want to get back to work.”

Nico glanced at all the papers that rested on the desk. “Looks like you still have a lot. And I imagine there's more work on the computer.” He glanced down at one document that rested near his hand that was pressed against the desk. He quickly glanced back up and met Percy's eyes. “Sorry.”

Percy shook his head. “It's fine. A lot of this stuff the others already know about, so it wouldn't hurt you to learn about some of it.” He leaned back in his chair and picked up a sheet of paper. “You could stay and keep me company, so I don't go bored out of my mind.”

Nico smiled to himself as he sat back on the desk. Percy scratched his head as he attempted to decipher something on the document in his hands. He was cute, when he was not being so formal. It reminded Nico that, even if Percy did do some horrible things, there was still a good person underneath it all. Someone who was still lost.

The pale boy hopped off the desk and spun around. He glanced at a document that sat at the top of one of the piles. Nico glanced curiously at it before picking it up. There was a photo of a man in the top left corner. Nico's brow furrowed. “Who is this? Has he been to the top floor?”

Percy looked up and nodded. “Yeah. He's a client that travels a lot. He runs a corporation out in the Middle East, but does a lot of business here in America.” The Adonis shrugged. “I'm stuck with doing his paperwork because of that little fact. But Gaea wants to cut him from some of her business. She isn't sure if he's a stable investment at the moment.”

Nico turned the paper back towards himself. His eyes glanced over the numbers and words that covered the pages. “I think we studied this guy in class.”

“Not surprising.” Percy pushed his finger to the bottom corner of the page to glance at the page Nico was looking at. “The man is usually really good with investments and stocks. He pretty much controls the Foreign Institutional Investor. But he seems to have made some bad investment calls on Gaea's behalf, and she's not too happy about it.”

The Lost Boy took another look at the paper in his hand. “Why not give it a little more time? It looks like her investment is starting to make a profit.”

“True,” Percy sighed. “However, Gaea doesn't dabble in small investments.”

“Well, my teacher talked about this guy a few weeks back, and we even had a discussion on his business.”

Percy crossed his legs and spun his chair to face Nico. “And what was your opinion.”

Nico quickly looked away from Percy's gaze. What was with the attention? Why did Percy care about his opinion on the issue? Nico was in high school, Percy had gone to a university to study this stuff. “Um, I thought he was a smart businessman. He made a name for himself, sort of like Gaea, and now I guess I can see why she might do business with a guy like that.” He chewed on his lip while he looked over a chart that was in the document. “I don't think Gaea should pull her investment. My teacher said that this guy's stocks were probably going to shoot up in the next few months.”

Percy scrunched his lips, taking the document from Nico's hands. His green eyes scanned over it again, his foot tapping rapidly. “I'll give him an extension. But if he costs Gaea money, he'll be worrying about more than his business.” Those green eyes stared into Nico's brown ones. “She won't be happy about me giving him an extension, and it'll be worse for him if this doesn't pay off.”

“Why not talk to him the next time he comes in for business?”

“He keeps assuring us that everything will pay off.” Percy shrugged. “Gets a little old, when there's nothing to show for it.”

Nico walked behind Percy and rested his arms on the back of the young man's chair. “Maybe you need to learn to put your trust in people. Not everyone is bad or out to get you. And a smart person would look to get in on Gaea's business, not try to sabotage her.”

Percy leaned back and hummed. “You know, this is why I was disappointed in you.”

Nico's eyebrows rose. He blinked a few times, staring at the back of Percy's head. “Why's that?”

“Because I know you're smart, you prove that you are smart, and yet you make stupid decisions.”

Nico glared. “I'm still young.”

“And yet you want to be treated like an adult.” Percy crossed his arms. Nico could feel the grin on Percy's face, even if he could not see it. “And all the more reason for me not to get involved. After all, I'm a respectable citizen, who doesn't want to get thrown in jail for pedophilia.”

Nico huffed. “First of all, it's legal because you're twenty. Secondly, it wouldn't matter to you even if you were thirty-eight.”

Percy chuckled, bringing music to Nico's ears. “I suppose you're right about that.” He rubbed his face. “All right, back to work.”

A comfortable silence washed over the room. Nico stood behind Percy, resting his arms and chin on the back of the chair. Percy picked up his keyboard and placed in his lap, typing numbers into an Excel document. He did not pause in his work until Nico ran his fingers into the back of Percy's hair. Percy moaned and lolled his head to the side.

“I need to work,” Percy chuckled.

“Sorry.” Nico removed his fingers. “Do you want me to stop?”

“I said I need to work, not that I want to.” The young man rubbed his eyes. “But that felt good.”

Nico realized his heart was beating fast. He bit down on his lip before draping his arms around Percy. He crossed his arms just under Percy's chin, his upper torso leaning over the chair and his nose resting in Percy's hair. “If I'm distracting you, let me know and I'll stop.”

“I don't mind,” Percy replied, picking up another document from his desk.

“You used to mind when I touched you,” the boy mumbled into black hair.

“That's because I'm not used to getting hugs.”

“Sorry.” He gazed down to watch Percy's fingers run across the keyboard. “I'm not usually a hugging person. It was just that you were the first person to do something so nice for me.”

Percy leaned back and turned his head, bringing his face only a few inches away from Nico's pale one. “Your sister is nice, and it sounded like your mother was a nice person as well.”

“But you didn't even know me, and you took me in and offered me a place to stay. You fed me and made me feel safe. You offered me a source of income-”

“Yeah, I liked it better back then.” Percy turned his chair away again.

Nico blew out a breath. This visit was turning out to be a roller coaster with him and Percy. But, then again, wasn't that always the case with the two of them? It seemed like the course of their interactions changed on a daily basis at this point.

The brown-eyed boy walked back over to the couch and leaned back, scanning the ceiling. He let out a sigh and collapsed onto his side. His eyes fell upon Percy, who was still typing away at his computer. It stung a little, having his feelings dismissed so easily. But what could he do? Percy already seemed stressed out enough as it was, he doubted he needed Nico badgering about his love for the manager.

Nico let out a yawn, his eyes feeling heavy. Percy glanced over at him and smiled before returning to his work. The Lost Boy curled up on the couch and closed his eyes.

\-----------------------

The next thing Nico knew, he was being stirred from his slumber. Normally, he probably would have been very grouchy about this. However, when he cracked his eyes open, he found Percy sitting on the edge of the couch he was still laying on, running his fingers through Nico's dark locks.

“How long was I asleep?” Nico mumbled groggily.

Percy shrugged. “About two hours.”

“Why didn't you wake me up or have me go back to my room?”

Again the young man shrugged. “You weren't really hurting anything by sleeping in here. I still got a lot of work done.” A small smile spread across the manager's lips. “Sleep well?”

Nico lazily nodded his head. He curled up more, frowning when he felt something on his lower half. He raised his head to glance down at himself. A thin blanket was covering him from the waist down. “Thanks,” he said, meeting Percy's bright green eyes.

“Don't mention it.” Percy smiled again and ruffled Nico's hair. Standing up, the Adonis stretched his arms above his head. Stepping over to the door, he opened it. “I've got some business to go take care of.” Nico sat up with a yawn. Apollo stepped inside the office with his hands in his pockets. Percy nodded his head towards Nico. “You mind taking him back to his room?”

Before Nico had the chance to get up, he was scooped up, bridle style, and taken to the door. “Sure thing.” Apollo grinned down at Nico. “I'll take care of him.”

“Behave.” Percy gave him a pointed look, rubbing at his eyes and yawning. Nico frowned at the manager. Percy reached out and patted the boy's cheek. “Get some more sleep, if you're still tired.”

Apollo carried him from the office, not letting the boy out of his arms until they stood at the elevator. Nico glared as he was dropped to his feet. “You didn't have to carry me.”

The blond smiled down at him as he ran a hand through his curls. “You just looked so cute back there, I just had to do it.”

“I will stab you.”

Apollo chuckled and entered the elevator. “You don't strike me as the violent type, Nico.” The boy arched a brow at the blond. Apollo rubbed his jaw. “Okay, point taken.” He shrugged. “Still, it's just something you'll have to live with. That is your angle, sort of a schoolboy persona.” He pinched Nico's cheek. “A very cute schoolboy.”

Nico smacked the blond's hand away. “You're going to lose that hand.”

“I always forget how cranky you are after waking up.” Apollo cupped his chin. “Does Nico need help waking up? I hear a good round in bed will do the trick?”

“Funny,” Nico mumbled, pressing the button to the second floor. Apollo arched a brow, but did not question the action. “And that's bullshit, because I'm well aware of the fact that it makes you tired.”

The blond shrugged. “Can. It's a good workout, you should try it sometime.”

“I did.”

“Well, I mean on a more common basis.” The blond waved a hand. “The customers are no good. Most of them are old and don't really...'do it' for you, so it would be better to have your needs sated elsewhere.” Leaning an arm against the wall, Apollo winked at Nico. “I'm sure some of the other guys would be happy to help you out.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I'm sure they would. Doesn't mean I'll take them up on it.” He pressed a finger to Apollo's chest. “And the girls just need to get through their heads that I won't do that with them. I'm going to have to endure having sex with a woman for the job, I know that, but my personal life is a different matter.”

“Good for you.” Apollo had a cocky smirk on his lips. “No really, I think it's good for you to set goals like that. It's like a nice way of holding on to a part of yourself.” The grin seemed to fade away as the curly haired young man rubbed his face. “I don't think I was too concerned with doing that back when I came here. See, you were lucky, you had a decent job here already, so you weren't desperate for money when it came to the real deal. It gave you time to think about this stuff.”

Nico chose not to respond to that. Apollo's blue eyes sparkled as they stared at him from across the elevator. Nico crossed his arms and watched the numbers decrease on the elevator. The elevator stopped at one point and picked up a woman on the phone. She stood in between the two Lost Boys, secretly eyeing the blond next to her.

Apollo did not seem to pay her much attention, though. He was too busy watching Nico in amusement. The elevator finally reached their floor, Apollo managing to walk out first. Nico sighed and followed after the blond.

The older of the two stopped and spun around, motioning for Nico to lead the way. Nico eyed him before walking around him and heading for the balcony that partially sat over the pool and cabana area. Apollo walked over to the railing and rested his arms on it, the wind lightly blowing his curly hair.

Nico did the same, resting his arms on the cold metal and lowering his chin to rest on top of them. His brown eyes stared out at the road, watching traffic slowly pass by. “Apollo?”

Apollo let out a heavy sigh. “Why do I feel like I know what you're about to ask?”

“Probably because you do,” Nico mumbled.

Apollo glanced down at him, smiling. “What changed?” Nico nodded his head in response. Apollo tapped his fingers against the railing for a moment, the wind slightly picking up. “I got scared, I guess.” The blond shrugged, not meeting Nico's eyes when the boy looked at him. Instead, the blond was looking at the gated cabana area that was directly beneath them. “It just kind of reminded me of how terrified I was on my first night in those rooms, and how I just wanted someone to make it all stop.”

“But you made the deal in the first place.”

Apollo turned his head away from Nico. He reached out to touch some plants that the hotel grew for display. “I did. But so did Thalia. At least I tried to stop it in the end.”

“Sounds like you're trying to make yourself look like the hero.” Nico sighed and looked up at the cloudy sky.

“I made that deal a while back, before I apologized for what had happened.” Apollo scrunched his lips. “I was scared last night. Scared that I was just creating a cycle. That's all this place is really.” The blond finally glanced at him with surprisingly dull eyes. “I was just going to be creating another version of myself, like I was made after Ganymede.”

Nico leaned in towards Apollo, letting their shoulders brush. “Did you ever hate him?”

Apollo nodded. “Yeah, for several months.” The blond's lips became tightly pursed. “I didn't...I think I just want you to leave here.”

Nico looked hurt. He went to speak, but Apollo raised a hand.

“I don't mean it like that.” Apollo closed his eyes and sighed, threading his fingers into his golden curls. “I wanted you to become like us, thinking that might solve this spite I developed towards you.” The blond shook his head. “That wasn't going to solve anything. But, maybe if you left, you could still have a life ahead of you, and then I wouldn't feel that desire anymore.”

Nico regarded the other Lost Boy carefully before reaching out and touching his arm. “I just think you're human.” Apollo blinked at him in surprise. “I don't think any of you are particularly evil, just that you've all got some issues that need to be worked out.” The raven-haired boy smiled. “And I think you all have enough abandonment issues right now that you don't need me leaving.”

Apollo rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the busy streets of Los Angeles. “You can't tell me that you haven't thought about leaving.”

“Perhaps,” Nico shrugged, “but for now, this is my home. And you guys are my family.”

Apollo smirked and put an arm around the boy. “Your strange and dysfunctional family.”

“So we're normal then.”

The two smiled at each other. “Yeah,” Apollo whispered. He patted the boy's hand and turned around, leaning against the railing with his elbows. “Just promise me one thing then.”

Nico arched a brow at him. “And what's that?”

“Just...try and do what Percy asked of you.” Apollo's lips thinned. “I think the one thing I'd like to see in this place before my time as a Lost Boy ends would be to see change. And maybe do something good.”

“Thanks,” Nico said hesitantly. He brushed some of his hair that the wind had messed up behind his ear. “You know, I think you're the only one of the group that I keep finding a new way of looking at.”

The blond chuckled and lolled his head to the side to smile at Nico. “And why is that?”

“Well,” Nico began, “when I first got here, I thought you were very hot and thoughts about us doing something together were definitely there.” Apollo smirked at that. “And then I wanted to punch you, which I did. I was angry with you, but then you apologized. So then I was just cautious of you. And then we had that nice conversation backstage.”

“So how do you see me now?”

Nico hummed, tapping a finger to his lip. “Like my older brother.” He glanced at the blond. “My very hot older brother.”

Apollo chuckled and nodded. “Fair enough. And those sexual urges?”

Nico took a moment to think. In all honesty, it was something he should have realized by now. But it took being asked for him to actually think about. He met the blond's eyes. “Don't really know. Maybe one day I would be willing to do something with you or the others, but right now...” Nico trailed off, tapping a hand to the railing. “I guess you guys just don't have that effect on me anymore.”

The corner of the blond's lip tilted up. “I know.” He looked away. “You don't blush around us really anymore, or get embarrassed over something sexual.” He glanced at the boy from the corner of his eyes. “Can't really tell though with Will. It's kind of like a playground crush, where I can tell there's an attraction, but it's innocent. And then there's Luke.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “What about Luke?”

“You two have a lot of pent-up sexual frustration.” Apollo smirked at him, making Nico want to smack him. “Honestly, I don't see how you two haven't seen it yet. I also don't understand how you two haven't fucked.”

“I'm not even surprised anymore that the people around here can manage to turn a very nice conversation into something perverted.”

Apollo laughed at that. Reaching out, the older Lost Boy ruffled Nico's hair. “Maybe I'd miss your attitude too much if you left.”


	32. Fighting Like a Married Couple

Monday was torture. Every time someone bumped into him in the hall, Nico had flinched away. And Daedalus had taken notice of it. The brunet had followed Nico and Jason home to make sure the pale boy was okay. The part that annoyed Nico was that Kelli had followed them as well, having heard from Daedalus how nice the hotel looked.

Nico sat down at a table in the cabana area, placing his backpack on the ground beside him. Daedalus pulled out a binder and slid it over to Nico, so that the boy could copy the notes he had missed during his absence. He did not like that Daedalus's grey eyes kept staring at him. Nico looked up, meeting Jason's stormy gaze.

The blond placed a hand on Daedalus's shoulder. “He's fine, just still recovering from what happened with his mom.”

Nico mouthed a silent thanks when Daedalus turned around. Jason nodded at him. Kelli rolled her eyes and tugged on Jason's arm. “Jason, can I see your room?”

The blond pressed his lips together. “Maybe another time.”

Kelli huffed at that, but did not protest further. Nico's face paled when Ganymede appeared at their table. He grinned down at Nico. Kelli did not even bother trying to hide the fact that she was practically eye-fucking the dirty blond-haired man.

“Hello there, Nico, Jason.” He smiled brighter. “Who are your friends?”

“Just friends from school,” Nico mumbled.

Ganymede nodded. “Are you going to give them a tour of the hotel?” He wagged his eyebrows. “I'm sure they would enjoy seeing exactly where you work.”

Nico shot him a look, as if to say: keep talking, and I will end you. “We're just doing some studying. Daedalus offered to help catch me up with my classes.”

The man nodded. “Well, can I get any of you anything?”

Kelli went to open her mouth, but Jason cut her off. “Some privacy would be nice.”

The man's contact covered eyes gleamed in amusement. “You're no fun, Jason. Well, I'll be over there, if you can think of anything you need.”

As soon as Ganymede was gone, Kelli fell back in her chair. “Damn, he was hot.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “He's like thirty,” he mumbled.

“What my parents won't know, won't get him in trouble.”

Nico shook his head. The girl had issues. He glanced back down at his notes. Daedalus leaned towards him. “I'm sure you could have taken a few more days off.” He shrugged. “I mean, you seemed pretty freaked out today.”

Nico remained silent. Percy had made it clear he was going back to school today. And not only that, but Nico had midterms to prepare for. School would be letting out for winter break in fourteen days, and Nico had a lot of work to catch up on.

Nico pulled out his AP English Literature book and put it down next to his and Daedalus's binders. Daedalus, who sat beside Nico, opened the book to the chapter that their class had gone over last week.

“You know, Nico,” Daedalus said, glancing to the pale boy, “with your curriculum this year, you actually qualify for graduation.” Nico blinked at him. “I was talking with your sister when I was getting my notes ready for you, and she said your parents typically stuck you in a lot of advanced courses.”

“I guess there really is a difference between book smart and common sense,” Jason mumbled, not looking up from his own homework. Kelli, who probably did not even get the jab at Nico, laughed anyways.

Nico shot the blond a glare. “My mom just wanted me to succeed.” He returned his brown eyes to Daedalus. “I'm not sure I want to graduate. This year has been rough, and I don't know if it's what is best for me right now.”

The brunet nodded. “I understand. Still, perhaps it is something to think over. I guess Percy did his research, putting you into these classes.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled as he glanced over the chapter in front of him. He blew his lips. What was the purpose behind this? “I think I just want to take it easy next year.”

Daedalus shrugged. “You could graduate and just take a year off.”

“We'll see.”

Kelli flipped her hair over her shoulder. She reminded Nico of Drew when she did that. “So, Jason, would you want to go see a movie with me this weekend?”

Jason shrugged. “Kind of busy this weekend, sorry.”

Nico watched the blond from across the table. That was partly true. The lie was that they were busy every night. That was one of the social downsides to their job; they could never spend time with their friends. Nico chewed on his lip. He wondered if that would ever pose a problem for him. What if Bianca and Daedalus wanted to hangout with him one night? It might get suspicious if he had to keep saying no.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, Daedalus worked to drill every inch of missed material into Nico's head. Jason had taken Kelli on a tour of the ground floor of the hotel, partially to let Nico do his work and partially because the girl would not shut up about seeing the place.

Daedalus finally began packing up, much to Nico's relief. His head hit the table while the brunet was putting away his last textbook. Daedalus chuckled at him, patting him on the back. “Come on, Nico, it wasn't that bad.”

“It was torture.” Nico sat up, lips pursed. “Daedalus?”

The brunet looked up. “Yeah?”

Nico opened his mouth, but stopped. “Um...” The boy closed his mouth, swallowing a lump in his throat. He could not bring himself to ask. “Nothing,” he whispered. He looked up, giving his friend a small smile. “Thanks for helping me.”

Daedalus returned Nico's smile with one of his own. “Not a problem. Let me know if you need any more help.”

Nico sighed as Daedalus stood up. He had wanted to ask if the offer from the brunet's mother still stood. There was no problem with weighing his options, right? Still, the fact that he knew if he accepted the offer the hotel and everyone in it would be gone from his life bothered him. Would he even be allowed to set foot in the lobby?

Would Percy even acknowledge who he was?

Nico got up to walk the brunet out. There was a sharp whistle from behind him. He slowly turned to find Ganymede staring at him. Nico frowned and turned back to Daedalus. “Um, sorry, I've got to see what he wants.”

Daedalus smiled. “It's okay, I can find my way out.” He chuckled. “I'll see you at school tomorrow, Nico.” With a wave over his shoulder, the brunet walked out of the cabana area.

The pale Lost Boy's shoulders slumped as soon as he was alone. Well, not alone. There were other people around him, but his primary focus of concern was gone. Rubbing his arm, the boy walked over to the small, wooden bar.

The dirty blond leaned on the bar with a smile. “Your friend seems nice.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “He's my sister's boyfriend, back off.”

Ganymede chuckled. “Calm down, I wasn't trying to hit on him.” He pouted his lips and reached out to pinch Nico's cheek. “Don't worry, cutie, you're the only one for me.”

“Bullshit.” Nico sat down at the bar. A smile actually touched at Nico's lips, which ended up making the one on Ganymede's face grow. “Do you have a faithful bone in your body?”

The joy in the dirty blond man's eyes dimmed. Nico bit down on his lip, feeling he had said the wrong thing. The ex-Lost Boy sighed and ran a hand through his wavy hair. “I am quite faithful, thank you very much. Just not in the sense that you are probably thinking about.” He raised his hands in a shrug. “Not everyone believes in the whole idea of a completely monogamous relationship.” A tan finger reached out to roll an apple across the cabana's surface. “Some people just don't like having the same meal every night for the rest of their life.”

“Have you ever tried?”

There was a small smirk that touched at the man's lips. “Once, but that was a long time ago, when I was just a few years older than you.”

Nico crossed his arms on the bar. “Didn't work out?”

Ganymede tilted his head to the side, touching a finger to his lips. “It was just a case of young love. He was rich and handsome, and promised me a lot of things that I thought he could actually follow through with.”

Nico blinked. “So what happened?”

The tall man chuckled before clearing his throat. “His fiancée did not like it when she found out.” The blond waved his hand dismissively. “I suppose that's where I got my whole ideology about relationships, though it was more out of spite at the time. I wanted to hurt him, which I did.” He shrugged. “He looked quite devastated when he came home to find his now wife in bed with me.”

“Sounds like real love right there,” Nico mumbled sarcastically. Ganymede chuckled. “Apollo and I had a talk yesterday.”

The man brushed some of his hair out of his face. “Yeah? What did blondie have to say to you?”

Nico shrugged. “He wanted me to leave. Not the first in the past few days to say that to me.”

Reaching for a plastic cup, Ganymede went about preparing a smoothie. “Well, I suppose it's something to consider. But wouldn't the real test of character to be to stick it out?” He turned on the blender before placing his hands on the counter and stared at Nico. “If this place does anything, it toughens you out. Sure you can go and have a normal life, but you could stay here for the rest of high school and make some money. You could take care of yourself. You wouldn't need to worry about working your way through an education at a university.”

The Lost Boy let out a sigh. “Not everything is about money.”

A laugh escaped the man's lips. “What world are you living in? Have we been working at the same place?” His eyes gleamed over with amusement. “The world is corrupt, everything is broken. Power and money get you places.”

“But I don't want those things.”

Ganymede turned off the blender with a small laugh. “Yet you're going after Percy.”

Dark eyes narrowed at the man across the bar. “That's because I genuinely like Percy. I don't care about his money or his power. I'd still like him if he was poor.”

The blond man poured the contents of the blender into the plastic cup he had pulled out earlier. With a smile, he pushed it across to Nico. “Enjoy, free of charge.” He leaned on the counter. “Just don't get yourself hurt, Nico.” His lips tilted up. “And I mean that in the emotional and physical sense.”

Nico held the cup up, like he was toasting Ganymede. “I can take care of myself.”

“We'll see,” Ganymede called after him as Nico walked off.

The smoothie tasted a little bitter in Nico's mouth. Whether it was made that way, or it was in Nico's head, he did not know. He grunted when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling the phone out, he found a text from Apollo to let him know he had to practice tomorrow.

He knew he could not avoid it, but Nico really was not looking forward to getting back on that stage. He no longer had that protective barrier against customers. Nico was now fair game. And it was that thought that made him shudder.

When Nico reached the lobby, his face paled slightly. Speak of the devil, he thought. Persephone pushed the door to the lobby open. Removing her sunglasses, the woman looked around the decorated room. She was wearing a lot of black, Nico noted.

She smiled as she neared him. “Oh, Nico. What are the odds running into you here?” She asked in her honey-like voice. Now that she stood closer to him, Nico could now see that her eyes were red and a little puffy. “Just here to do a little business.”

The Lost Boy nodded, letting the woman hook her arm through his. He led her towards the elevators. “Isn't it a little early for that?”

A small laugh escaped her mouth. Raising a hand to her nose, Nico noticed she carried a tissue. She had been crying. “Not that kind of business. Just signing some documents, things like that. Nothing to trouble your pretty little mind over.”

He managed to smile at the woman. “I just don't like to see pretty women cry.”

She wiped at her eyes, a small smile on her lips. “You're a sweetheart.” Stepping into the elevator, Persephone reached out and swiped a card through the slot before pressing the button to Percy's floor. “Would you mind showing me to your boss?”

Like Nico needed more convincing to go see Percy. “Of course.”

When the elevator finally stopped, Nico led the woman out and towards the hotel's main office. He opened the door and Rachel and Leo looked up at him, both arching brows. Rachel stood up and walked in front of her desk. She reached out and shook Persephone's hand with a smile. “Persephone, thank you for coming. Percy is expecting you.”

As if on cue, the door opened and the manager himself appeared. His eyes met Nico's as he straightened the tie that he was wearing. He nodded towards the boy. “Nico.” A spark of amusement flashed in his eyes before he turned his attention to the woman on Nico's arm. “If you'd just step into my office.” He stepped aside and motioned inside.

Persephone detached herself from the boy's arm before slipping past Percy and seating herself in front of his desk. Percy turned to smile at Nico, pulling the door shut. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

“Taking a shine to women now, are we?” Percy asked in amusement. Leo and Rachel snickered. 

Nico shot both of them dirty looks. He crossed his arms and faced Percy. “I was just doing my job.”

The manager nodded with a smile. “Well thank you for showing her up.” Moving forward, he paced around Nico with his arms still crossed. “As you know, Christmas is quickly approaching. Also, as you probably guessed, we will be having a Christmas party.”

Rachel cleared her throat. “Everyone buys a present for everyone else, and we open them and make a thing of it on Christmas Day.”

Leo continued to type on his computer. “All the Lost Kids, of course, Dionysus, Chiron, Circe, Aphrodite, Ganymede, and Percy.” He looked up with a grin. “And if you want to get on her good side, Gaea.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “But you're not expected to get her anything.”

Nico bit on his lip, mumbling his next words. “What about the other managers?”

The green-eyed young man shrugged. “They don't really care about getting anything. And I wouldn't expect you to, really.” He scratched his cheek. “I can understand that it's already a big list with everyone else, plus you'll probably want to get your sister and Daedalus something.” His perfect smile was flashed before Nico. “So don't worry about it.”

Nico slowly nodded, his mind feeling hazy. “So I can take a day to go shopping?”

Rachel picked up a piece of paper from her desk. “Annabeth is taking a few of the others to shop tomorrow, if you want to tag along.” She handed Nico the paper. “Here's a list of things to consider for Gaea, since you haven't met her. Or you can ask the others for suggestions.”

Percy's arms wove their way around Nico's waist. Nico could feel Percy's breath on his neck. “I already did my Christmas shopping.” Nico felt Percy's lips tilt up from where they pressed against his ear. “I do hope you like what I got you,” he whispered into the boy's ear. Chuckling, he pulled back. “All right, I've got some business to attend to.”

Nico nodded, looking up at the young man from behind his bangs. He turned and took his leave from the office, tossing a wave at the three in the office before shutting the door. Nico leaned against the wall as waited for the elevator. The boy's head fell back to hit the wall.

He knew that his crush on Percy was unhealthy, but he could not help it. It was the young man's fault really. If he were not so charming, Nico would not have fallen for him. So this was all Percy's fault, not his. He rolled his eyes.

His pulse was still racing as he boarded the elevator and waited to be taken to his floor. It was not until he felt something wet trailing down his cheek that he froze. He reached up to find a tear there. Wiping his eyes he looked at himself in the metal paneling of the elevator, not bothering to get off when the elevator door opened.

And it was as if seeing the tear caused the dam to break, because more tears began to follow. Nico did not understand, he had not even been sad a second ago. And now panic began to course throughout his mind as he clutched his head and crouched down in the elevator.

As the elevator door began to close, Nico reached out and caused the sensor to trigger to keep it open. Wiping at his eyes, the Lost Boy removed himself from the floor and quickly made his way towards his room. He did not want to be seen like this, not when he could not even control his own body. He could not be this broken.

But before he could reach the door to his suite, Nico was grabbed and pinned against the wall. Nico scrunched his eyes shut to keep whoever it was from seeing that he had been crying. “What do you want?” He snapped.

A large hand was placed against his crotch. “Just making sure you remember your job.” It was Butch. Nico kept his eyes shut, but tried to break free. However, Butch was much stronger than him, so it did not amount to much. “You do remember your job, don't you?” He was closer to Nico's face now.

“Just leave me alone, I'm not in the mood.”

Butch chuckled. “Doesn't matter. See, we have a job, and you may find yourself not in the mood a lot.” His hand tightened on Nico's wrists. “You think that matters? No. You're not just in there to let them have their way with a young guy. You're in there to get information, which means you can't just lay there, trying not to cry.”

Nico's jaw tightened. “I haven't forgotten. I'm sorry that I was upset over everything that has happened to me the first time I had to sell my body to some rich pedophile!” Nico's eyes snapped opened to glare at the taller Lost Boy.

Butch blinked down at him. “Have you been crying?” His grip finally released Nico's wrists, which fell lifelessly to the boy's sides. “Nico?”

The boy stared down at his feet. “I'm fine,” he whispered.

“Is this about your mom?” Butch tilted his head to the side to try and meet Nico's eyes. “You could try talking to Annabeth or Apollo. They both lost their mothers. I'm sure they wouldn't mind talking with you.” The older Lost Boy reached out and placed a hand on Nico's arm. “Or is this about the job? Percy?”

Nico looked up with dark and tear-filled eyes. “I don't want to talk about it.”

Butch pursed his lips. “I understand, you know. I had a crush on Percy when I first got here.” He shrugged. “Percy just has that charm.” A small smile spread across Butch's lips. “But I realized it was just that I liked the attention Percy gave me. You know, growing up like I did, I never really got much attention. My mom was always using and I had to take care of myself, but you don't really want to let too many people close to you when you're on the streets. For all you know, they might just stab you and take what little you have.”

The black-haired boy did his best to hold back fresh tears. “It's not the same. I'm not getting over Percy. All of you keep saying that I will, but it hasn't happened yet.” The shorter of the two wiped at his eyes. “Now, is there a reason you had to stop me like this?”

Butch rubbed his large arm. “Um, well, I was sort of instructed to by Percy.” Nico's eyes darkened. “He sort of...felt you might not be ready, with what happened with you and Will yesterday. And apparently you're having trouble letting people touch you.”

Wrapping his arms around himself, Nico averted his eyes from Butch. “Can I go now?”

Butch stared down at him for a moment before wiping a hand down his face. “Yeah,” he breathed out. He stepped aside to let Nico go. “Sorry about that.”

The brown-eyed Lost Boy inched his way around Butch, hugging the wall as much as possible to avoid coming in contact with the larger Lost Boy. He fished his card out of his wallet and slipped it into his door, casting a look at Butch before closing the door behind him.

\--------------------------------------

Silena had a nice voice. Nico had discovered this while listening to her hum on the way up to the top floor. The Lost Girl hummed to herself as she ran her fingers through her dark hair. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink when she noticed Nico staring at her. “What?”

Nico smiled and shook his head. “Nothing, you just have a nice voice.”

She draped her hair over her shoulder. “Thank you. I sang in choir back in high school, even though momma didn't support it.” The Lost Girl briefly chewed on her lip. “But that's in the past, and that hobby has long been put to rest.”

“You could pursue it,” Nico offered. “Some of the others are going to school. Beckendorf is. I'm sure-”

“It's just a dream, Nico.” Silena's eyes took on a sad look as they stared at the wall. “The others just like to dream. We all know we're never going to escape this place.”

Nico blinked once at her. “It doesn't hurt to dream. Besides, you never know, something might happen.” He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Don't you want to have a real life with Beckendorf? Maybe start a family?”

Silena seemed to tense up at that. “I don't know. It scares me to think about being a parent.” The black-haired girl slowly rubbed her palms together. “You know, it's just something that all of us are just nervous about.” She pursed her lips. “We don't want to turn out like our parents,” she whispered.

“That's something you can control. I mean, I don't know what happened to you, but if you try hard enough, I think you could make a good mother.”

Silena's crystal blue eyes darted over to him. “It would be nice. Charlie-bear would make a good father.” She let out a long breath. “It would take a lot of work.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “How do you even do it?”

Silena turned to look at him in confusion. “Do what?”

“Pull off being together in this place?” Nico shook his head. “With everything like it is, I don't see how you do it.”

A small smile appeared on the girl's lips. “A lot of effort and trust. Typically, we don't have sex apart from each other, not counting Percy or the customers. And even with Percy it's together.” The Lost Girl's head hit the metal wall behind her. “Believe me, it can get exhausting. And there are times, like a couple of weeks ago, where Charlie might toss that rule we have out the window. He can be a little hot-headed sometimes.”

Nico pressed his lips together. The elevator came to a stop. Silena made to get off, but Nico spoke up. “Still, you two care for each other, I can tell. Wouldn't it be better to try and leave? I'm sure you two could survive.”

Silena did not respond or turn around to acknowledge she even heard him. She was still for a second before continuing on her way to the stairs. Nico sighed when she was gone. He shook his head and exited the elevator himself.

But before he could get past the booths, Clarisse pressed a hand to his chest. “What did you say to her? You trying to get her to leave?”

Nico gulped. “Wouldn't that be better for her? She could start a real life.”

The giant of a Lost Girl narrowed her eyes. “Don't go sticking your nose in things you don't understand. We take care of her here, and we can't do that if she leaves.” Clarisse's nostrils flared. “Do you even understand how messed up everyone is here? And you're over here trying to send them on their merry little way into the world?”

Ethan placed a hand on the Lost Girl's shoulder. “Let him go Clarisse, he has to get to work.”

The girl turned her animal-like eyes on her fellow security worker. “Don't defend him. He's going to destroy this place and everyone in it if he keeps on with this. You might as well put a bullet through his head right now.” She gripped Nico's shirt. “Don't fucking say things like you just did when Gaea gets here, or you might find yourself back on the streets. That is if you're not dead.”

“Clarisse,” Ethan growled.

The Lost Girl kept her dark gaze on Nico. She grunted before releasing him and shoving the pale Lost Boy towards the stairs. Nico nearly tripped as his feet made contact with the first step. He looked back with a frown. Ethan was watching him, while Clarisse was now choosing to ignore him.

Nico hurried up the stairs and made his way to the bar room. He quickly came to a halt. Jason stood against one of the walls, glaring daggers at Dionysus. The man stood at the bar, mixing a drink with a smile. As soon as he noticed Nico, Dionysus picked the drink up and downed it.

“Ah, Nico my boy, glad to have you back.”

Nico regarded the man with caution as he made his way over to the couch. “What's going on?”

Connor, who was taking up most of the couch, rolled onto his side to glance down at his feet to where Nico now sat. “What he's always trying to do, start trouble.”

The man at the bar looked like he wanted to dump the bottle of vodka in his hand onto the brunet's head. “Your words are so hurtful, Connor. Why can't you love me like you do your brother?”

Connor rolled his eyes. “First of all...” A brief gleam flickered in Dionysus's eyes, which caused the brunet to close his mouth and look away. “Never mind,” Connor mumbled.

Nico's brow furrowed. “It's not like anyone around here cares.” The pale Lost Boy shot the bartender a warning look. “Leave him alone.”

Connor sat up and gave Nico a small smile. Silena, who had been standing quietly in the corner, ran her hand through Connor's curly hair. “You know we love and support you, Connor,” she whispered to the brunet.

The brunet's blue eyes remained on Nico. “Thank you.”

The door pushed open to reveal Travis, who immediately took notice of his brother. The slightly taller brunet frowned. “What's wrong?”

Connor shook his head. “Nothing.” Travis did not look convinced. “I promise. Dionysus was just being himself.”

Travis shot the man a dirty look, though it did little to bother the man, who was already downing another drink. “Maybe you should go see to a table.”

The younger twin nodded and got up. Sparing one last glance at Nico, he disappeared out the door, Travis following after him. Silena quietly made her way out of the girls' door. Nico glanced up at Jason, who nodded. Letting out a sigh, Nico stripped himself of his shirt and pants.

Jason headed for the door, and Nico, stumbling from getting his pants off, moved to follow after him. Adjusting the speedo that he wore, Nico looked up at his roommate. “Everything all right back there?”

“Like Connor said, just Dionysus being himself.” Jason glanced at the shorter boy from the corner of his eye. “And drugs. Drugs were also involved.”

“Still trying?”

There was a small nod from the blond. “He's persistent, I'll give him that.” Nico inched closer to the blond as several guests turned to stare at them, though the blond seemed oblivious to this. “Though, I suppose if one good thing came of your screw ups, it would be that I've learned that Dionysus is not to be trusted. He is enemy number one.”

Nico came to a stop and crossed his arms. Jason grinned down at him. “I'm so happy that I could be of service to you,” the raven-haired Lost Boy mumbled.

The blond raised his hands in a shrug. “Hey, you were warned not to trust him. Not to mention that several people—myself included I do believe—told you that several things that you were doing were bad ideas.”

“No one warned me about what Apollo had been planning.”

“That was before I got here.” Jason rubbed at his neck, closing his eyes. Nico took a second to glance his roommate's body over. It had just a hint of less muscle than Percy, though their builds were relatively similar. There was even a small 'V' shape at his hips. “As with everyone else, my body is only for sale. Though feel free to stare, I did work hard for my body.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He turned to walk off, Jason's laughter filling his ears as he headed for his first table. The man was watching the stage, watching Apollo and Luke put on the first performance of the night. Nico cleared his throat, staring at the back of the man's head. “Good evening, sir. My name is Nico. Can I start you off with anyth-” Nico's notepad nearly fell out of his hand, the color in his face draining.

“Oh, Nico, it's good to see you again.” The man from months ago, the guy that Percy had turned down to spend time in the back rooms with Nico, sat in front of him. The senator.

Nico's stomach did a flip. He quickly recovered, clearing his throat. “Senator Johnson, it's good to have you here again.” The Lost Boy only hoped that his lie was believable. “C-can I get you anything?”

“Well, I was going to request some of your personal time tonight, but your manager says that you're taking a few days off from the rooms.” A smile broke out across the man's face. “I was just happy to hear that you were now working back there. Someone as delectable as you should not be kept in a cage.” The man's words made Nico's skin crawl. “I assure you, though, I will be back to partake in what you have to offer.”

Nico smiled at the man, refusing to show his teeth. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth the contents of his stomach would find their way onto the man's face. “It's only for a few days.” His stomach lurched again at the thought of being with the senator. Percy passed him by, glancing at Nico from the corner of his eye. Nico's brown eyes followed the young man. “Just let the anticipation hold you over for now.”

Mr. Johnson laughed. “Hopefully it won't be a long wait.”

After taking the senator's order, Nico slipped his notepad into the back of his speedo and walked his way over to Percy's table. The young man looked up at him with the raise of his brow. “Yes?”

“Did you know he was going to be here tonight?”

Percy nodded. “Didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal. I trust that you can handle it?”

Nico rubbed his shoulder. “Not happy about it, though.”

The green-eyed young man pushed his black bangs from his eyes. “It's not about being happy, it's about business, and I need to know you can handle your job.” He tapped the pen that was in his hand on the table. “There will probably be a lot of customers that you don't like or find attractive, but it doesn't mean that you can let that get in the way of your job.”

“I know, I know,” Nico sighed. “He just creeps me out.”

Percy smiled. “Well if you're scared that he is going to kidnap you or something, I can assure you that he's pretty harmless.”

“Besides,” Leo interjected, “they're too scared of Percy to try taking a Lost Kid from the hotel.”

Percy shot Leo a dirty look. “I'll have you know that I'm very professional.”

“And you have the blood stains to prove it.”

Nico chuckled at that. Leo grinned up at the raven-haired boy. Nico leaned on the table. “And how long do I have exactly before I have to worry about...taking care of him?”

Percy glanced Nico over. “Um, a few days? You'll be back on stage tomorrow, but I'll probably give you until the end of the week before sending you back into the rooms.” He reached out and ran the back of his fingers along Nico's arm. “Try not to have too much fun until then. Maybe try practicing with some of the other Lost Kids.”

“Oh, you mean like with Butch?” Nico narrowed his eyes.

Percy shrugged. “Just trying to help. You do have a job to fulfill.” Yanking on Nico's arm, Percy pulled the Lost Boy down to whisper in his ear. “Really you should be thanking me. If you can't handle this by the time Gaea gets here, we'll both be in trouble. Now, I'm actually going to ask for this favor, since I did so much for you and you chose to ignore most of it. I need you to shape up and be able to handle this.”

Percy released Nico, who pulled back to stare at Percy with a hint of fear. “Yes, sir.”

Percy laced his fingers in front of his face. “Good. I do hope you don't disappoint this time.”

Nico scurried away from the table and headed for the bar room. He waited on the couch for Dionysus to get Mr. Johnson's drink ready. “Trouble?” Dionysus asked.

“Not in the mood right now,” Nico mumbled.

The man sighed. “No one seems to be in the mood to let me have any fun tonight.” He shook his head, mixing the drink. “I do need some form of excitement, if I am to survive this place.”

“Why not just do everyone the favor and leave?”

“My, you do have a sharp tongue on you tonight, Nico.” Sliding the drink away from himself, Dionysus leaned on the counter. “Still sore from getting fucked by the boss?”

Nico's dark eyes shot up to glare at the man. Dionysus only raised a drink he had mixed for himself, smiling in Nico's direction. “What would you even know about how I'm feeling right now?” Nico hissed venomously. “Do you even feel anything anymore? Could I even consider you human?”

Dionysus blinked in surprise. He sat his drink down and held his arms out for Nico. “My boy, you're finally becoming part of the family. Come here.”

“I'd rather not.” Nico let his head drop, hiding his face from the man. He stood to his feet and went to grab the drink, only for Dionysus to grab his wrist.

The bartender forced Nico to look up. “There it is, the look that I see in all of their eyes. I saw the same look in my eyes when I first started here. You're finally starting to accept things, Nico. The world is an ugly place and doesn't deserve your kindness. Percy is incapable of reciprocating your feelings, and that hurts. And the best way to pay the world back is to let them have all of your pain back. Spite is the best stress relief.”

“Hey!” Reyna stood in the doorway, arms crossed. “What the hell is going on in here? Let him go, or I'll break your arm.”

Dionysus released his hold on Nico's wrist, grinning. “Just having a small talk, welcoming Nico to the family really.”

Nico grabbed the drink order and briskly walked towards the door. He stopped when he stood next to Reyna. “Thanks,” he whispered. Reyna nodded at him. Nico lowered his gaze and pushed his way out the door, letting it swing shut behind him.

Returning to the senator's table, Nico placed the amber drink onto the table. Mr. Johnson looked up at him with a smile. “If you ever decide this place isn't for you, I wouldn't mind having you at my house to greet me when I got home from work.”

Nico pressed his lips together. He could feel himself about to throw up. “I, um, think I like it here. But thank you.” He managed a smile.

Mr. Johnson nodded. “I see. Does this have anything to do with your boss?”

Nico jerked his head around to look at Percy, barely catching the young man look away and start talking with Leo. Nico pressed his lips together, tilting his head to the side.

“Since he came in, he keeps looking over here,” Mr. Johnson informed Nico. “If I recall correctly, he did the same the last time I was here. Not to mention when you went over to his table. Can't quite place my finger on it, but it seems like he's almost affectionate with you. If I didn't know better, I would have thought there was something there. Honestly, I was surprised when he said you weren't for sale the last time.”

Percy glanced back at Nico. The Lost Boy gave him a small wave, which Percy smiled at. The corners of Nico's lips tilted up. “There's nothing going on between us.”

“Ah, well then, I suppose there's no need for me to feel nervous about purchasing some time with you.”

Nico was thankful when the music started back on for the next performance. He was not really feeling up to continuing this line of discussion with the senator. His eyes briefly roamed over to where Percy sat. The green-eyed young man was sipping on a drink, his eyes intently watching the three Lost Boys on stage.

Apollo, Luke, and Travis stood towards the center of the stage, letting their hands move sensually across their bodies and above their heads. They moved slowly, tugging on their sleeveless shirts every so often. When Usher's “Love in this Club” picked up, the Lost Boys began bouncing and swaying back and forth. A blue light was hitting them from above.

Their hips gyrated to the music as their shirts were slowly lifted over their heads. Travis spun his around before tossing his green shirt into the audience. Apollo began running his hand up his leg, pulling the fabric of his shorts up ever so slightly.

Nico nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Mr. Johnson's hand on his ass. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to the man. He leaned down. “I've got to go see to other customers, but I'll be back.”

As soon as he was far enough away, Nico let out a sigh. At the moment, he would have rather been on the stage. At least there was less of an opportunity for him to be touched there. Nico rubbed his hands together, frowning to himself. The night could not end soon enough.

\---------------------------------------

“I'm sorry, why don't you just get less attractive? I can help with that, if you feel you're getting too many customers!”

Nico blinked with wide eyes. He sat in one of the booths, hands clamped on the table. Luke stirred a drink next to him, a bored look on his face as they watched Apollo and Leo bicker. Apparently, Apollo was feeling exhausted from having to work the back rooms every night for the past week.

Apollo placed a hand on his hip, his bare chest still sweaty from just having finished with a customer. “I would just like a night off. But I couldn't expect you to know what the rest of us are going through.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Of course not. How could I imagine what it could possibly be like not to get a night of rest? I mean, all I have to do is sort out all the paperwork, see to all of you, answer calls, count the cash, arrange services for the customers, and run errands for Percy. Oh and let's not forget that I had all those sleepless nights while my mother and I were moving around without a real home.”

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “Shouldn't someone break them up?” He whispered to the blond next to him. 

Luke glanced up briefly from the drink that he had yet to actually pick up. “Not my concern.”

Nico rubbed his face. Percy was not around, as he was seeing to an issue with the girls at the moment. Nico focused his brown eyes back onto the bickering Lost Boys.

Apollo sneered at the short Latino boy. “Probably something to do with you. Enjoying the show from the security room?” He motioned to his body. “Missing my body already?”

“You wish!” Leo jutted his chin up, straightening his shoulders. “I don't have any interest in doing that with you again. With how many people you've been with, I just might catch something.”

“Careful now,” Luke grunted.

Leo held up a hand. “Sorry.” He glared up at Apollo. “Maybe you should just get over yourself. All you have is your looks anyways.”

Apollo's eyes widened. The blond grabbed the curly haired Lost Boy by the front of his shirt. “Look here-”

Nico shot up from the table and pushed the two apart. “Whoa, please calm down.” The two glared at him. “Um...” Nico suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. “I think you both just need to cool off.”

“Stay out of this, Nico.” Apollo's dark blue eyes flickered back to Leo. “This doesn't concern you.”

Nico huffed as he was pushed aside. “You two bicker like an old married couple!”

The two froze. Nico heard laughter from behind him. Turning around, he found Luke laying his head on the table with uncontrollable laughter. Leo and Apollo stared at him, mouths agape and with wide eyes. Clearing his throat, Nico took a step back.

Leo and Apollo turned away from each other, still in shock. There seemed to be a faint coloring to their cheeks now. Apollo was the first to speak. “That is so not true.”

Luke was still dying of laughter. He wiped at his eyes. “Oh man, that was good, shortie.” He glanced at Apollo, still grinning. “What's wrong, blondie, don't like what he said?”

Nico fumbled with his mouth. “I, um...”

Luke placed his hands behind his head, reclining in the booth. “My night just got better.”

“Shut up, Luke,” Apollo growled. “All you do is take joy from the misery of others.”

“Oh yeah, I never do anything helpful,” Luke said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Since you think the brat and I need to bang, then I'd say the same to you and the chihuahua over there.”

Leo glared at Luke, though his face darkened even more. “Shut up, Luke!” He turned back to Apollo. “Why don't you just go to bed then, since you feel so overworked.” The Lost Boy's brown eyes narrowed at Luke. “And you can just go to your room, so I don't have to put up with you anymore.”

Luke shrugged and hopped up from his seat. Placing his hands in his pockets, he headed for the stairs. “Come on, kid, let's leave the lovebirds alone.”

“Fucking hell, Luke! Shut up!” Leo yelled after the retreating blond.

Nico bit back a laugh as he moved to follow Luke. As the descended the stairs, he looked up at the blond. “Do you believe what Apollo has said?”

Luke raised a brow at him. It took a moment, but realization soon hit the blond's face. “Oh, you mean about me and you?” Nico nodded. Luke shrugged. “Not interested, if you're wondering.” He stopped at the elevator and pushed the call button. “Sorry to break your little schoolgirl heart.”

Nico let out a breath. “You're always just so charming. I don't know how I'll ever be able to survive the news,” he grumbled sarcastically.

Luke grinned. “I know. I'm just so irresistible.”

“More like obnoxious.”

As soon as the door opened, Luke pushed Nico inside. Elbowing the button to their floor, Luke pinned Nico to the wall, shoving his knee between the boy's legs. “Doesn't mean I wouldn't fulfill your fantasy of having me on top of you. I'm sure you dream about it every night, begging me to go deeper.”

Nico turned his head away. “Only in your dreams.” He managed to push Luke off of him, though it was probably more from the blond being willing to be moved. “What is your deal with me anyways? I don't get you.”

Luke touched the back of his hair. “Not much to get. You annoy me and I can't wait for you to leave.”

“Yeah, you're quite full of shit.”

The blond sighed. The elevator came to a stop. Luke eyed Nico for a second before stepping off. Nico furrowed his brow and followed. “You're a kid, you make that quite clear with your actions. You are not cut out for this place.” He suddenly stopped moving and put a firm hand on Nico's chest. “And maybe I don't want to see a Lost Kid off themself because they can't handle this place. Not again.”

Nico's mouth felt dry all of a sudden. “Someone committed suicide here?”

“Not that it was ever released to the public or the clients that come here.” Luke shook his head. “No, that would look bad for business.” The blue-eyed Lost Boy ran a hand through his hair with an exasperated look. “And maybe one or two of the current ones actually tried to. And maybe I don't really wanna see that happen again.”

Nico felt cold. It was like a cold hand was dragging its nails down his back. He shivered. When he looked up to meet Luke's gaze again, he shifted uncomfortably. “Who?”

“Not going to say,” Luke whispered, not breaking eye contact with Nico.

It was like he was unable to look away from the intense gaze that Luke was giving him. Nico could not even move. “I'm not going to...do that.” His voice barely came out as a whisper. “I'm trying.” He finally found the power to look away, down at his feet. “I'm trying to do better. I know I screwed up. I failed and broke the deal.” He pursed his lips. “But I wanted to thank you anyways, for at least trying to help me out.”

“Don't expect it again.” Luke had a dark look in his eyes. “I don't like wasting my time, which is all that amounted to. But I should have known, with how you look at Percy. I'm not stupid like the rest of them, I know you're not just crushing on him.” The blond shook his head. “I do think you're stupid. Having feelings for Percy is dangerous. But I am not here to tell you to get over your crush.” Luke ran his tongue along the back of his teeth. “Just be ready for the consequences that come with it.”

It was at this moment that Nico realized how hard his heart was beating. “I have no regrets.”

“Yet,” Luke whispered.

“Y-you sound a little jealous,” Nico stuttered, his voice cracking.

Luke chuckled dryly. “Please, brat. I told you, I'm not interested in you the way everyone seems to think I am.” Turning his back to Nico, Luke reached for his door.

Nico held out a hand. “Wait.”

Luke glared at him. “What is it now? I'm tired, kid.”

Nico opened his mouth, but quickly pursed it. Luke motioned for Nico to hurry up. Nico let out a breath. “I, um, was sort of wondering something.” Luke turned back around, giving Nico his full attention. “What made you leave home?”

Nico bit his tongue as soon as the question left his lips. He meant it to be harmless, but he knew it was personal. It was just that Luke's conversation with him from the water park still bothered Nico. He felt there was something missing, something right in front of his face. Could it have been the reason Octavian seems to dislike him so much? Or perhaps why Luke gets annoyed with him? It was important to Nico.

Luke crossed his arms. “None of your business.” It was not said with anger, though. There was a firmness in Luke's voice, the underlying message to leave the issue there plainly stated for Nico. Luke sighed when Nico's shoulders slumped. “Look, the day I left was the biggest mistake I have ever made. I don't like talking about it.” He slowly nodded. “We were talking about regrets? Well that's mine. If I could have gone back and changed it, I would have. I shouldn't have left Octavian with our mother.”

Nico rubbed his arm. “She did something to him?”

“Only got worse when I left.” Luke rubbed his face. “Very religious woman; didn't mix well with a very opinionated son.” His blue eyes darted back to Nico. “Are we done now?”

Nico gulped and nodded. “Night,” he whispered. Luke grunted in return before disappearing into his suite.

The boy let out a groan as he stumbled his way to his suite. Pulling his shirt up, he wiped his face with the fabric. Nico let out a yawn as he opened the door, his eyes feeling heavy. The Lost Boy shut the door and stopped. He could hear heavy breathing coming from down the hallway. Frowning to himself, he slowly moved closer, rubbing his eyes.

He stopped in front of his door and turned to look at Jason's room. The door was open, though Nico was currently wondering if that was a good or bad thing. Good news, he found the source of the heavy breathing. The bad news? He wished he hadn't.

Jason was on his hands and knees, biting down into his sheets, while Percy straddled him from behind. The blond's hair was matted down. Percy yanked the blond's head back as he continued his movements.

Nico rubbed his eyes and opened his bedroom door. He cleared his throat. “Can you two keep it down, or at least close your door? I would like to get some sleep.”

Jason nearly jumped out of his skin. He jumped back, nearly hitting Percy in the face. The green-eyed young man ended falling off the bed. Jason let out a yelp as Percy's manhood was yanked out of him. The blond's mouth hung open as he massaged his ass. “Jesus, Nico.”

“Maybe you shouldn't keep your door open,” the raven-haired roommate mumbled.

Percy yanked his boxers on before jumping to his feet. “Stay put,” he said, pointing to the blond on the bed. The manager stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Nico raised a brow as the tall young man approached him. “Looks like you were having fun.”

Percy ran a hand through his wet hair. “I think I'm going to have to get you a bell. You keep walking in on me during sex.”

“Maybe I should get you one.” Nico leaned against his door. “After all, you're the one who keeps sneaking up on me. Maybe then I could defend my snacks.”

Percy smirked. He tilted Nico's chin up. “I kind of like the idea of you wearing a bell. Maybe a collar.”

The Lost Boy smacked the hand away. “Not my sort of foreplay. I thought you were seeing to the girls?”

The young man chuckled, leaning against the wall next to Nico's head. “Finished up early. Besides, your roommate wanted to see me.”

“I got to see you as well.” He glanced down Percy's bare chest. “A pleasure as always.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “I'm not sure how I feel about this new take you have on this. You used to get freaked out when you walked in on me. What happened to the good old days when you locked yourself in your room? Now I get sarcastic remarks.”

Nico scrunched his lips, his eyes not meeting Percy's green ones. “I thought I was being funny.”

Percy narrowed his eyes, though he was clearly not upset. “You can be very frustrating. You know that, right?” He sighed and pulled out his phone. Nico watched as he tapped the screen a few times before slipping it back into his pocket. “As long as you don't start becoming an exhibitionist.”

“I thought you would like something like that. You don't want to stare at me?”

Percy chuckled and leaned closer. “It lets me rest a little easier with your nature still being intact.” Nico turned his head slightly to meet Percy's gaze. The boy licked his lips. Percy grinned. “I better be going,” his eyebrow shot up, “unless you want to help me finish.”

Nico bit down on his lip. His hand was already gripping Percy's shirt. Percy's face was so close to him. If he wanted to kiss the young man, all he had to do was move his head an inch to his left. The boy let out a breath. Pursing his lips, he pushed on Percy's chest. “Not tonight. I'm really tired.”

Percy nodded his head. He smiled and ruffled Nico's hair. “That sounds like a good idea.” Jason's door opened. The blond emerged, now fully clothed. “Sorry, Jason, looks like our fun must be put on hold.” He glanced at Nico again, his eyes smiling. “I'll let you two get some sleep.”

Nico watched Percy go. He scrunched his lips when the door was shut. Jason was glaring at him. The brown-eyed boy frowned. “What?”

Jason continued to glare. “Thanks a lot. I was close to finishing. Way to give a guy blue balls!”

The shorter of the two rolled his eyes. “I'm sure you'll be fine. You have a hand, use it.” Nico turned to open his door, but Jason slammed his hand against the wall. “What is it now?” He glared at his roommate. “I'm not helping you finish.”

“Tempting.” Jason glanced Nico over. “And I'm sure you would, if I offered. I've seen you stare at me. You like my body.”

Nico shrugged. “So? Just because I like it, doesn't mean I want to get down and suck your dick.”

“I give you a few months before you end up actually doing that.” Jason rolled his blue eyes and turned to head back to his room.

“I thought you said you didn't have sex with the others?”

Jason stopped and turned to face Nico again. The blond crossed his arms. “With the Lost Kids. Percy is not a Lost Kid, at least not anymore.” Nico took a step back as Jason quickly invaded his personal space, shoving the shorter boy against the wall. “I told you, I'm fucked up. I can't stand the thought of someone, anyone, putting their hands on me. The thought of doing anything sexual with another human being makes me sick.”

The pale Lost Boy shoved his roommate back. “Yeah, it looked like you were so miserable. Was that why you were biting the sheets there?”

The blond's nostrils flared. “I wouldn't expect you to understand. No, you're just Percy's little angel. How could you really understand the issues that the rest of us deal with?”

“I'm not fucking perfect!”

Jason chuckled dryly, walking backwards to his room. “Obviously. If you were, then you wouldn't have disappointed Percy so much.” He grabbed the doorknob. “That must really get to you, right? Make you do things that you might not normally do? Welcome to the family.”

Nico flinched as the door was slammed shut. He suddenly felt cold. Chewing on his lip, Nico slipped into his room. He sat on his bed for a long time in his underwear, trying to wrap his mind around things. But there seemed to be so much to try and understand. His heart hurt, there was no denying that, though. Try and hide as he might, seeing Percy with Jason had still hurt. Nico eventually gave up and collapsed onto his back. The boy stared at the dark ceiling until his eyes grew heavy and he fell asleep.

\-------------------------------------------

Nico cupped his hands to his mouth, blowing hot air on them. It was fairly chilly out today, at least what could be considered as such by California standards. A black scarf hung from the boy's neck as walked the streets with Annabeth, Juniper, and Octavian.

They had already acquired a few bags back in Octavian's car, but there were still more people to shop for. Nico blew out a breath. He had never had so many people to do Christmas shopping for. And the bad part was that he still had no idea what to get Percy.

He frowned as he turned to Juniper. “What do you get someone who has everything?”

Juniper let out a melodious laugh. “I think Percy will like whatever you get him.”

Nico kicked at the ground. “Yeah, but it's not about that. I want it to be something special, something that he'll really like.”

“Why don't you just tie yourself up and go sit under the tree,” Octavian mumbled from in front of them.

Juniper playfully hit the blond in the back. “Don't listen to him. I'm sure you'll find something.” The Lost Girl flashed him a bright smile.

Annabeth came to a stop. “Here we are.”

Nico looked up. A fairly large department store rose into the sky above them. He quickly followed after the others, who were already going through the revolving doors. There was an escalator near the front, and beyond that there was an elevator. Glass display cases lined the tile floor in front of them.

Nico stayed close to Octavian and the girls, fearing the smiling women with perfume samples that they had to pass by. Octavian glared at Nico, prying the boy from his arm. He shoved the raven-haired boy off and pointed up the escalator. “Up there you'll find some music stuff. I'm sure you can pick something out for Apollo.”

Letting out a sigh, Nico stepped onto the moving stairs. Juniper waved at him as he ascended to the next floor. There was a piano that sat on a rotating platform towards the center of the section. Instruments hung from the ceiling, as well as on stands. Along the wall, Nico found books full of sheets of music from every movie, Broadway play, and just about every song that he could ever recall hearing about.

The question was: what to get the curly-haired blond. Nico let his head fall back in a groan. Christmas shopping had never really been his thing. The Lost Boy scratched his head and threw himself into searching around the area.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, Nico still had not found anything that felt right. He held a thick book that was filled to the brim with music sheets. It did not feel right, though. He needed something Apollo could enjoy, not something that would allow the blond to entertain the guests with. And he really only saw Apollo play the piano when it was for the guests.

“Here, try this.”

A beautifully crafted violin was now being held in front of him. Nico could almost see his reflection in it. It was a work of art. The top was even shaped like a lion. Nico carefully took it in his hands before looking up, his breath hitching.

“R-Robert,” Nico stuttered, nearly tripping as he stumbled backwards.

The blond man held out a gloved hand. “Glad you remember me. I saw you, and was hoping I was right in remembering you from the hotel.” He smiled and slipped his hands into his coat pockets. “I assume you're doing some Christmas shopping for Apollo?”

Nico slowly nodded. “What are you doing here?”

“Shopping for my little girl. She's turning out to be quite the musician, and I thought I'd get her a new instrument to learn.” He flashed a white smile at Nico. “Apollo will appreciate the violin. His father broke the one he had before leaving home. The man did not take the news of his son being gay that well.” The man's green eyes flickered down to the wooden instrument in Nico's hands. “As far as I know, he never got a new one.”

Nico brought the instrument closer to his frame. “What do you even care about him? You broke up with him. And as I hear it, you've taken some heavy anti-gay leanings.” The boy shook his head. “And on top of that, you come to the Lotus.”

Robert let out a sigh. “As you probably know, politicians have little control over things sometimes on matters of leanings. I do get paid quite a hefty sum to support those anti-homosexual agendas.”

“Doesn't change the fact that you've indulged in those very things.”

The blond glanced around to make sure no one was listening to them. “You kind of remind me of him, at least before he was taken in by Percy.” He shook his gelled blond head. “Who do you think informed Percy on where to find Apollo? I didn't want him to die on the streets. But I couldn't be with him, and he knows that.”

“How very kind of you,” came Octavian's sarcastic voice. Robert let out a sigh and turned to face the other blond. “You must be a saint, like the rest of your kind.”

The corner of Robert's lips tilted up. “A pleasure to see you, Octavian, as always.”

“Why don't you run along?” The shorter of the two blonds crossed his arms, glaring into the green eyes of the other blond. “I'm sure there's some orphanage that you need to have torn down, or perhaps cut some arts funding. You made Apollo really happy with that one, didn't you?”

Robert gave a cold smile. “Still a fan of politicians, I see.” Slipping a hand into his pants, the blond shrugged. “It got revoked, like I knew it would. Sometimes you've got to get your hands a little dirty, Octavian. How can you ever expect to do anything in my line of work if you don't?” He smiled at Octavian. “I have seen your applications to intern in my office.”

“Don't flatter yourself, I sent some to a lot of people.”

Robert chuckled dryly. “The world's never going to change, Octavian. You've got play like everyone else if you want to get ahead in life.”

Octavian's eyes flashed dangerously at the other blond. “Careful now, I'd hate to end up shouting out some things for people to hear.”

Robert closed his mouth. He glared at the skinny blond before turning to face Nico again. “I suppose I'll have to cut our talk short, but maybe I'll see you again.” His lips tilted up. “Have a Merry Christmas.”

Robert shouldered past Octavian roughly. Octavian rubbed his shoulder as he glared after the man. Nico stared down at the violin in his hands. “Get it,” Octavian mumbled. “The man disgusts me, but he knows Apollo. Blondie will love it.”

After a quick purchase of the instrument and about ten minutes of searching, the Lost Boys found Annabeth and Juniper looking at some jewelry. Nico stepped up to one of the glass cases and peered inside to where some very expensive looking watches were on display. He blew his lips. What was he supposed to get Percy?

Annabeth brushed his shoulder with a small smile. “Having trouble?”

Nico pouted. “I don't know what to get Percy. He can buy whatever he wants. How do you buy for someone like that?”

The blonde chuckled. “Well, you could do a watch. I suppose he could always use one of those.”

“That's what he has a phone for,” Nico mumbled.

“Yes, but watches look professional.” The Lost Girl blew out a breath. “I suppose it gets easier with time. I've known Percy a little over three years now, and figuring something out him does get easier after time.”

“I don't even know what to do about him in general. He's so confusing.”

Annabeth smiled, nodding her head. “He can be frustrating. Percy can be a little...oblivious when it comes to dealings of the heart.” The girl tapped her nails against the glass. “He has lived his whole life without companionship outside of what Gaea, Kronos, and the rest of us have offered him that he doesn't give thought to how he might feel about someone.”

Nico raked a hand through his hair. “How do I get his attention? I just... I don't know, I'd just like for him to see what everyone else seems to see.”

The girl's grey eyes roamed over to the pale Lost Boy. “Getting his attention won't be that hard, if you know how to go about it.” She tilted her head to the side. “You just have to be creative. Be blunt with him. If you're tired of the mixed signals he's sending you, let him know. I mean, there are ways to go about it, if you don't want to just walk up to him and throw it in his face. I'd honestly recommend not doing that.”

“I guess,” Nico whispered. He pursed his lips as his eyes stared down at the watches. “Right now I just want to figure out what to buy him.” Both of them shared a laugh. “Is there anything... I don't know, sentimental that he might like?”

“Um.” The girl tapped a finger to her lips. “Put some thought into that. Maybe you can think of something from his time in Germany? Talk to Zoë, maybe?” The blonde placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. “I'm sure you'll think of something.”

“Thanks.” Nico's brow furrowed as his eyes settled on a rotating watch. The face of the watch had been lifted up, revealing a compartment for a photo to be placed underneath. “Maybe I will figure something out,” Nico mumbled to himself. He needed to talk to several of the Lost Kids.


	33. The Harsh Truth

“All right, ladies and gentlemen,” came Apollo's voice from in front of where Nico was hunched over, attempting to catch his breath, “as you all know, Gaea is expected to be here somewhere between ten and thirteen days.” The blond began pacing as he walked in front of the Lost Kids that were occupying the stage. “So, as most of you know, we put on big numbers during that time. That also means that we will have group nights on Christmas and New Years.”

Luke smirked over at Annabeth. “Just tell the two of us what big number you have planned.”

Apollo clicked his tongue as his blue eyes shifted between Luke and Annabeth. “Actually.” Both blondes frowned as soon as the word left Apollo's mouth. “Actually,” the curly haired blond glanced at Nico, “Percy and I decided that Nico would be performing with Annabeth.”

That seemed to break the dam. The rest of the Lost Kids exploded in an uproar. “What do you mean? I always perform with Luke on these shows!” Annabeth shouted. The others were being just as vocal.

“The new kid gets a big number and I don't?”

“This isn't fair!”

“How can you agree to this?”

Apollo held his hands up in defense. He glanced at Nico, who shifted his weight. No one had told, or even asked, Nico if he wanted to do a big performance. “He did a good job on Halloween, so I wanted to give him another chance.” He narrowed his eyes when Luke opened his mouth. “It's just one number. I don't care if you and Annabeth decide to do your own performance.”

Luke grunted. “Fine, whatever.” He pointed a finger towards Nico, glaring hatefully. “You better not screw up.”

Annabeth seemed to be studying Nico through all of this. “He's not really strong enough to pick me up, like Luke usually does, though.”

Apollo raked his fingers through his blond curls. “He's not going to.” The Lost Boy flashed his pearly white smile. “Just trust me, I have ideas.” He spun on his heel and went back to pacing. “Actually, it's a group number, so we'll have everyone that's upstairs. And I do mean everyone. That will include those waiting tables up here.”

“Like what?” Travis asked, placing a hand on his hip.

“That is for later.” Apollo held up a finger with a smile. “We'll start practicing it in a few days, I just need to work a few more things out. It'll be the closing number for the night.”

Nico pressed his hands against his knees again, still working to catch his breath. Ever since he had gotten back from school, Apollo had been working him to the bone. Decorating and organizing were clearly not the only things that were going to be hectic around here during the days leading up to Gaea's arrival. Apollo had said that everything needed to be perfect during the woman's time here.

As soon as Apollo cleared his throat, Nico knew there was more coming that would only make things more exhausting. “And remember, no mistakes. No slip ups.”

“No sabotaging numbers,” Hazel mumbled.

Apollo shot the girl a glare. He paused for a moment before motioning towards the stairs. “Go get ready for tonight, everyone.” As Nico went to leave with the others, the blond reached out and grabbed the back of his sweaty shirt. “Hold on a second, Nico.”

The younger Lost Boy let out a sigh, wiping sweat from his forehead. “What's up?”

Whatever it was, Nico was going to guess it was serious. Apollo wore a serious look as he rubbed his hands together. “As you know, you'll be working again tonight.” Nico nodded. Apollo nodded as well, but gave Nico a look to let him know there was more. “Your full job. And you'll still be doing that when Gaea arrives.”

“Is there a point to this?”

“No freaking out.” Apollo reached out to rest a hand on Nico's shoulder. “When I said no mistakes, that means in everything you do. In the bar, up here waiting tables, stripping, or even pleasing a client; you have to be perfect.” 

“Oh.” Nico looked down at his feet, scuffing them along the floor of the stage. “Maybe Percy shouldn't put me back there. What if I mess up?”

“You can't.” Apollo licked his lips. “He can't take you out of there.” Glancing over his shoulder, Apollo leaned closer. “You may not know this, but Percy took a huge bullet for you when he wasn't putting you to work up here, and another when he didn't make you work in the back rooms.”

“What do you mean?” Nico furrowed his brow. 

“Gaea was not happy when she learned about how Percy was handling you. So expect her to watch you like a hawk.” Apollo ran his hand along Nico's arm. “Just stay calm. You can freak out all you want when you're in the comfort of your own room. But you can't mess up on stage, or freak out while with a client. No one is going to mess with you, especially not myself.” Apollo let out a nervous chuckle. “You think it was bad when Percy got mad about what I did? I would take ten angry Percys over an angry Gaea any day. Not only will you be in trouble, but whoever messed with you will share in your torture. And I don't use the word torture as a figure of speech.”

Nico gulped. “She tortures people?”

“Only those that get on her bad side.” Apollo flashed his smile. “So just don't mess up. You'll be fine. Hopefully.”

“That's so reassuring,” Nico mumbled as Apollo began moving towards the stairs.

They walked to the elevator, where Apollo pulled out his card and hit the button to their floor. “Just thought it would be a good idea to let you know.”

Nico was thankful, but also extremely nervous now. He had mostly been anxious for the woman's arrival. But now...now he was just hoping she would not stay long. His mouth felt dry just thinking about it. What if he fell on stage? What if he dropped someone's drink? This was going to be a nightmare.

His imagination seemed to get carried away the whole time they were in the elevator, and it did not help that Apollo was not occupying Nico's attention with conversation. The silence only made it worse for Nico, as his eyes widened from the thought of being having his fingernails torn from his fingers. Apollo raised a brow at him when he cringed.

When they were about to reach Nico's suite, the brown-eyed boy stopped and touched Apollo's arm. The blond stopped, turning to stare at Nico curiously. Nico chewed on his lips. “Have you ever had a bad run in with Gaea? When I first heard her name from Percy, he made her sound almost nice. I thought we were supposed to like her?”

The blond smiled and patted Nico on the head. “You're too cute when you're nervous. Like a blushing virgin, only you're not.” Nico scowled at him. Apollo chuckled. “Calm down. Gaea is...terrifying, but she is also a very interesting person to be around. Speaking for myself, I do enjoy her visits. But she has known me for a little over two years now, so maybe I'm being biased.”

“But?”

Another chuckle from the blond. “Not really a 'but'. She can be very helpful when it comes to your problems.” The taller of the two Lost Boys reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “If it weren't for her, I'd probably be exactly where I was two years ago when it came to my crush on Percy. Still like him, but not quite as obsessive about it.”

Nico frowned. “I'm not sure if that makes me feel better about her visit or not.”

“Honestly, I'd be more concerned about Kronos than Gaea. At least with Gaea you can know how to behave and where to not cross the line. Kronos is...quite unpredictable.” Apollo's eyes flickered up to lock with Nico's brown ones. “If it weren't for Percy, we would all be at his mercy.” The blond shook his head. “Especially Luke. Just don't try not to be alone with him for too long.” Apollo moved to continue to his room, but stopped and turned back to Nico. “And just remember that he won't say anything too hurtful around Percy, if you're looking for safety.”

“Right,” Nico breathed out. “Thanks for the advice.”

Apollo gave him a nod before disappearing into his room. Nico let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping. This was not feeling like a good Christmas. Nico hit his head against the wall with a groan. The sound of a door opening caught his ear.

“I'm not sure that's how you open your door.” Nico turned to find Leo grinning at him. The boy came to stand beside Nico, leaning a shoulder against the wall. “What's got you all down, grumpy?”

“Our upcoming guests,” Nico mumbled.

“Oh.” Leo's smile vanished. “Kronos is not really anyone's favorite guest. Don't talk bad about him in front of Percy, though.”

“So I've heard.”

“Ah.” Leo's grin returned in full force as he dug in his jacket pocket. “I got what you asked for.” Nico's eyes brightened as Leo pulled out an old pocket watch. “There you go.”

Nico opened it, letting out a sigh. “It's cracked.”

Leo shrugged. “Percy didn't feel it was important enough to take care of. He said it reminded him of things that were better left forgotten.”

Nico chewed on his lip. Not what he had been hoping for, but he would take it. “And the other thing?” He asked, holding the watch up for inspection. Several fighter planes had been drawn over the front, flying high over an ocean sunset.

Leo grinned, placing his hands behind his head. “Rachel's on it. Trust.”

“And you're not going to tell Percy?”

“Nah, it's for Christmas. I'm no Grinch.” Leo pounded a fist to his chest. “I got your back, dude. Trust in the Leo.”

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes, pocketing the newly acquired watch. “It's when you say things like that which makes me want to worry.”

Leo stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. “That's so hurtful, Nico,” Leo said dramatically. Nico groaned and rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. “Calm down, you're solid.” The curly haired Latino boy grinned before moving to step away from Nico.

“Leo?”

The boy in question raised his brow, his smile dissipating slightly. “What's up, buddy?”

“The night Percy found me...” Nico rubbed at his arm. It might have happened so long ago, but it was still seared into Nico's mind. It was the first time he had ever seen Percy's eyes, the same memory that haunted his dreams. “When Percy found me, you seemed hesitant about him bringing me in. Why?”

Leo let out a long breath. He placed his hand on his hip, tapping his lips with the other. “Well, I mean...” Leo motioned to Nico's body. “You look like that, man. I thought you might have been like just hitting puberty, or something?”

Nico narrowed his eyes to scowl at the other. “We are roughly the same height, and you look about as young as I am.” Leo flinched when Nico poked him in the chest. “You have no room to talk about looking young, baby face.”

“Hey,” Leo whined. “Respect your elders.”

Nico shot the boy an annoyed stare. “You're not even two years older than me.”

Leo waved him off. “I fail to see your point. I'm smart for my age, I'll have you know.”

Nico pulled his card out of his back pocket. “Too bad you don't have the maturity to match.”

Leo grinned and began walking backwards down the hall. “You're one to talk there, Mr. Thanksgiving drunk.”

Nico rolled his eyes as he pushed his door open, turning to go inside. “I hate...you.” Nico nearly let his card fall out of his hand. He heard Leo chuckle and take off down the hall. Nico glared into his suite. “Can you please just put some sort of warnings on the doors?” Jason jumped off of Percy's lap from where they were occupying the couch. “Or maybe send me a text. Like: We're fucking, please don't come into this specific room right now.” Percy chuckled at him, not bothering to put a shirt back on. “I swear, I'm beginning to think you know I'm coming and are planning these encounters.”

“I wish you had better timing,” Jason grumbled.

Nico rolled his eyes. “At least it was before pants came off.”

Percy jumped off the couch and moved towards the hall, following behind Nico. “Don't sound so pouty,” he whispered into the boy's ear.

Nico shuddered. He turned to glare at the green-eyed manager. “I'm not.” He slid his hands into his jacket, paling when he heard the chain rattle. Shit, he thought.

Percy's eyes instantly flickered down, tilting his head to the side. Well this was not good. “What do you have there?” Percy asked, slowly moving forward until he had Nico pressed against the nearest wall. The manager bit down on his lip. “You seem nervous.”

“N-no reason.” Nico nearly squeaked when Percy reached forward. Within the blink of an eye, Nico had his jacket off and bunched up behind his back. Percy just grinned wider. “Behave. You're not allowed to see it until Christmas.”

The tall young man rested his arm above Nico's head, leaning forward. “But I do so hate waiting.” He slowly cupped Nico's cheek and tilted the boy's head up. “Don't you want to give it to me now?” Nico's heart was pounding. Percy was so close to him now, their lips a mere inch apart. “Come on, Nico, show me. I can always give you something that I know you'd like.”

Nico's eyes were blown wide with lust. It slowly began registering in some part of his brain that Percy's hand was sliding its way around Nico's back. He glared and pushed Percy back. “No. You'll just have to wait until Christmas.”

“Besides,” came Jason's annoyed voice, “you said you were making up for the other day.” The blond crossed his arms and glared between Percy and Nico. “So?”

Percy ran his fingers through his hair, smiling down at Nico. “Fine, have it your way. And calm down.” The manager winked over at Jason. “I haven't forgotten, I'm not going to leave you hanging again.”

Nico frowned. Before he could register what he was doing, he grabbed the front of Percy's shirt and pulled the other back to their earlier position. “But just because I don't want to spoil your present, doesn't mean I wouldn't like your company for a little while before work. You could sit with me in my room for a little bit.”

Glaring was an understatement on Jason's part. He was giving Nico a full on death glare. There was venom practically dripping from the boy's blue eyes. He was on Percy in an instant, turning the green-eyed young man's head to press their lips together. Nico's eyes darkened as he watched Jason slip his tongue into Percy's mouth.

Grabbing the back of Percy's head, Nico forced the young man's attention back on himself. He moved to kiss Percy as well, but Percy pushed his fingers to Nico's lips. “Only during sex,” Percy chuckled.

Nico's brow furrowed. “But-”

“Jason and I are, and were, going to have sex. You walked in on us...again.” Percy sighed and pushed some of Nico's hair from his face. “Calm down, perhaps another time.” A dark look appeared in Percy's eyes, his hand slowly sliding down towards Nico's ass. Nico's heart accelerated. “Unless...”

Jason frowned, holding onto Percy's arm. “Unless?”

Percy leaned in, bring his lips close enough to almost kiss Nico. “I'm open for a threesome.”

Nico's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. Was Percy being serious? He glanced over to Jason, expecting a similar reaction. Jason and Nico being involved in the same sexual encounter? Percy was joking, right?

But Jason did not seem annoyed, or even surprised. The blond just shrugged after glancing Nico over. “Sure, fine with me. He has a nice ass.”

The tips of Nico's ears felt like they were on fire. Was everyone insane in this place? “Are you two mentally insane?”

“Probably,” Percy interjected.

Nico rapidly shook his head. “No. No way. I'm not sure how I feel about a threesome.”

“Pity,” Jason sighed. “Oh well, I still get Percy.”

Percy chuckled as Jason began dragging him towards the blond's room. Nico frowned. The manager tossed Nico a wink before they disappeared into the room. Nico sighed and closed his eyes, slowly sliding down the wall. He let his jacket fall from his grasp, where it lay wadded up at his side.

A threesome. The thought kept running through his mind. Was he stupid for declining that invitation? He would have gotten to be with Percy again, even if it was sharing with someone else. And Jason was very attractive, if he were being honest with himself. If Percy were not in the picture, and perhaps they had met under different circumstances, Nico might have even ended up crushing on Jason. He would be lying to himself if he said he had never thought about Jason sexually.

But a threesome?

Nico raised an arm up to wipe away a single tear. He might have put on a face the other day to look like seeing Jason and Percy together did not bother him, but the truth was that it did. It still hurt. This time hurt. But the problem was he did not know how to get to a point where it wouldn't. Could he? If he really did care about Percy, then it should hurt, right? The best he could hope for was that he could keep managing an indifferent mask when he did have to deal with this.

\-----------------------------------------

“My eyes!” Nico nearly screamed backstage. His hands had been brought up to shield his eyes from the horror that stood before him. It had come out of nowhere. He had just been minding his own business, getting ready for the final performance of the night, and then all he saw was vagina.

Thalia cackled at him as she pulled her underwear down more. “Just preparing you for what lies ahead.” She motioned to her lady parts. “Now then, this is a vagina.”

Nico scowled at her from between his fingers. Luke rolled his eyes. “Shouldn't you be getting ready for another performance, or tending to a client?” The blond asked, straightening the tie he wore.

Thalia just laughed, pulling her underwear up. Nico finally dropped his hands, scowling at the Lost Girl. She could have at least given him a warning. The Stolls and Apollo snickered from somewhere behind him. He turned to frown at them, though paused after a second. The twins had threesomes, didn't they?

Thalia shrugged. She fixed Luke's tie for him before moving behind the blond to wrap her arms around his neck. Luke grunted and leaned forward, though Thalia simply held on as she was lifted off the ground. “I swear you're a child,” Luke mumbled.

“Swing me faster!” Thalia replied in a high-pitched voice. 

Luke let out a sigh, leaning forward with a defeated look. “You're impossible, and I hate you.”

“You love me.”

“I don't know why I put up with you.” The blond managed detaching the short girl from his neck. Shooting her an annoyed look, he worked on fixing his clothes. Thalia grinned up at him before skipping off towards the door that led to the girls' side. “How is she older than Jason?”

Apollo moved over to help Luke straighten his clothes out. The curly haired blond grinned. Luke narrowed his eyes, but let Apollo help him. They were just out of earshot, but whatever they were talking about seemed to amuse Luke, judging by the playful role of the eyes and small smirk on his lips.

Perhaps this was the best time to talk to the twins. Nico blew out a breath, adjusting the fedora on his head, and stepped over a few feet to be able to have a private conversation. The twins blinked at him, stopping in the conversation they had been having. “Something we can help you with there, Neeks?” Travis asked, plopping down on the couch.

“I was, um...” Nico fumbled with his hands, his mouth not wanting to cooperate. “Well, you see, I sort of need help.” The twins glanced at each other before giving him an odd look. “It's just that...I know you two dabble in this sort of thing-”

“Jesus, Nico, just spit it out.” Connor rubbed his temple. “We have to go on soon.”

“Nico! Connor!” Apollo called from across the room.

Travis slapped his brother on the ass. “Have fun out there,” he chuckled. Connor grinned and winked down at his brother.

“Uh,” Nico started flailing his arms. “I need your help with having a threesome!”

The twins were silent, blinking at Nico with wide eyes. Travis's mouth hung open in disbelief of what had just come out of Nico's mouth. Nico was just thankful that Luke and Apollo did not seem to have heard him. The pale Lost Boy let out a groan and turned back to the twins.

“I-” Nico began.

“Hurry up, we've got a performance to do,” Luke grumbled.

The twins looked at each other, glancing at Nico from the corners of their eyes. Nico squirmed as they watched him. He was not sure, but he was almost certain his face was bright red. If not for the little bit of makeup that Drew had been making him wear during performances, Nico would have probably been very noticeable on the stage in a second.

Nico's stomach plummeted the second matching grins appeared on the twins' lips. What had he gotten himself into? Connor moved past him, running his hand along Nico's cheek as he went. The younger twin circled around to stand over Nico's shoulder, letting out a small chuckle.

“Don't worry, Nico,” Connor purred into his ear, “we can help you.”

Travis leaned back on the couch, sweat still glistening on his bare chest. “Feel free to come by our room to get a first hand lesson.”

Nico's eyes widened, his ears now burning. “Wait, that's not what I-”

“Showtime!” Apollo called, tapping his foot in annoyance.

Connor hummed to himself as he moved to join Luke and Apollo. Nico's mouth fumbled for a few seconds before his shoulders slumped and he dragged his feet over towards the others, the sound of Travis laughing following him. Apollo eyed him funny.

“Everything all right there?”

Nico could not bring himself to meet the blond's eyes. Makeup or not, he was still too embarrassed to look up. “M'fine,” he mumbled.

Apollo arched a brow. He turned to look at Luke for a second, who shrugged. The curly haired Lost Boy chanced a glance at Connor. “Private conversation,” came the brunet's short reply.

Apollo shook his head. “Whatever. Let's just focus.”

Nico was shoved forward by Luke, which caused the boy to have to stumble onto the dark stage. The curtains were still closed, so they could move freely without the watchful eyes of the customers. Nico raised his hand to flip Luke off as he took his place next to the blond. Apollo and Connor took their places a few feet away on the other side of the stage.

Turning so that his back was faced towards the audience, Nico spread his legs apart. Luke reached out and placed his hands on Nico's shoulder in the darkness before all four Lost Boys lowered their heads. The curtains slowly opened, revealing the dark stage to the audience. The infectious whistling and guitar intro to Maroon 5's “Moves Like Jagger” began blaring across the room.

As the lights slowly brightened, the boys began to lift their heads and move their hips and a single leg each. The second the first line of the song was sang, Nico and Connor spun around. Luke and Apollo moved their hands to rest on Nico and Connor's lower backs. It sort of reminded Nico of a tango as they moved. Luke took his hand and dipped him quickly before swinging him back up.

Nico jerked away, only to be tugged back by the blond. As he came back towards Luke, the blond ducked as Nico swung his leg over Luke's head. Nico slowly moved his hips back and forth, slowly lowering his body to the ground. Apollo and Luke moved to the front, where both Lost Boys thrust their hips while facing the side.

Stepping in front of them, Nico and Connor grabbed their respective partners' ties and yanked them away from each other. Jumping behind Luke, Nico brought his hands under Luke's shoulder and slid them down Luke's chest. After a short pause, Nico snapped Luke's shirt open and jerked the shirt from the blond's body.

Moving back to stand in a straight line along the stage, the Lost Boys tipped their hats at the audience. They quickly swayed their hips before spinning on their heels in a complete circle. Once they faced the audience again, all of them crisscrossed their arms as they were brought above their heads. All four of them slowly pulled their balled fists down until they hands were level with their heads, posing for the audience.

Luke and Apollo stepped in front of the other two, yanking their shirts from their torsos. In the next instant, all four had leaned forward and stripped their pants from their bodies. Luke took Nico's hand again and spun him out, while taking his hat off to flip in his hand. Bringing Nico back in, the brown-eyed Lost Boy found himself pressed flush against the blond. Nico stared up into Luke's void-like blue eyes.

Nico's breath hitched as Luke's hands slipped beneath the fabric of his speedo and peeled back the top for the audience's viewing pleasure. It did not bother Nico as much as it might have a few months ago, but that might have been because he found it hard to do much besides breathe as he held Luke's sharp gaze.

As the song neared its end, Nico turned himself around and pressed his ass against Luke's crotch. His arms reached behind him to hold on to Luke's neck as he ground his hips against Luke to the music's fast pace. As the song whistled its end, Luke pushed him forward and Nico had to press his hands to the stage.

The applause filled the air, but Nico was still bent forward. He glanced over to where Connor was, still bent over like Nico. The brunet gave him a sly wink. Nico slowly worked on catching his breath, feeling Luke's sweaty hand run down his back. But that was not the only thing Nico felt pressing against his body.

When Nico was finally allowed to stand up after the curtains closed, he turned to receive a nod and grunt from Luke, the blond's silent way of telling him that he did a good job. Nico's eyes flickered down to Luke's crotch, where, sure enough, the blond was sporting an erection.

“Looks like you have a problem there,” Nico joked as he began to leave the stage. He yelped when he was jerked back, his arms being held above his head. Nico hit the floor roughly, the little breath he had being knocked out of him.

Luke's dark eyes stared down at him with a hungry stare. “You know, I did tell you not to stare. And don't make jokes if you're not going to help me out.”

“Not like you'd do anything anyways.” Nico rolled his eyes, leaning up to try and get back to his feet.

Nico gasped, his eyes dilating, as Luke bit down on his neck. The raven-haired boy's eyes met with Connor and Apollo, who were silently watching them. Luke tugged down the back of Nico's speedo and slid his hand between the boy's legs. Nico moaned into Luke's shoulder as he felt the blond's fingers press against him. The older Lost Boy's teeth pressed harder against his skin.

But just as quickly as it had begun, it ended. Nico panted as Luke climbed to his feet, leaving the breathless brown-eyed boy on the floor. Luke swiped a thumb across his lips. “Don't tell me what I will and won't do.”

Nico sat there for a moment, still panting. He reached up and rubbed his neck before climbing to his fee. Was it a bad thing that he had wanted Luke to continue? Luke was confusing. The problem was that Nico did not really know how he felt about the blond; let alone how Luke felt about him. Whether it was lust or real feelings, Nico did know that the feelings were intense.

By the time Nico got off the stage and changed clothes, most of the top floor was dispersing. A few customers were making last minute arrangements with Percy and Leo, so Nico sat down at a nearby table to await his fate. Would he get to go to his room, or was he doomed to spend another night in the backrooms?

The boy's dark brown eyes observed Percy as he chatted with one client, laughing at something the man said. Nico's heart pounded faster just staring at him. He looked so handsome in his long sleeve button up shirt. And the dark pants only accentuated his ass. Or perhaps it was the way Percy's black hair dusted over his sea-green eyes, which seemed to shine in the low lighting.

But something else managed catching the boy's attention. During decorations, Drew had hung up a branch of mistletoe at the front of the stage, to allow customers to get kissed by the Lost Kids. And where Percy was now standing was not far off from it. Nico chewed on his lip when Percy took a few steps towards the stairs from where he stood, which might end up taking him under the mistletoe. Without much more thought, Nico got out of his chair and went to lean against the stage.

Percy smiled and bid the client goodnight, closing his eyes to let out a breath as he walked. Nico fidgeted for a second before waving over to Percy.

“Percy?”

The young man's green eyes found him and he smiled. Taking a few steps towards Nico, Percy now stood just a few inches away, still not under the mistletoe. “What can I do for you tonight, Nico? If it's about working, you can rest easy.”

Nico did breathe a sigh of relief. “That's not what it's about.” Nico took a step back, putting his back against the stage. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Percy's lips tilted up. “I'm happy to talk to you...from over here.”

Nico felt his face heat up. “Um, why over there?”

Without hesitating, Percy pointed above Nico's head. “I'm fairly certain that your line of conversation has to do with the mistletoe above your head,” he chuckled. Nico flailed his arms to deny the accusations, but Percy grabbed his arm and tugged him closer, away from the mistletoe. “You know my rule.” He winked down at Nico. “But maybe if you behave, you'll get a kiss for Christmas. And I won't even have to break that rule.”

Now Nico's face was red. He was fairly certain Percy had just told him that he would be having sex with Nico on Christmas. Which Nico was not going to complain about. “Are you sure I need to be good? Sounds like you have naughtier intentions in mind.”

Percy grinned and winked at him. “Perhaps. You know-”

One of the Lost Boys cleared their throat. Nico peered around Percy to find Octavian standing there. He raised an eyebrow at them. “I need to talk to you, Percy.”

The young man nodded. “Just a second.”

The blond narrowed his eyes. “It's sort of important. Perhaps I overheard about some arms dealing that slipped through Demeter's radar.”

That seemed to catch Percy's attention. “All the way from Australia? How is it going on here?”

Octavian shrugged. “Seems one of Demeter's clients was wanting to cut out the middle man.”

The manager nodded. Blowing out a breath, he turned to Nico. “I'll just be a moment,” he assured the boy before walking off with Octavian.

Nico let out a sigh and sat down at the nearest table, watching the two talk with his chin propped up on his palm. Why did it feel like it was so hard to get time with Percy? Perhaps he needed to play the Lost Kids' game and work on discussing his hours with Percy. He just wanted some time with Percy, but it felt like sex might be the easiest route to get it.

The Lost Boy jumped when a hand touched his shoulder. He whipped around to find Will sitting down beside him. “Don't look so jumpy,” the blond joked.

Nico narrowed his eyes and swiveled in his chair to face the other Lost Boy. “Maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people.”

“I like my way better.” Will wagged his eyebrows as he leaned forward. “So, I see you escaped the horrors of the backrooms for the night.”

Nico eyed the blond. Will had his chin in his palm, grinning wickedly at Nico. A sleeveless shirt clung to his tan form. One of the blond's nipples was peeking out from the armhole, which caught the raven-haired boy's attention for a moment. A pair of loose shorts hung from Will's hips, the blond's dark red speedo poking out from the top.

“I see you did as well,” Nico finally replied.

“Which is good for me, because now I can sit and enjoy your company.”

Nico rolled his eyes and looked away, smiling. Will was the charmer, he could not forget that. And that smile, it was infectious and sexy. “I'm surprised you're not bored of me by now.”

The blond Lost Boy scooted his chair closer, resting his arm on the back of Nico's chair. “I'm not going to get tired of you.” He cleared his throat. “Um, actually I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day with me tomorrow?” Nico arched a brow at him. “I mean, we're both off, so I thought you and I could go do something. Maybe the beach?”

Nico could not help but smile. “Are you asking me on a date?”

Will gave a small smile. “Maybe. Depends on your answer.” Licking his lips, Will sat up straight in his chair. “Or maybe spend some time with me tonight? Unless you're busy.”

“Well-” Nico turned around to find Percy walking down the stairs with Octavian. Nico's shoulders slumped. He thought Percy was going to come back and talk with him, but it seemed some things were more important. And Nico doubted it was still business. He let out a sigh and nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow sounds fun.”

Will brightened. “So you'll go on a date with me then?”

“Yeah, sure,” Nico mumbled. His eyes flickered back over to the stairs. “What did you have in mind?”

Will jumped up, extending his hand down to help Nico to his feet. He slipped his hands into his pockets as they walked. “Well, how about lunch and we go down to the beach?” He grinned excitedly down at Nico. “I can teach you how to surf, if you don't already know.”

Nico shook his head. “Never learned, so I guess we can try.” The boy rubbed his arm. “Not sure how well that will go over.”

The blond bumped his shoulder against Nico's own as they got on the elevator. “Don't worry, I'll be right there the whole time.”

Nico nodded. Will smiled to himself as they rode down. Nico took the opportunity to stare at the blond from the corner of his eye. Why was he doing this? Was it the best idea? He was not sure, but perhaps Will had been right before. Perhaps Percy was too far out of reach. And Will was nice, handsome, and charming. There was no way that Nico could lie and say there was not any chemistry between them either.

So why was it bothering him so much?

When they reached their rooms, Will bid Nico goodnight. Nico shook his head with a smile as Will walked off. The blond still looked like a kid that had just woke up on Christmas morning. Letting out a sigh, Nico closed his door and headed for his room.

\-------------------------------------------

Figuring out that he was not meant to stand on a board did not take Nico and Will very long. The blond chuckled at him as he plummeted into the water for the umpteenth time. Nico coughed up some water upon reemerging from below the water's surface, splashing the blond upon locating him.

Lunch had been nice. Will had came and gotten him a little before noon, and taken Nico to a nice little place overlooking the beach. The blond had even requested that they sit outside. It was...nice. And the best part might have been that Will had kept it fairly innocent the entire time.

Will grinned over at him before climbing onto Nico's board and extending his hand down for Nico to take. The raven-haired boy frowned up at him for a moment before taking hold of the offered appendage. Once Nico was seated with his back to the blond, Will laced his hands around Nico's waist and rested his chin on the shorter boy's shoulder.

“So, are you at least enjoying yourself?” Will mumbled. “I mean, aside from the repeated failures at surfing.”

Nico elbowed the boy, receiving a chuckle in response. “I'm trying, so shut up. You-” Nico's eyes widened when Will's lips pressed against his cheek. Nico's heartbeat increased and his cheeks lit up. “Um, thanks?”

Will chuckled in his ear. “You look very cute in your wetsuit. Plus it lets me easily stare at your ass.”

Nico shook his head, rolling his eyes. “And here I was hoping we could get through this without a sexual comment.”

The blond tugged the pale boy against his firm chest. “Just had to get one in.” Nico tilted his head back and Will wagged his eyebrows. “I see your brain is in the gutter with that one as well.”

“You're a child.”

Will shrugged. “Isn't that what has you in the dog house with Percy right now? It only makes it more hurtful coming from you, Nico.” The corner of the blond's lips tilted up. He reached out and took Nico's hands from where they were resting on the board. “Now then, how about you let me into that pretty little head of yours?”

“Why?” Nico turned his head to stare at the Lost Boy that sat behind him.

“Well, it could just be me, but you seem more eager to learn about us, and not so much about sharing your own problems.” Nico frowned. “I see I'm onto something,” Will chuckled. “Doesn't work that way I'm afraid.” Nico shivered when Will leaned in and whispered in his ear. “I'll make you a deal. You share something with me, and I'll let you ask me whatever you want.”

Nico let out a deep breath. He eyed the blue-eyed boy for a moment before nodding. “But let's get off this first,” Nico said, motioning to the board.

Will chuckled and nodded. The blond jumped off and glided the surfboard towards the beach. Nico swung his leg over and walked over to where their towels were stationed on the beach. Will jogged up to him as Nico was sitting down, carrying the surfboard under his tan arm. Dropping the board down and peeling the top of his wetsuit off, Will plopped down beside the raven-haired boy. A grin broke out across Will's lips when Nico's eyes flickered down to rake across the blond's wet torso.

Will placed his hands behind his head, willingly giving Nico a better view of his body. “Perhaps you would be more comfortable without that wetsuit.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “So you can stare at me?”

“Like you are staring at me?” Will stuck out his tongue. “Come on, Nico, your body has developed very nicely over the past few months. Besides, it's just the two of us. It's not like you're having to show yourself off to a crowd of people.”

“No,” Nico mumbled, “that would just be horrible if I had to do that.” He rolled his eyes when Will grinned.

“Come on, Nico.” Will bit down on his lip and hooked his thumbs under the wetsuit, rolling his hips. “Take it off.”

“You're a horrible influence.” Letting out a sigh, Nico pulled the wetsuit from his torso and off his body, now sitting there in only his swim trunks. He licked his lips as he stared over at Will, who only wore the same as well. “So, what do you want to know about me?”

Instead of answering right away, Will just smiled and tugged on Nico's trunks until he had the boy sitting at his side. Nico rolled his eyes, but didn't bother moving away. The blond smiled as he began rubbing the brown-eyed boy's back.

“Well, what is it you want to do with your life?”

Nico arched a brow down at the blond, who just smiled up at him. Letting out a sigh, Nico lay down on his back. “I don't know.” Nico shrugged. Will reached out and draped an arm over Nico's stomach. “Hadn't put much thought on it.”

“I can take care of you,” Will whispered.

Nico rolled his head to the side to stare at the other Lost Boy. “In the hotel?”

“What, you don't want to stay there?” Will pulled Nico against him, tightening his grip on the boy's waist. “If you hated it, I think you'd have left by now.”

Nico remained silent, not meeting Will's eyes. Was he happy? Yes and no. He did not mind the others, and he was sure he would like them even more if they were around each other in different circumstances. And then he could probably even be with Percy. He would not be selling his body either.

Will frowned. “You have been thinking about it, haven't you?”

Nico shrugged, still not willing to look at the blond. He began drawing in the sand with his finger. “Maybe. Don't say anything.”

When Nico looked up, he found Will's face very close to his own. “Maybe I don't want you to leave,” the blond whispered. “I like your company, and the hotel seems like a more tolerable place with you around.”

“And I cause problems. I screw up. It would also mean that I wouldn't be reminding you guys of your issues.”

Will's eyes looked dull and he stayed quiet for a long time. Pursing his lips, he reached out and touched Nico's hair. “Maybe it's good for us. Before you came along, they were kind of just buried. But I'm trying to work on my problems, because I don't want to get annoyed with you. I don't want to feel disgusted when I look at you.”

Nico propped himself up on his shoulder. Will frowned and dropped his hand from Nico's hair. The younger of the two stared down at the tan blond. “I don't get why I have to be made to feel like the outcast simply because of who I am.”

The tan boy pursed his lips and shook his head. “It's not that, not entirely. It's a lot of reasons. You made it through the streets, and still came out with a good view of the world.” He poked Nico's chest. “You still see the good in people. That's one of the reasons you get under Percy's skin, because you keep seeing the good in him. Even when he can't see it himself.”

“Because there is good there.”

“But he doesn't see it, or doesn't want to.” Will's brow furrowed. “And for me...” He trailed off and shook his head. “Well, I just wish I was more like you. Though, I suppose you could do with taking a little after us.”

“I am trying to keep at least one deal I made,” Nico mumbled.

Will smiled. “The one Percy had you make?” He chuckled. Nico nodded. “I don't think being like us in certain ways is going to jeopardize that. You are growing up, but you need to mature.” The blond laughed at the scowl that Nico gave him. “Don't get mad, just being honest. You have a tendency to whine, especially when it concerns Percy. I'd work on that if I were you.”

“Yeah, well, I'm trying. It's like you guys expect me to just completely become someone else randomly.” He looked down to where his hand was resting on Will's chest. The faint beating of the blond's heart could be felt there. “So then, I answered your question.”

“Well you didn't really give me a good answer, but I'll let that slide. Can't blame you for not knowing what you want to do with your life yet. You're only sixteen.”

Nico combed his fingers through Will's hair. “Seventeen next month.”

“Ah, that's right.” The blond grinned. “I'll have to find you the best birthday present ever.” He wagged his eyebrows and Nico rolled his eyes. “So, what would you like to ask me? How big is my penis? I can show you, if you want?” He asked, tugging on the strings of his trunks.

Nico narrowed his eyes. “You know damn well that I'm not going to ask that.” He sighed when Will placed his arms behind his head. “I wanted to know why you hated the orphanage so much? You didn't want to talk about it the last time I asked.”

“Oh.” Will sounded sad, and his eyes only reflected it. His light blue eyes met with Nico's dark brown ones. Every time that he looked at them, Nico was always reminded of the sky on a sunny day. “Well, it wasn't exactly the nicest place. The people who worked there didn't really pay that much attention to the kids, and the only time we got disciplined was when we misbehaved while there were adults there to adopt. They were quite hateful at times, and barely saw to feeding us.”

The brown-eyed boy pulled his legs up to his chest. “And they didn't get in trouble? You didn't report them?”

The blond chuckled. “What exactly were we supposed to do? They wouldn't let us talk to any authorities, and when social workers dropped by, we were expected to keep quiet and out of the way.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

Will shook his head. “No, that wasn't the worst part. The workers were neglectful, but it was some of the other kids that made the orphanage miserable for myself and the other kids staying there.” Will stared off into space, while the wind began to whip at the bangs that dusted over his forehead. “I didn't sleep a lot of nights.”

“Did they beat you?”

Will sat up and faced Nico. Nico's pulse quickened when Will's face came close to his own. But instead of moving in for a kiss, Will turned himself around, facing his back to Nico. “Not exactly,” Will whispered. He reached around and took Nico's hand, guiding it up to his shoulder blades.

Nico's breath hitched when his fingers ghosted over a thin white line that ran about five inches across Will's back, one end towards the neck and the other nearly running under his arm. It was barely noticeable, invisible until one was within Will's personal space, but there it was.

Will tugged on Nico's arm until Nico's chest was pressed to the blond's back. On the side of Will's wrist was another scar, another that would go unnoticeable until directed to it. The way the skin had grown back had left a blemish on the blond's near perfect body. Nico's breathing had become ragged as his fingers traced the scar. It was so hidden, yet the sunlight seemed to make it stand out. How could he have not noticed these before?

“Will,” Nico breathed out.

The blond turned his head to stare into Nico's dark eyes. Lacing his fingers through Nico's own, the blond ran Nico's index finger horizontally across his wrist. “Only two became permanent.” Nico's eyes drifted down as his finger continued to trace the blond's wrist. “Most disappeared. And some...well, not all the scars were left there by the other kids.”

Nico pulled his hand away, falling back onto the sand. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked up at the blond, who stared down at him with sad eyes. “Did you try to kill yourself?” Nico whispered.

Will let out a sigh and climbed to his feet. He gazed around them before brushing some of his hair from his face and extending his hand down for Nico to take. “Come on, we should get back to the hotel.”

Nico found himself frozen in place. Will had tried to commit suicide? Was he the one Luke had talked about? Or was this before? Either way, Nico kept thinking one thing: what if Will had succeeded? He would have never met the blond.

The next thing he knew, Nico was on his feet. Will's thumbs swept across his cheek, spreading a wet warmth across his cheek. Nico blinked and touched his face. He was crying. Will held Nico's shoulders for a few seconds, staring into the boy's brown orbs before gathering their things. Nico was handed his shirt, which he silently slipped on. The two slowly made their way across the beach.

Nico stood outside the surf shop while Will returned their gear. When he reemerged, Will had put his own shirt back on. His keys jingled in his tan hand as he made his way over to Nico. The raven-haired boy wrapped his arms around himself as they walked up the stairs from the beach. His eyes unconsciously drifted over to the ocean, watching as the waves crashed against the shore.

It was not until they got back to Will's car that the blond decided to break the silence. “I'm sorry I ruined the mood, but I did enjoy spending the day with you.”

Nico looked up at him from behind his bangs. Without saying anything, Nico wrapped his arms around Will and hugged him tightly. Will's arms wrapped around his back and fisted Nico's white sleeveless shirt. “I'm so sorry you had to go through that,” Nico mumbled into the Lost Boy's shoulder.

Nico felt himself being moved. And when he looked, he found that Will had sat them on the hood of his car. “Don't be.” He put on a smile and brushed some of Nico's bangs from his eyes. Will sighed and rubbed his wrist. “It was a very hard time during my stay there. But, the day I gave myself this is the same day I met Percy.” He let out a light chuckle. “And sometimes I'm glad I did, because I think that was what got him to notice me and get me out of the orphanage.”

Nico fingered his shirt, not looking up to meet Will's gaze. “Can you tell me about that?”

Letting out a sigh, Will stood up and pushed the button on his keychain to unlock his car. “Maybe another day. I think we've had enough depressing talk for one day.”

The car remained silent during their drive back to the hotel, though Will kept the music on to help drown it out. Nico, for his part, did his best to not turn and look at Will, opting instead to keep his eyes out the window.

Nico quietly tugged on a strand of his hair while he stared out the window. He just wished that he could have more moments like this. Not just with Will, but with all of the Lost Kids. Why couldn't they all be this easy to get along with, and this tolerable at all times? He also wished he could have moments like this with Percy.

Sure he had spent plenty of time with the green-eyed young man, and sure the two of them had shared several stories with each other, but today just felt deeper. He felt like Percy held back. Percy was honest, he wanted to believe that, but Nico also knew there was a difference between not lying and being honest.

And that was his main obstacle with the green-eyed young manager at the present time.

Percy tended to be honest with his intentions, at least to some degree, but he did not like to open up about his emotions or his past. At least not the important parts. And because of this, Nico could not help but wonder if his feelings were real or not. What if he was just the same as Apollo, eternally hoping for something that was never going to happen?

“You okay?”

Nico took in a deep breath before turning to face Will. He smiled and nodded. “Just thinking.”

Will glanced at the boy as he drove. “Looked pretty serious. Is it your mom?”

And now Nico felt sick. How horrible was he? The past few days, he had been so busy or preoccupied that he had not given much thought to his deceased mother. Or most of his past life for that matter. Perhaps Dionysus was right. Perhaps he was becoming like the others. Whether he liked that thought or not, Nico was not sure.

He eyed Will as the blond pulled into the hotel's garage. Did the others sense this in him? Was that why they were acting nice to him? They still had their bitter moments, but they had all been relatively civil lately. Unless they were just being nice.

Nico groaned and ran a hand across his face, receiving an odd look from the blond next to him. This was all so confusing. He did not understand these people he lived with. What was the point in thinking about it, when he could not even begin to figure it out?

Or perhaps he was just over thinking it all and giving himself a headache in the process.

Once parked, Will and Nico climbed out of the blond's car. But when the reached the elevator, Will stopped the other boy. The blond fidgeted for a second before opening his mouth. “Thanks again, for spending the afternoon with me.”

A small smile graced Nico's lips. “I had fun. Well, aside from you laughing at me.”

The blond chuckled. He reached out and ran a hand down Nico's arm. “It was cute.” Blue eyes met with brown. “You were cute.”

With a sharp intake of breath, Nico froze. Will slowly leaned in. Nico's eyes went wide when their lips connected. He reached up to place hand on Will's chest, intending to push the blond away, but ended up fisting the Lost Boy's shirt. Will's hand touched his cheek and drew him closer.

Nico let his body relax with a small sigh. Perhaps it had not been his best idea, but Nico ended up kissing Will back. With his eyes now shut, Nico could feel Will smile into the kiss. At some point, Will had placed a hand on Nico's lower back, and was now using it to pull the boy closer.

The elevator dinged next to them and Will released Nico's lips. Nico cleared his throat and pulled away, his cheeks burning up. Reyna stood there, eyeing both of them. Will grinned sheepishly as he attempted to straighten out his clothing.

“Hey, Reyna,” Will chuckled. “We just got back from the beach.”

“I see that.” Her eyes bore into Nico, giving him a questioning look. “Your sister is in the lobby. You should probably go see what she wants.”

It took him a moment, but Nico nodded. “Thanks, I'll go right up.”

The two slipped around Reyna, who continued to frown at them. But she did not say anything else. The elevator closed and Will directed it towards the lobby. The two of them breathed a sigh of relief. Will smiled over at him, leaning in again.

“Not right now,” Nico mumbled, pushing a hand to Will's chest.

Giving the blond an apologetic glance, Nico turned his attention to his shoes. What was he doing? Just moments before, he had been thinking about Percy, and then he lets Will kiss him. It was just this little voice in Nico's head, telling him that at least he had a better chance with Will.

Brown eyes flickered up to glance at the tan blond. It would be easier if he chose Will, and he at least knew that the blond did have feelings for him. That was more than he seemed to get from Percy. But he was not going to be with Percy, Nico was not sure if it was the best idea to stay in the hotel. And he was not sure if Will intended to leave, not after asking Nico to stay.

There was now a pounding in Nico's head. He rubbed at his temple, hoping to alleviate some of the pain there. Why did he have to think so much? He put far too much thought into this stuff, and was now apparently jumping ship.

“This place gives me too many headaches,” Nico mumbled as the elevator stopped.

Will chuckled. “You get used to it.”

Sure enough, Bianca was waiting in the lobby. When she saw Nico, she rose from the couch she sat on with a smile. She hugged him as soon as he was within arm's reach. When they separated, Nico smiled and motioned to the blond standing beside them.

“Oh, um, Bianca, this is Will. Will, this is my sister.”

Will smiled and shook the girl's hand, drawing a blush from her. “Charmed.”

Bianca's eyes met with Nico's own, as if to say: he's cute. “I do hope you're taking care of my brother.”

The blond chuckled. “The best I can.” He slung his arm around Nico, the brown-eyed boy scowled up at him. “We just got back from the beach. Was trying to teach him how to surf, didn't go that well.”

Bianca smiled and nodded, patting Nico on the arm. “We barely got him to where he could swim growing up.” Nico frowned at his sister. “But I'm sure you're a great teacher.”

Will glanced at Nico and winked. “Well, I'll let you two have a moment,” he said before turning to walk off. Nico looked down as he felt Will's hand pull away. His cheeks turned pink. He had not even noticed they had been holding hands.

Bianca tapped a finger to her lips as she watched Will walk away. Once he had boarded the elevator, she turned to her brother with narrowed eyes. “Did you get yourself a boyfriend? Because I'm confused. The way Percy and you had been acting the first day I visited made me think there was something there as well.”

Nico sighed. “Nothing is going on between me and Percy,” Nico mumbled. “He's my boss. And Will...well, we were just hanging out.”

“Uh-huh.” Bianca did not seem convinced. “Whatever you say, little brother.” An annoying smile plastered across her face. “But he is cute, and seems nice.”

That was how they got people, Nico thought. Will just wanted on his sister's good side. “What are you doing here anyways?”

Bianca looked hurt by that, but Nico worried about her presence here. Glancing around, it did not take him long to find several people watching them. The twins sat in the restaurant, staring at them through a small, glass window that separated the lobby from the hotel's restaurant. And then there was Thalia and Apollo, who sat on couches in the lounge, glancing at Nico and Bianca from time to time.

But from the corner of his eye came the worst. Looking up, Nico found Percy and Annabeth watching them from the second floor. Percy's eyes were like some predatory animal, stalking its prey and waiting for it to make the wrong move. The blonde beside him leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

“I just wanted to see you,” Bianca said, drawing Nico's attention back to her. “Daedalus told me about the fight, but I never really got a chance to see how you were doing. And with the funeral, I didn't pay much attention.” Cupping Nico's chin, she tilted his face up. “You look pretty bad.”

Nico sighed. “It's been healing, but at least nothing was broken.” He rolled his eyes as she continued to stare at his face. “It's not that bad.”

“That's not what Daedalus said.”

“I'm fine, Bianca.” Nico rubbed his arm, chancing another glance up at Percy. The young man's lips were pressed into a thin line. “I don't think they are going to be a problem anymore. Percy took care of it.”

Bianca followed his line of sight. “Well, maybe I should thank him later.” She smiled and waved up at Percy, who nodded back at her. “He seems to be in a bad mood today.”

When was Percy not in a bad mood these days? Looking back at the young man, Nico's stomach dropped. What was he doing with himself anyways? What did he want? Or more importantly, who did he want?

Letting out a sigh, Nico turned back to Bianca. “So, how are things at home?”

His sister shrugged. “Fine. Dad took up drinking again.”

Nico slowly nodded. The last time their dad had become an alcoholic, Nico had ended up with several belt lashes to his back. “Has he done anything?”

Bianca shook her head. Nico let out a sigh of relief. “Not yet,” she replied. “But he only drinks when the woman doesn't come over.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Woman?”

“Oh, I think she was married to the man that was in the other car involved in mom's accident.” Bianca shrugged. “They talk a lot, drink together some, and talk a lot about depressing things.”

Nico's expression darkened. “He's already seeing another woman?”

“No, no.” His sister shook her head, sending her long hair flying. “They just sit in his study and talk a lot.” It did little to make Nico feel better. “She's a nice woman, though. And at least she keeps him from drinking too much.”

“Has he said anything else about our encounter?”

“Um,” Bianca rubbed the back of her neck, “there were quite a few colorful words involved. He destroyed all of the pictures of you in the house.” That stung a little. “Well, he thinks he did, but I managed to save a few before he burned them.”

Nico's shoulders slumped ever so slightly as he stood before his sister. “But you're fine?”

She smiled and touched his arm, though Nico remained serious. A deep frown marred his features as he stared into his sister's dark brown eyes, the ones that practically mirrored his own. “Don't worry about me, Nico. I'm fine, and dad hasn't laid a hand on me.” She pulled him in for another hug.

Closing his eyes, Nico grasped his sister's hair. Her smell reminded him of home, of days long past with their mother. Were things better now that he was here and not with his father? That was up for debate. But at least back then he had his mother still alive and his sister around. “I miss you,” he whispered.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------

Nico's final performance for the night ended up being one that would live forever in his mind. It just so happened that there was a birthday in the audience, and the woman had requested Nico be the one to give her a lap dance. Did he want to? Hell no. But what was he supposed to do?

So he walked out on stage, nervously glancing around as he approached the thin woman in the chair. She looked to be slightly older than his now deceased mother, and nowhere near as pretty. In a way, she reminded him of an old librarian.

And the way she looked up at him as he straddled her lap. Nico had the sinking feeling that he knew where this was going to lead, and he was dreading every second that was going to pass between now and the moment he entered his suite.

Nico did not know the song that had been chosen for his performance, nor did he frankly care about it. He did not care about the people watching from the audience. All he wanted was for this woman to have not made it up to the top floor that night. If she hadn't, then he would not be in this oncoming predicament.

The Lost Boy grabbed her shoulders and he ground his hips into her. He was not sure if he was managing to hide the discomfort that he was feeling, but judging by the looks the woman was giving him, she did not really care or was not paying attention. And why would she? All she was there for was to feel good.

Nico was beginning to understand the conversation he and Connor had had what seemed like forever ago. These people were beginning to truly make him sick. To him, in this moment, they were the cause of all his problems.

Nico tilted his head back as he leaned back. The appeal of performing was lost entirely on him for the time being. His skin burned when her fingers touched his thighs. It took every bit of strength in him to not jerk away from the woman.

He brought his body off the woman's lap and slapped his own ass, biting down on his lip. While the lights flashed above his head, Nico ran a hand through his already messy hair. The woman tried to reach out and touch his chest, but he wagged a finger at her with a wink. As much as he simply wanted to shove her away, he still needed to act professional.

The second the song ended, Nico was out of the woman's lap. It could not have ended sooner, Nico thought. He was already backstage by the time the woman began to get out of her chair and the applause started. He felt like some animal on display to be eventually slaughtered.

Nico remained backstage until most of the customers had filtered out of the top floor. When he peeked out, he did not see the woman anywhere. But a single look from Percy let him know not to get excited just yet. He let out a sigh, knowing his fate was already sealed.

He pushed open the door to the bar, where Luke and Reyna were taking up the couch. Sitting himself down in the chair beside the couch, Nico slumped down. “What are you guys doing?” He asked.

Reyna was inspecting herself in a compact mirror, touching up her makeup every now and then. “I've got to deal with a customer shortly, he's just being lazy.”

Luke grunted. “I want to enjoy my night off from dealing with those assholes,” the blond mumbled. His eyes flickered over to where Nico sat, and Nico could clearly see that the blond had started drinking. “Or I might come watch the horror movie that will clearly be going on in your room.” He snorted and picked up a short glass from between his legs, downing the clear liquid inside. “It could only be better if you ever watched that movie about vaginas with teeth.”

Reyna elbowed the Lost Boy. “You're not helping.”

“Not trying to,” Luke mumbled while downing the rest of his drink. He rubbed at his face while sitting his empty glass down. “I wonder if I have time to go get some popcorn.”

Nico shot him a death glare. “And this coming from the person who nearly dislocated my last client's arm.”

Luke gave him an amused look, clearly giving in to the alcohol's effects. “I tripped, and even apologized to the guy,” he replied with a drunken smile.

The brown-eyed boy rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Reyna. At least she could act like a mature adult and carry on a proper conversation. “What went on in your mind the first time you went back there? Was it a man? A woman?”

Reyna's dark eyes flickered up to him, staring at him for a long time. She eventually shut her compact with a sigh, placing it in her lap. “It was a man.” She slowly nodded, as if thinking about something. “Percy is at least nice enough to make our first times working to be with the gender we are more comfortable with. Unless you're like this guy,” she said, motioning to the blond beside her.

Luke smirked. That was right, Luke had been bisexual before he came here. The blond's blue eyes locked on to Nico, making the shorter boy squirm.

Clearing his throat, Nico glanced back at Reyna. “And what about your first time with another female?”

“Well, to be honest, it's not like the thought had never crossed my mind.” She shrugged with a small smile. “But it's really not surprising for girls. I think it's far more common for girls to think about at least kissing another female, more so than guys.” Luke opened his mouth, but Reyna cut him off. “Not counting the Lost Boys.”

Luke snorted. Nico glared over at him. “I'm sorry, I keep forgetting you're incapable of being compassionate,” Nico mumbled. 

That only seemed to amuse Luke more. “And I keep forgetting what a whiny girl you are. Why don't you grow some balls and go show that woman a good time? It has never bothered me which gender I get, because they all pay the same.” An annoyed look filled the blond's eyes as he watched Nico. “Because, in all honesty, it's just sex. Love and romance are dead, and pointless. I have absolutely no interest in degrading myself to date someone. Just pay me some cash and we can talk sexual needs.”

Reyna snorted. Luke turned to glare at her before picking up his empty glass and taking it over for Dionysus to clean. It was surprising, seeing the man remain quiet throughout their entire conversation. Whether that was good or bad, Nico was not sure, but he was leaning closer to the latter.

The door opened behind Nico. The raven-haired boy turned to find Leo peering around the room. The Latino boy took notice of him and frowned. “Sorry, Nico, but you've got work to do.”

There was a deafening silence in the room as Nico slowly climbed to his feet. His heart was in his throat and his stomach had plummeted. He stumbled a few times as he approached the door, his legs feeling weak. It was just like the other night, Nico tried to tell himself. It just did not help, though. This was different; there was no way he could get around that.

His hair was standing on end by the time he got to the dark hallway that would lead him to his doom. But unlike last time, Percy was nowhere to be seen. He turned back to Leo, who gave him a small smile. “Just ask for some water,” Leo whispered before closing the door.

What had that been about? Nico gulped and took a small step forward. The sooner he got this over with, the faster he could go back to his room and try to wash off the feel of this woman.

When he entered the room, his heart nearly stopped. There she was, the woman that he had given the lap dance to. “Hi,” Nico said meekly.

The woman just smiled and patted the bed beside her. “Why don't you come join me, dear?”

Because he would rather jump into a pool of broken glass, Nico thought. But he did as he was told anyways. What choice did he really have? Her hand instantly touched his cheek, sending a cold surge through his blood vessels. Nico just wanted to smack her hand away and leave the room, but he couldn't.

“You are just so handsome. Those dark features, you must get a lot of attention from the ladies.”

“Yeah,” Nico smiled. He took her hand in his own and placed it on his leg. It might have been a bad idea, as she started rubbing his leg, but he really did not want her touching his face. He needed to block this out. There was no way he would not throw up on this woman if he did not.

His stomach was already starting to lurch.

“You're so pale,” the woman continued, pushing Nico's bangs out of his face with one of her well-manicured nails.

If Nico had to guess, his lack of color probably had to do more with feeling sick at the moment, rather than his naturally pale skin tone. This was something he was not prepared for. Waiting tables, walking around in a speedo, and even stripping; he could deal with those things. The others had prepared him for all of that. But this? He was not ready.

And so, closing his eyes, Nico climbed up on his knees and pushed the woman on her back. She just chuckled at him. “My, you are eager tonight, aren't you?” She asked in amusement.

Nico just stared down at her, a dark look in his eyes. He found his hand on her neck, probably from when he pushed her on the bed. But how it was just sitting there, pressing against her fragile neck, drew him in. It would be so easy to just snap it, part of his brain voiced. When he found the woman staring at him questionably, he smirked. “Been looking forward to this all night.”

Instead of continuing, Nico just sort of hovered over her. He had no clue what he was doing. There were so many things running through his head, things he knew he needed to do for her, but none of them sounded appealing. And his dick? As flaccid as could be. This was not going to work, he thought.

He leaned back and let out a breath. “Um, is there any water in here?” He asked suddenly.

The woman blinked up at him, like he had grown a second head. Slowly, she pointed across the room. “They usually keep things like that stocked up. Get the lube and condoms while you're over there, dear.”

The words made Nico's stomach do a flip. But he got up from the bed, his legs wobbling. Across from the bed were two dark cabinets with a white counter top. On the counter were two glass bowls: one with assorted condoms and the other with different varieties of lube.

Letting out another breath, Nico crouched down and opened the cabinet. He blinked a few times, reaching out. On the back of the door was a white post-it note. Thankfully, there was a light that had turned on inside the cabinet when Nico had opened the small door..

In case of you're having 'performance issues', grab the white, unmarked medicine bottle. You're welcome in advance.

-Percy

Nico glared down at Percy's handwriting. Wadding up the piece of paper and tossing it aside, Nico reached into the cabinet and began his search for the bottle. Not that it was hard. It was at the very back, in the corner and out of sight. When he opened it, Nico found small pills. Grabbing one for himself, Nico grabbed a bottle of water. Without hesitation, Nico popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with a mouthful of water.

Sighing and climbing back to his feet, Nico pilfered through the bowls on the counter. Grabbing one of each that he thought would work, Nico walked back over to the bed. “Well come on, dear, I haven't got all night.” While the woman's voice was sweet, her tone was grating on Nico's nerves.

She should go get herself a dildo and go fuck herself with it if she's so impatient, Nico thought. As he pulled his shirt over his head, Nico rolled his eyes. He wondered if it was possible for him to make her keep her bra on? Perhaps if he were the one undressing her.

So, when he saw her moving to undo her shirt, Nico stopped her. “Let me,” he said with a sly smile. She offered no resistance as he stripped her of her garments, leaving her only in a bra and panties. Unfortunately, she took that time to yank down Nico's track shorts.

She reached out and groped his crotch immediately. Nico felt violated and nearly gagged. Thankfully, she was too preoccupied with his manhood to notice. It was during this moment that Nico took a moment to thank modern medicine for their fast acting drugs, already seeing it take effect. As long as she thought it was her doing, Nico thought. But he felt so sick, his stomach twisting far worse than he had felt in a very long time. Not since the night he was kicked out of his house.

During his mental struggle to not hurl, the woman had taken the opportunity to rid him of his briefs. And by this time, the pill had taken its full effect. He focused back on his client and shoved her back on the bed. “Let's get started then,” he practically growled.

Blindly, Nico pulled her panties from her body, tossing them over his shoulder. He ground his teeth as he stared down at her with his dark eyes. This could not end quickly enough. Taking in a deep breath, Nico ripped open the condom.

After rolling it onto his shaft, Nico spread the woman's legs. At least he had the general gist of what he needed to be doing. It was just going to be like sex with a man, he tried to reassure himself. A man with boobs and a death trap between their legs, another voice countered. He grunted when he finished lubing up his shaft.

Spreading and lifting the woman's legs, Nico put himself into position. However, he could not bring himself to insert his erection. Pill or no pill, his brain was still functioning properly. And this was not him. This made him want to throw up, and he had not even started.

Nico's body practically spasmed when the woman took the initiative and pulled him forward, forcing his dick to penetrate her. Nico's eyes shut on instinct. He hovered over the middle-aged woman, frozen in place. His face contorted like it was in pain. There was a wet warmth around his manhood. Nico could barely think. He could not even figure out how to adequately describe what he was feeling down there. It was just not to his liking.

“Honey, you're going to have to move at some point. We don't have all night.”

Nico's dark eyes flickered open to stare down at her, his dark bangs falling into his eyes. Whatever she saw when looking at him, the woman shut up. He slowly began rocking his hips, the feeling of a knife cutting into him with each thrust.

But unlike the last time, this encounter was not so easily shut out. He actually had to move and do things this time around. And it was the movements that kept drawing him back to reality. This sick feeling kept building up in his stomach each time he thrust into the woman. He needed this to end, before he threw up on this poor woman.

The woman let out a sharp hiss. Nico opened his eyes to find his nails digging into her legs. That did not stop him, though. She could deal with a little pain, for what he had to be put through. Not that she seemed to complain about it. If anything, it only seemed to turn her on more.

Going five minutes, Nico did not understand how guys enjoyed being tops, especially in a gay relationship. There was so much stamina involved, and so much work. Nico was already sweating and exhausted. But, unfortunately, the woman did not seem to be close to her climax.

And so he kept thrusting, simply wishing for this experience to end. He was beginning to think he had done something wrong to have Percy put him through this. How did Apollo ever get used to this? That was a conversation he needed to have. Soon.

Nico's eyes scrunched shut as the woman dug her nails into his back. Unlike her, he was not enjoying the feeling. “More,” she breathed beneath him.

Nico glared down at her while the woman's eyes were closed. Fine, he thought, let her have more. The faster he went, the sooner they could be done. So the Lost Boy slammed his hips into her, only managing to cause himself to nearly hurl. Thankfully, her eyes were still closed.

He closed his eyes, trying to picture a hot guy underneath him. Not that it would probably be going this way if it were a guy. Nico had accepted his preference as a bottom a long time ago. He thrust faster and faster, working his body into a deeper sweat.

And after ten more minutes of torture, Nico was given release from his hell. The woman cried out and latched onto his back, her nails digging into his skin. Not that he cared. Nico just sat there, his hair hanging in his face and his eyes empty.

Once the woman had caught her breath, she shifted out from under Nico. While she got dressed in silence, Nico sat on the edge of the bed. He stared down at himself. He never even got close to finishing, not that he minded. He did not care, nor did he want to get off to her. Nico did not want to give her the satisfaction.

He yanked the condom off and threw it into the trash. After she was dressed, the woman turned and smiled at him. “Thank you for that.”

Nico tilted his head up to look at her. The hateful look in his eyes made her draw back, pursing her lips. Without another word, she grabbed her purse and left the room. Nico raised a hand to wipe at his eyes. He would hate that woman the rest of his life. His stomach lurched again, and this time he could not stop it. Grabbing the trashcan, Nico lost the contents of his stomach.

After no more came up, he let out a long, loud sob. But he kept going, slowly transitioning it until he was yelling. He grabbed at his hair, his eyes tightly shut. He knocked over the table, shattering the small lamp that was kept there, tossing the room into near darkness.

His dark gaze turned upon the camera in the corner of the room. Letting out another yell, Nico grabbed the broken lamp, not caring that it was cutting his hand, and threw it directly at the camera. He hunched over and sobbed, falling to his knees. He felt disgusted with himself, at what he had done. But this was what he had damned himself to.

The door opened while Nico was still hunched over in the floor. And the second a hand made contact with him, Nico smacked it away. “Nico,” came a soft voice. Again, the hand tried to reach out for him.

Nico shot up and shoved the intruder against the wall, wrapping a hand around their throat. “Leave me alone,” he hissed.

Apollo stared back at him from the shadows of the room. Only a portion of the blond's face made it into the light. The way he looked at Nico...it made him draw back. The blond looked hurt, simply reaching up to grab Nico's wrist.

“I get it,” the blond Lost Boy whispered. “It's okay.”

Nico stumbled back a few feet. “What's happening to me, Apollo?” He sobbed into his hands. When he was met with silence, he looked up to find the blond gathering up the glass from the lamp. “I'm sorry, I didn't-I shouldn't have done that.”

“It's fine.” Apollo was being surprisingly calm. Piece by piece, the blond picked up the shards of glass and deposited it into the trash. He glanced at the main part of the lamp, which Nico had used to knock the camera off the wall. It sat there in shards and wires, right next to the busted camera. “We'll clean that up later.” He gave the Lost Boy a small smile. “I'm going to take you back to your room, okay?”

Nico nodded. Apollo reached down and handed Nico something. Looking down, the brown-eyed boy realized it was his clothes. It had not even dawned on him that he was still naked. But at the moment, he really did not care that Apollo was seeing him like this. It was not like Apollo had never seen him naked anyways. And Apollo was not making it uncomfortable by staring or making some stupid sexual innuendo.

Nico rubbed at his nose, taking the offered clothes. He slowly slipped them on, keeping his head lowered. “Are you going to come check on me after every client?” He mumbled.

Apollo opened the door. Once they stepped out the door, the blond replied. “Just doing my job. You looked pretty upset.”

“You were watching?” Nico looked up to glare at the blond.

Apollo returned his gaze, not seeming bothered by the look he was receiving. “Until you are more comfortable with this, yes. Percy and Annabeth were in the room with me.”

“Where are they?”

“Percy said he needed to talk to Annabeth, so he sent me in to get you back to your room.” He reached out to touch Nico's shoulder, but stopped himself. The blond slipped his hands into his pockets as they headed for the elevators. “I'm not trying to baby you, I'm just trying to look after you. I know we had our fights and shit, but I tried to look out for you when you first got here, and I mean to do the same now.”

Once onboard the elevator, Nico stood in the corner with his arms around himself. He felt cold. The boy took in several deep breaths, Apollo looking on silently. Brown met with blue as the two Lost Boys stared at each other. Nico was scared. And even worse, he was scared of himself. What had come over him back in the room?

“You're going to be okay, Nico,” Apollo sighed.

Nico pursed his lips and stared down at his feet. He had to wonder how he got here. If he had not been such a stupid kid, he would have never gotten into this mess. This was not going to impress Percy, or make the young man think he was an adult.

Apollo's hand touched his arm, causing Nico to draw back. The blond sighed. “Come on, the elevator stopped.”

Once back in his suite, Nico fell on his couch. Apollo sat down at the island in the kitchen, rubbing his temple gently. It was quiet; probably meaning Jason was either asleep or not there yet. Nico had fallen on his side, watching the blond at the small island. At most, that was his fate, to become like them. That was how he was supposed to survive in this place, right?

“How do you do it?” Nico murmured into the cushion pressing against his face. 

Apollo looked over at him. Raising a hand to rub his neck, the blond shrugged. “Get used to it, at least the best you can. You never truly feel good about it, though.” The curly-haired Lost Boy shifted in the chair. I cried a lot when I first started, drank a lot, too.” There was a brief pause, where the blond leaned his head back to stare up at the ceiling. “You just sort of endure, there is no enjoyment. It's money, a job, and a place to stay, but it's far from a perfect life.”

Nico's eyes resembled broken glass as he stared across the room at the blond. It did not make him feel any better, listening to the blond. “I just feel...I don't even know. Weak? All of you deal with this, go back in those rooms and do your job, and I can't even figure out how to cope with what I'm feeling.”

“It takes a lot,” Apollo chuckled dryly. “I think you should do what we talked about and leave. If you can't now, then definitely when you finish high school.” He shook his head and met Nico's eyes again. “I don't...” A broken smile found its way onto the blond's lips. “I don't want another version of myself walking around here. Seeing you, especially when you first got here, it was like seeing myself. I kept thinking about the boy that I was back then, and how optimistic I was trying to be. I knew everything was fucked up...I knew I was fucked up. But I just wanted to hope, hope that things would work out.

“And there was Percy.” Apollo wiped at his face, his eyes getting red. “He... That's what he is. Hope, in a way at least. You want to hope that he can make things better, that your life will improve in this place.” The blond Lost Boy let out a long breath and stood to his feet. “But in the end, you just find yourself disappointed. But then you came along,” Apollo said, motioning to Nico. A few tears streamed down the blond's cheeks. “And you just brought back this glimmer of hope in this dark place. Hope that there was still good out there in this world.”

“I-I'll miss you guys if I leave,” Nico nearly choked out. He sat up and stared down at his lap. “You all deserve an escape just as much as you claim I do.”

Apollo shook his head. “You really don't get it. Myself, the others, we're too damaged. I can't even form a healthy relationship with Leo because I'm too fucked up to think I deserve a committed relationship!”

There was a silence in the room. Nico stared at Apollo with wide eyes. It did not take long for Apollo to realize what he had said and clamped a hand over his mouth. Nico fumbled with his mouth. “Apollo, I-”

“Don't. Forget what I said.” Apollo's eyes had lost their sad quality, and were now as hard as sapphires. “It's not like it matters.” He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his messy curls. “Look, I think we both need some sleep. Get yourself a shower and then I suggest going to bed. You have tomorrow afternoon off, so sleep as late as you want.”

Nico quietly nodded. Apollo left, leaving the boy to his own thoughts. Apollo liked Leo? Matters for another time, Nico told himself. For now, Apollo was right, he needed rest. And a very, very long shower. He wanted to wash the feel of that woman's nails from his back, and the best way he could think of was with scalding hot water.

And so, when he emerged from the shower over twenty minutes later, most of the skin on his back and chest was a pinkish color. But it did not really bother him. At most, it felt like a dull ache. Not even bothering to look at himself in the mirror, Nico made his way into his room.

He had almost unfastened his towel to let it drop to the floor, when he looked up to find Percy sitting on his bed. The Lost Boy tightened his grip and let his eyes dull. What was he doing here? Nico let out a sigh and walked over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of cotton shorts.

Percy remained quiet, watching Nico slip on his shorts underneath his towel. Once the shorts were on, Nico let the towel drop to the floor. His hair was still wet, clinging to his forehead. Nico stretched his arms. “Can I help you?”

The manager arched a brow. “As you've told me before, cut the crap. You're not fine, so stop acting like you are.” Nico frowned as Percy stood up. The young man maneuvered closer, running his fingers along Nico's scalded back. When Nico turned his head to glance at Percy, he found a frown on the young man's face. Green eyes flickered up to stare into Nico's brown ones. “You looked pretty upset, so I thought I'd come and check on you.”

“Yet you couldn't be bothered to come get me from the room.”

Percy smirked. “I was afraid you might throw something at me,” he replied cheekily. The manager cleared his throat. “But in all seriousness, I had something important to discuss with Annabeth.” When he pointed a finger at Nico, the boy frowned. “And actually, that is part of why I'm here. You know Gaea will be here in a few short days?”

Nico nodded. “What of it?”

Percy ignored the lip Nico gave him. “We usually have a business meeting during her time here, with the other managers.” He smiled and moved some of Nico's wet bangs out of his eyes. “So, we usually have one of our Lost Kids or secretaries sit in on those meetings. Sort of to see to us during the meeting. Get us drinks, food, keep track of notes, and things like that.”

Nico bobbed his head up and down, not really following. “So, what does this have to do with me?”

“Oh.” Percy cleared his throat, placing his hand on Nico's dresser. “I was wanting you to attend me during the meeting.” Nico's eyes widened, his mouth feeling dry. He was going to have to sit in a room with Gaea and the other managers? What if he messed up? “Since you're taking some business courses, I thought it might be a good educational experience,” Percy continued.

Nico's eyes flickered to Percy's hand. Percy's pocket watch was in the top drawer. He really did not know where else to put it, so he just slid it under some of his underwear. The green-eyed young man cleared his throat, bringing Nico's dark eyes back to Percy. Nico pursed his lips, his eyes slightly wider than normal. “Um, yeah, if you really want me to.” His eyes flickered back to the drawer. “Are you sure you want me?”

A wicked grin touched at Percy's lips. “Of course, Nico.” Why did Nico feel like he was missing something? Percy rested his hands on Nico's shoulders. “But you are doing okay, yes? You'll definitely need to at least hide your discomfort with your new line of work by the time Gaea gets here.”

“I'm fine,” Nico mumbled, rubbing at his arm.

Percy did not look convinced. There was a cold look in the young man's eyes, reminding Nico of a lake in the cold winter. “If you're sure.”

No, he was not, but he needed to at least try and act like he was. If what Apollo had told him yesterday was anything to go by, there was no time like the present to start acting like he needed to. Nico's eyes focused back on Percy as the young man moved to the door. Nico's hand shot out. “Wait.”

Percy turned back to face the Lost Boy. “Something else?”

“Um,” Nico chanced a glance at his dresser, “did you dislike your biological family?” Percy blinked at him. The manager had broken the watch, what if he hated Nico's gift? “I mean, you don't really talk about your mother or her family, and you didn't sound too fond of your father's family.”

“Well, he did cause the death Sally,” Percy whispered. Nico gave him an odd look. “My mother, her name was Sally.” Percy ran his tongue across his lips. “I never got to meet any of her family. From what I remember, her parents had died in a plane crash shortly before I was born.”

“I'm sorry.” Nico fiddled with his hands, not sure what to do with them. Why should he have expected anything happy to come out of someone in the hotel's past life?

Percy shook his head, an uncertain look in his eyes. “Which is ironic, considering my grandfather and great-grandfather were both pilots. My great-grandfather actually fought in World War II as a pilot, still have his jacket around here somewhere, I think.” He scratched the back of his head. “Don't really have an opinion of either of them, since I never met them. But my father?” His eyes locked with Nico's brown ones. “I hated that man until the day he died.”

The Lost Boy was quiet for nearly an entirely minute. What was he supposed to say to that? Finally, he glanced up at Percy from behind his dark bangs. “You remember that deal you offered me about my father?”

The green-eyed young man nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Yes. What about it?”

“Um, how many of the other Lost Kids did you make a similar deal with?”

Percy was quiet. He frowned before tapping his chin. “Let's see...quite a few. Most actually. Not many took the offer, though.”

“Do you wish any of them had accepted but didn't?”

The young man scrunched his lips. “Yes, pretty much all of them. I don't really care much for knowing that most did not get what they deserved. I care about my Lost Kids. Honestly, while I am happy you declined, part of me wished you hadn't.” There was a dark look in Percy's eyes, making them hard to distinguish between green or black. Percy slowly brushed some of Nico's hair behind his ear. “I would have made him suffer until he begged for death.”

Nico pulled away, feeling uncomfortable under Percy's touch. “He doesn't deserve to be tortured or killed.”

“I suppose that's where our opinions differ.” Percy let out a sigh. “I don't think you've seen the last of him either.”

Nico pursed his lips, looking away. “He doesn't know where I am, and Bianca isn't going to tell him anything.”

Percy slowly nodded. “I suppose we'll see. Just...you never know what surprises life might have in store for you.” He smiled and tilted Nico's chin up, forcing the boy to look at him. “I just want to protect you, and keep you away from him. You don't deserve to be trapped here, but you definitely don't deserve to have to be around that man.”

Nico didn't pull away this time. “And your brother? That was your own doing. Why kill him?”

“There were a few reasons.” Percy kept his voice quiet, yet almost soothing. It was calm while he spoke, like they were talking about something completely normal. “Apparently he had gotten himself into some financial situations. And after my father's death...well, his family was not left with much money.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Your father was well off?”

“He did pretty well for himself.” Percy reached a hand up to rub his face. “But when Gaea had him killed, it was pretty much like pouring salt on a piece of ground to keep things from growing. And so, when he needed money, he worked on tracking me down.”

Nico shook his head, confused. “You mentioned it was your half brother?”

The corners of Percy's lips tilted down. “My father, Poseidon, had an affair on his wife. But unlike most wealthy people, he didn't pay to keep her quiet. He pretty much threatened and ruined her life.”

Nico leaned against his dresser. “So why would your brother think you would give him money?”

“Because he was going to blackmail me.” Percy sighed and took a seat on Nico's bed, his gaze on the floor. “Triton was dumb enough to walk into my hotel and threatening to expose me for murdering our father. He left the hotel in a garbage bag, no less than he deserved.” The young man shrugged. “I don't like being threatened. But I was also finishing what Gaea started, pouring more salt on the earth.”

The Lost Boy moved across the room to sit next to Percy. He glanced at the young man, who would not take his eyes off of the floor. “Why did it matter so much to do that?”

“Because I told her I didn't want to have to be reminded of my father's image. And it was always bad enough for me that I had to look like him.” Percy was clutching his pants tightly, jaw locked. “I hated the way I looked for years, and got harshly disciplined each time I tried to disfigure myself.”

Nico stared at the young man in disbelief. Why would Percy do that? Hating his father or not, Percy was beautiful. When Nico had first laid eyes on the young man, he had been reminded of the angels that his mother would always tell him about as a child. “Well,” Nico cleared his throat, “I'm glad you didn't.”

Percy shot him a dark look. “So you can stare at me. Because that was always what people cared about while I was growing up, save for Gaea and Kronos. I sometimes wonder if that's the only reason you think you like me.”

“I-I-No!” Nico was on his feet in an instant. “That's not it at all! I think you're beautiful inside and out, whether you choose to see it or not. You think you're a monster, but you're just doing what you need to in order to protect us. You're being protective over the things you care about.”

Percy's eyes were dull as they met with Nico's livid ones. He looked uncertain. Perhaps there had been a time where Nico's feelings were more based on his physical attraction to Percy, but those times were in the past. He had gotten to know Percy, and could honestly say that he cared for the young man. Even if it was to just remain as friends. But Nico still did not understand where this self-hatred for what he had to do bothered Percy so much. If this was what Gaea had raised him into, then why did he seem resilient to it at times?

“What do you think? About what I did, I mean.”

Nico was startled by Percy's calm voice. He stared down at his feet, an overwhelming feeling of sadness suddenly coursing through him. “I don't think anything. I'm not going to judge you based on it, if that's what you're wondering.” The boy shifted his weight, not wanting to meet the young man's eyes. He could already feel the intense gaze he was receiving, he was not sure he could handle actually staring into those deep green eyes. “It's not my place to judge.”

“Then who is to judge the wicked people like myself?”

Nico frowned. He hated when Percy talked like that. “I don't know. I gave up on believing in a god a long time ago. I could never understand how one could exist and let all of this suffering occur.” He gave Percy a quick glance, his heart pounding in his chest the moment he made contact with those green eyes. “But I don't think your soul or whatever deserves to be damned, if that's what you think.”

Percy had that predatory look in his eyes again. It made Nico worry that he was about to be eaten, and not in any sexual way. “Would you say the same about someone that gunned down a family?”

“Well, no-”

“I have, you know.” The two continued to hold eye contact, causing Nico's pulse to quicken. The boy's breathing was nearing a ragged state. “And yet I don't deserve the same punishment?”

“Stop,” Nico whispered. He frowned and broke eye contact, looking down sadly. “I don't care about what you had to do, because I know it was asked of you. You wouldn't have done it otherwise.” He gulped, his mouth feeling dry. “I don't think that whoever the family would have been innocent either.”

Percy took in a deep breath, sitting up straight. The room fell quiet, neither of the room's occupants looking at each other. When Percy finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper. “I wasn't told about the mother or child, I didn't know they would be there.”

“Why did you have to kill these people in the first place?”

“Loyalty.” Percy's eyes were no longer looking at him. Nico was not quite sure what they were staring at. “Gaea needed to know I was loyal to her, that she could trust me unquestionably.” Percy pursed his lips before meeting Nico's gaze again. “So she didn't tell me about the mother and child. She wanted to see what I would do.”

Nico swallowed a lump in his throat, dreading the question that he was about to ask. He already knew the answer by what Percy had already said. “And?”

Percy's brow furrowed. “And? And what? I pulled the trigger, three times.” The young man sighed and climbed to his feet. “Gaea saved my life, there's nothing I wouldn't do for that woman.”

The manager was almost to the door when Nico spoke. “And she killed your father for you? It didn't...bother you?”

“No,” Percy replied nonchalantly. He turned to face the brown-eyed boy again. “I watched the entire thing.” Percy motioned before him. “He was brought in front of me and forced to get on his knees, hands cuffed behind his back. I could see the fear and panic in the man's eyes the second the black bag was taken off of his head.” There was an animal-like quality in Percy's eyes, Nico noticed, as he spoke. “He recognized who I was. How could he not, considering I look just like him?”

It was hard for Nico to find the words, let alone get them out of his mouth. “Did he...say anything to you?”

“Pleaded with me.” Percy shrugged. “He started to cry and kept begging me to let him go. I don't even think he knew my mother had died. And so, when he wouldn't shut up, I put a bullet through his leg.”

“But I thought Gaea killed him?”

“She did.” Percy let out a long sigh. He seemed to be thinking about something. And considering their subject, Nico had a good idea of what it was. “She stood there beside me, running her fingers through my hair and whispered to me. All the while, I just kept staring down at my father in disgust. It made me sick just breathing the same air as that man. He begged me for mercy when Gaea began torturing him. And all the while, I just laughed.”

Nico felt sick. He could feel his stomach lurching again. “I'm not sure I want to know the rest.”

There was a frightening look in the young man's face when Nico looked up again. “Well you did ask. Might as well hear the rest,” Percy replied in a dry voice. It only served to make Nico fidget more. “She started with cutting out his pinky bone. And I mean literally cut it out, peeling the skin back and then cutting off the top portion of the finger bone.”

Nico's stomach twisted in a not. “Percy, please...” Nico practically sobbed. “Please stop.”

Percy stepped closer to him. “I tried to tell you, I'm not a good person.” Leaning in, he pressed his lips to Nico's forehead. Nico scrunched his eyes shut, tears threatening to spill out. “Get some sleep.”

He sat down on his bed when Percy left, closing the door behind himself. Nico's eyes carried an empty look as he stared off into space. Nico buried his face in his hands as everything from that night hit him all at once. In the quiet of his room, Nico let out a single choked sob.


	34. The Arrival

There were times Nico truly had to question his own decision making skills. Why did he keep putting himself into these situations? That was the single question that ran through his mind as he sat on the edge of Travis and Connor's bed.

The twins were pacing in front of him, tapping their fingers to their chins. Nico could only shudder to think what was going through their heads. The days had been flying by rather quickly at the hotel, though his job was not getting any easier. He was just thankful that, in the past week, he had only had to visit the backrooms one time. And now it was the fourteenth of December, exactly eight days before Gaea arrived at the hotel.

“So,” Travis began, “you want to know about threesomes?”

“I-” Nico swallowed a lump in his throat. “I was just curious. I'm not, like, expecting...you know, to have a threesome.”

Connor grinned down at him. “Aw, but, Nico, you'd be welcome to try it out with us.” The brunet lifted the hem of his shirt up to expose his tan stomach to the raven-haired boy. “It'd be fun.”

“Uh...” Nico licked his lips, his eyes trained on the exposed flesh. He quickly shook his head and looked up into the brunet's blue eyes. “I didn't come here to have sex.”

“No,” Travis grinned, “you came to us because you want to have a threesome with Percy and Jason.” Nico's mouth fell open. “Oh please, we're observant, Nico. Percy's been attentive of Jason, and you're jealous.”

Connor crawled behind Nico and draped his arms over the youngest Lost Boy's shoulders. “But, in our honest opinion, it might be better to let Jason get the attention.”

Nico frowned at the boy behind him. “Why's that?”

Travis smirked, patting Nico on the head. “Because, our dear Nico, Percy's behavior as of late will not go over so well with Gaea. As I'm sure you've heard by now, she's not been the happiest with news concerning you. So, keeping the spotlight off of you might not be a bad idea.”

“But I have to be at the meeting with her,” Nico mumbled.

“Just do a good job.” Connor lifted his hands in a shrug. “Show her you can handle yourself. But the real person to watch out for is Kronos.” The Lost Boy ran his fingers through his wavy brown hair. “Kronos loves making people miserable, especially those around Percy. Apollo, Luke, Annabeth; they've all had to endure his torture. But Luke, he has it the worst. Kronos wants to see if he can break Luke, the valiant hero that tries to shield those around him from the problems they have.”

Travis nodded. “You don't want him coming after you.”

“And if he thinks you're making Percy soft...” Connor's eyes flickered up to meet his brother's. “Well, I'd rather deal with Gaea in that circumstance.” He trailed his index finger along Nico's shoulder. “You see, Gaea can be understanding, and tries to be a good mother to Percy. She likes him having people close to him, people that can lighten his mood. But Kronos, he despises people getting close to Percy.” Connor and Nico's eyes locked, the brunet's eyes reminding Nico of a cat. “He tortured Apllo relentlessly until blondie backed off. It's not that Kronos has a crush on Percy, so much as Percy was the only friend he really had as a kid.”

Travis let out a sigh, sitting on the floor, between Connor's legs. “He won't even see you as human. At most, you'll be a toy to him, just like Annabeth and Luke.” The brunet tilted his head back. “But never human, no customer or employee is significant in his eyes. There are only two people that matter to Kronos, Nico: Gaea and Percy.”

Nico fell back on the bed, letting out a heavy sigh. He was beginning to hear more and more about the infamous Kronos, but every bit of information only made him dread the other manager's arrival all the more. He was truly beginning to wish that Percy had not requested him to be the one to sit in on the meeting.

Why not Leo or Rachel, or even one of the other Lost Kids? Sure he knew Percy had good intentions by doing this, he wanted Nico to better his education and understanding of the business world, but it now put him in a threatening position. Besides, surely Leo or Rachel were the most qualified. But no, Nico was going to have to sit in a room with the world's most dangerous people.

Connor laid down beside Nico, smiling over at the brown-eyed boy. “Cheer up, Nico, it won't be so bad.”

Travis chuckled from the floor. “Yeah, you're doing the rest of us a favor. Now, none of us have to go to the meeting.”

Nico's face deadpanned. “You know, I thought all of you loved attending to Percy.”

“Oh, we do,” Connor replied. “However, the meetings are always met with a mixture of emotions. We do hope to be chosen to attend, but we aren't disappointed if we aren't.”

Travis crawled onto the bed and draped an arm across his brother's chest. “Because we don't enjoy having to sit in with those managers. Kronos is the worst, but Atlas is not the most enjoyable to be around either. You should like Athena, though she's a very blunt woman. Demeter is pretty cool, just be careful about what she serves you.”

Nico quirked a brow. “What is she going to serve me?”

The twins suddenly looked rather sick. Connor stuck his tongue out, like he tasted something bad. “Nothing,” the younger twin mumbled. “But most of us really enjoy Frank. He's a big teddy bear, at least if you're on his good side. He's sort of like Percy, and can be formal and informal. His informal side is the best, though.”

Travis patted his brother's stomach. “But now we're off topic. You wanted to know about threesomes, yeah?”

Nico bit down on his lip. “I mean, we don't have to talk about that.”

Both twins grinned. “Nonsense,” they both chimed.

The brown-eyed boy pursed his lips, turning his eyes to the ceiling. “It just seems like a lot of work, satisfying two people at the same time.” Feeling adventurous, Nico decided to press deeper. “I mean, if it involves someone I care about, I'm not sure if I'd feel comfortable sharing them with someone else. How do you two do it?”

The room was quiet for almost a full minute before Travis let out a sigh. The brunet propped himself up on his elbow and looked over at Nico. “I guess we haven't been doing the best job of keeping that a secret.”

Connor reached up and touched his brother's face. “It's just been a habit, whenever someone new arrives at the hotel. You never know when someone might have a problem with our situation.”

“I understand,” Nico whispered. He rolled his head to the side to look at the twins. “But it doesn't bother me, just so you both know.”

They both smiled at him. Travis leaned down and pecked his brother on the lips. It did feel a little strange at that moment, but not because it was incest. Nico had just never seen them openly kiss outside of business hours.

Travis rolled onto his stomach, crossing his arms on his brother's stomach and resting his chin on them. “If it's someone you're in a relationship with, then you both need to be comfortable with the threesome.” He cleared his throat as Connor began running his fingers through Travis's brown locks. “Take Silena and Beckendorf for example. The only person they usually include in their sex lives is Percy, but that is more business oriented.”

“Though, it's not very often,” Connor continued. “Percy understands them. Silena and Beckendorf would be much better off if they left the hotel, we all know that, even if we don't want to admit it to each other.” The younger twin turned to observe Nico, possibly waiting for a reaction. When one did not come, he continued. “They're strained here, and Percy usually doesn't require sex from them that often. And the only time one of us gets involved with either of them is when they are having a major fight.”

Nico rolled onto his side, propping himself up with a frown. “So why don't they just leave?” He did not understand really. “Why stay if they suffer for it?”

Both pairs of blue eyes locked with Nico's brown orbs. “Why do you?” They said at the same time. He would never get used to the way they did that.

“There's a fierce loyalty to Percy inside each of us,” Travis added.

A small smile touched at Connor's lips as he continued to play with his brother's hair. “We can never repay him for helping us, so we all pledge ourselves to this life. We're taken care of here. We feel safe here.”

Nico supposed that was true. There was no room for him to talk, not when he himself was refusing to leave the hotel because of Percy. It just added to the manager's appeal, in Nico's opinion. He was so easy to follow, to commit to. Percy radiated an aura that made others want to follow him.

“And what about when you found out what you'd be doing?” Nico asked out of the blue.

The twins were silent. They stole a glance at each other before looking at Nico again. “You deal with it,” Travis mumbled. “It is hard when you first start out, we can all admit to that.” It was so odd, seeing them this serious. There was a scared look in Travis's eyes, reminding Nico of a small child. “This place is haunted. Our past will haunt us all until the day we die. We all made mistakes, choices that we want to go back and change.”

Connor cleared his throat, and when Nico looked at him, it looked like his eyes were tearing up. The younger brunet let out a small chuckle. “We might have been on the run from the cops when Percy found us. If it weren't for him, we probably would have gotten thrown back into the system, maybe even separated.”

Travis grinned as Nico's eyebrows rose. “We might have broken into some rich asshole's condo while he was vacationing. Yeah, he wasn't happy when he came back to find us sleeping in his bed.”

Nico realized his jaw was hanging open. He blew out a long breath. “So he wanted you arrested for that?”

“Well,” Connor began, “we might have broken his very expensive security system when we broke in.” He chuckled again. “The logo on it said it was the very best, so Travis and I decided to see if it could live up to it's name.”

“It didn't,” Travis added with a grin.

Connor smiled at his twin. “But, anyways, it was very hard for the first month or so, doing what we have to do. Before that, the only person I had been with was Travis. And...” He glanced at his brother, chewing on his lip for a second. “Well, I wasn't really receptive to the idea of being with someone else at the time.”

“I felt disgusted with myself,” Nico mumbled.

Connor nodded. “I froze.” Nico looked at the boy in shock. “Yeah, I was hovered over the woman for a good few minutes. She started to get annoyed with me, complaining about how she did not spend good money for nothing.” The Lost Boy's hand had stopped moving in his brother's hair. “I just couldn't do it. Well, I didn't want to. I didn't really have a choice, so I ended up going through with it, after I had a few shots. That was the first night I drank.”

Nico rolled onto his stomach. He pointed his legs to the ceiling as he bit on his lip. “I didn't expect you guys to be so receptive with sharing things like this.”

“It's good for you,” Travis replied. He smiled over at Nico before frowning and tracing a circle on his brother's stomach. “A lot of us talked it over, and we decided it might help you to know what we went through when we first got here.”

Connor nodded. “If it makes you feel better, Neeks, I still freeze.”

“But-” Nico began, but Connor cut him off.

“Expected perfection?” Connor chuckled. “It just takes me a second to gather my thoughts. But there are times that I freeze when clothes start coming off.”

Time seemed to get away from Nico after that. Before he knew it, it was nearing four in the morning. He groaned as he sat his phone down. Travis smirked over at him. Connor had fallen asleep at least half an hour ago, and was now curled up next to his brother.

“I do hope we helped you make a decision on your threesome issue,” Travis whispered, stroking his brother's hair.

“I don't know,” Nico admitted. “Honestly, I was never sure if I would do it, I just wanted to know more about the mental or emotional aspect of doing it.”

The older of the two twins grinned. “Well, if you're curious, Connor and I would be happy to let you experiment with us.”

The tips of Nico's ears began to burn. “That is a very tempting offer, but I'm not sure it's a good idea.” Smart answer, Nico thought to himself, use a neutral response. Though, that would mean that the twins might keep pressing the issue, if the grin on Travis's face was anything to go by. “The thought had just crossed my mind when Percy and Jason were about to have sex, and Percy sort of offered.” Travis quirked a brow at that. “I think it just bothered me because no one has really done anything to Jason.”

“Sorry,” Travis mumbled. “I guess it does sound personal, but it kind of was just for you.” Nico frowned at that. That made him feel loved. “Yeah, sorry. It's...”

“Complicated?”

“No.” Travis shook his head. “It's just that Jason doesn't bother us in the same way. That part is complicated, something Connor and I have talked about before.”

“Talked about what?” Nico's brow furrowed as he shifted on the bed.

Travis pursed his lips. “Nothing, forget it.” Reaching up, the blue-eyed boy ran his fingers through his hair. “You struck a personal chord with all of us, Jason didn't. It's possible that Jason might come to resent you in ways as well. But, as you may know by now, we're trying to move past that.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered.

The brunet shook his head. “Ah, how can I put this? You made us jealous, and we felt weak.” He smirked at the shorter boy on the bed. “Here comes this kid, who did what we could not and managed to remain himself during his hardships. When you're jaded, you just want to see people like that mess up, fall off their platform.” Nico went to open his mouth, but Travis chuckled. “We were dumb, I can admit that. I mean, I'll deny it if you tell anyone, though. But it wasn't easy, still isn't. You ask us how we survive our jobs, but we want to know the same for how you managed the streets.”

“I...haven't really thought about it,” Nico admitted. And he hadn't, in all honesty. He did not see it as a big deal, not anything important. But now that he knew what he did, Nico did not see it as something to look over so easily anymore. How did he do it? What made him different than the others? Why did they become jaded and he didn't?

Possibly, for the first time since he arrived, Nico realized how much he had been focusing on himself. Sure he wanted to know about the others, to get to know them, but that was not for their sake. He had wanted to be part of them. And even lately, asking the others about their experiences, that had been about himself as well. But what about them? They were suffering as well. If he really wanted to be part of their family, perhaps it was time to show them the same concern they had been showing him the past few days.

There was so much he had been overlooking. Nico had been upset about their stunts all those month ago, but he had not really thought about the importance behind it all. What made them all different from him? Right now, all it did was make him feel worse. Nico didn't want to feel special at the moment, didn't want to stand out. If he did, it could mean more backlash or time with customers.

“But jealousy aside, you don't need to worry about things so much.” Travis's voice brought Nico from his train of thought. When he looked over at the brunet, Travis was staring down at his brother. “I hate watching him sometimes. The way he freezes and his eyes grow dull, it hurts to watch.” He ran a finger down Connor's cheek. The boy mumbled in his sleep and shifted closer to Travis. “You know, the reason we occasionally work clients together was because Percy was concerned about him, as was I. I can be a distraction for him.”

“And he's better with you?”

“A little.” A sad smile briefly appeared on Travis's face. “But, even when it's just the two of us, his eyes sometimes still become dull. Sometimes, it feels like he's not fully there.” Travis's blue eyes drifted down to stare at his brother's sleeping face. “It hurt, you know, watching him change over the year. Sure, I knew I was changing, but all I wanted was to keep him safe. All we had was each other out there, and I failed him.”

Nico remained quiet. A single tear drifted down Travis's cheek, which the brunet quickly wiped away. “Did you two always...?” Nico decided to ask.

The Lost Boy's eyes remained on his brother's face. “No, not until after we ran away from our last foster family. Before that, we were like best friends, with the standard twin bonding. But, when you're out on the sleep, sleeping in boxes, you're left with such little space.” Travis finally looked up and smiled at Nico. “I couldn't really help it when it happened. Connor had been crying one day, his face covered in dirt, and I just leaned in and kissed him. He was a little shocked at first, pushed me away even, but didn't run off.”

“I wouldn't want to leave the only person I had either, especially given the circumstance.” Nico clamped his mouth shut, realizing how harsh that could have sounded. “I didn't mean-”

“I know what you meant.” Travis shrugged. “You don't want to be alone during something like that, and I do feel bad for the others that did.” The brunet slowly got up, making sure to gently place Connor's head on the bed. He motioned for Nico to follow him as he left the bedroom.

When Nico got into the hall, he noticed that the other bedroom had been opened. The light was on, so he stepped across the hall and walked inside. Travis was standing in front of a small cabinet that sat on top of a small shelf.

The room was not as furnished as the other bedroom. It had the standard bed that all the Lost Kids' suites had, though it did not appear to be used that much. There were a lot of storage devices: shelves, cabinets, hampers, etc. From the looks of it, the twins stored most of their possessions in here, and only used the other bedroom for sleeping.

“Does this room really get used?” Nico blurted out.

The brunet let out a chuckle, shutting the cabinet he had been poking around in. Whatever he had grabbed, he placed behind his back. “Only when Connor gets mad at me. I sleep in here when that happens.” He shrugged. “And for the occasional sex with the others. If we do have sex with the other Lost Kids, we don't let it happen in our bed.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he slowly walked around the room. “I'm confused. I thought you two didn't mind having sex with the others. Why define where sex happens?”

“Because, while we might venture out and have sex with the others sometimes, that is our bed.” Serious blue eyes locked with dark brown ones. “I love my brother, more than anyone else in this hotel. Sex with anyone else has no meaning to me, it's just business or for fun. But when it's with my brother, it's special, it means something. And our bed is where we make love.”

“And the others understand that rule?”

The other Lost Boy let out a dry chuckle as he stepped closer to Nico. “Oh yeah. Butch got to learn the hard way to not try and have sex with my brother in our bed.” He shrugged and pulled a small bottle from behind his back. “Here, take this.”

Nico slowly accepted the bottle, eyeing it funny. He frowned and looked up to meet Travis's eyes. “What is it?”

“Hair dye.”

The raven-haired boy quirked a brow. “Um, I like my hair black, but thanks.” He went to hand it back, but Travis shoved it back to Nico.

“It's not for you.” The brunet grinned broadly. “Put a little bit in Jason's shampoo when you get back to your suite.” He tossed an arm around Nico's shoulder, guiding him towards the door. “Now you can't say we never did anything for you.”

“But why are you?”

“You said you wanted us to mess with Jason. Well, I'm giving you a tool to mess with him, and now my brother and I are involved.” He sighed, stopping them in front of the door of their suite. “Look, you're sort of nice to have around.” Travis narrowed his eyes. “Don't tell anyone I said that. But it's nice having you around. It doesn't seem as dark around here since you arrived. And, looking at the others, I can see a little hope in their eyes. There hasn't really been any hope here since Akhyls-” Travis quickly shut his mouth. “Forget what I just said. You never heard that name.”

“I-”

Travis pointed a finger at Nico's chest, backing him against the door. “Don't repeat that name to anyone.”

“I don't understand,” Nico whispered.

“Good,” Travis breathed out. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “There are just some things we don't like to think about, Nico. Reminding ourselves of our failures is one of them. Another would be that we don't want to acknowledge that we'll probably end up like Ganymede, Aphrodite, or Dionysus one day. But there are just some names we don't even talk about in private.”

“I won't say anything.” It was a lie, some part of Nico's subconscious told him. More than likely, he would just end up going to ask Ganymede about it, per their arrangement concerning past information. Nico smiled and held up the bottle of hair dye. “Thanks for this, though.”

The brunet nodded, allowing Nico to open the door. “Don't mention it. And don't worry about what will happen, we'll take care of it.”

Nico wanted to ask what he meant, but Travis had already shut the door. He frowned and stared down at the bottle. What was that supposed to mean?

\--------------------------------------

It was a failure. Apparently, the dye that Travis had given him had not worked at all. Nico frowned at the back of his roommate's head as they rode the elevator to the top floor. Jason's hair was still its normal blond color, completely and utterly fine. And earlier, when Nico had asked Connor about it, the brunet had said just to be patient.

Once out of the elevator and up the stairs, the roommates separated. Jason tossed the raven-haired boy a wave over his shoulder. Nico waved back, now partly thankful it hadn't worked. What had Jason really done to him? A sudden feeling of guilt washed over him as he dragged his feet towards the bar room. 

Percy was fair game, meaning Jason had every right to flirt and have sex with Percy. The others did it, and Nico was not trying to spite them. But Jason felt more threatening, even when he was not really doing anything. Perhaps it was the same reason Apollo had acted against Nico, when Nico himself had not been trying to do anything.

And there was also the matter of just having promised Percy a few days prior that he would try to stop acting like a disappointment. And, yet, here he was, trying to sabotage his roommate.

Realizing he was in the wrong in this situation tasted very bitter. Nico let out a breath and sat down on the couch in the bar room, not even caring that Dionysus was watching him. His brown eyes closed as his head fell back against the back of the couch.

“You really need a new hobby, other than trying to torment others,” Nico mumbled.

“Why, Nico, I'm quite offended by that remark,” Dionysus replied. Nico did not believe that for a second. “I just like to take an interest, that's all.”

“Sure, let's call it that,” Thalia snorted. Nico did not even notice her come in. She smiled at him as she sat down beside him on the couch. “I hope you do remember to get a head start on sorting out your Christmas costumes. It'll make it a lot easier when the time comes to deal with them.”

Nico shrugged. “I guess I can do that this week.”

The blue-eyed girl snapped her fingers. “Oh, yes, Rachel wanted me to let you know that she has something you asked for, and those papers you'll need to be looking over.”

“Papers?” Nico's brow furrowed.

“Yeah.” Thalia smiled, tilting her head to the side. “What, you expected to just show up to the meeting and hand Percy a drink when he asked for it?” She grinned cheekily and smacked his shoulder. “Sorry, buddy, but you've got some reading to do before that meeting.”

Nico let out a groan. “It won't be that bad, will it?”

Thalia jumped up, eyebrows raised. “I'd rather read War and Peace,” she mumbled on her way out the door.

That did not make Nico feel good.

And halfway through the night, that was not the only thing causing Nico to feel nauseous.

“Oh shit,” Nico cursed under his breath, the empty tray in his hand nearly falling to the floor. His eyes were blown wide in shock as he gaped at the stage. Luckily, he was not the only Lost Boy caught off by what they were just seeing. Apollo's jaw was literally hanging open as he poured some water into a woman's glass, though he failed to acknowledge that it was overflowing. Butch had frozen while writing down an order from Percy's booth.

Jason's hair was pink. That was all that was going through the brown-eyed boy's mind as he gaped at his roommate, standing there in nothing but a speedo. Not only that, but it was fluorescent. It was literally glowing a bright pink underneath the stage's low lighting.

Jason seemed surprised as well, his ears burning red. He still tried to put on a performance, but was not doing the best of jobs because of the audience's reaction. A lot of whispering was going on, even some snickering.

“Oh shit,” Nico repeated.

“Might I have a word with you?”

Nico's blood ran cold the second the words were hissed into his ear. And this time, he did drop the tray. Quickly picking it up, Nico slowly turned to find a unhappy Percy standing behind him. There was a calm smile on the manager's face, but Nico was not stupid enough to think Percy was anything but upset.

The green-eyed manager slid a hand into his pocket, pointing to the stage with the other. “It seems Jason needs to change shampoos.” His eyes flickered back to Nico. “Very amusing stunt. However, would you care to explain to me why you decide to pull this fucking shit right before   
Gaea gets here?”

If not for the loud music, Percy probably would have drawn more attention. Percy did not appear to be as patient as he had been during Apollo's little stunt. In fact, he looked exhausted, almost sick. Dark circles had appeared under his eyes, and even his face seemed to be slightly paler. But his voice was still calm. Well, up until he had decided to throw curse words into his rhetorical question.

Without even letting Nico answer, Percy grabbed hold of the back of Nico's neck and dragged him towards the backstage door. Nico's stomach sank instantly. Great, he thought, now he was going to have to face Jason.

Beckendorf and the twins were snickering as Jason stared frantically at a mirror. Percy shoved Nico forward, snapping his fingers to drawn everyone's attention. The room instantly fell quiet, the laughter died and Jason quickly straightened up.

Percy took in a deep breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose before turning his dark green eyes upon Nico. “I'm not stupid enough to believe he didn't have help. I just saw Jason earlier—and even some when he got on stage for his earlier performances—so I know his hair was fine not long ago.” The manager bit down on his lip so hard that Nico thought he might draw blood. A chuckle escaped the raven-haired young man's lips, though it was nowhere near a pleasant sound. “I am very tired at the moment. Now, I can expect Nico to not be aware of how stressful things can be right now, but I am very disappointed in the two of you.”

The twins didn't seem as bothered as Nico was. Travis just held up his hands, slowly approaching the manager. “Relax, boss, it'll be fine.”

“His hair is pink!” Now Percy was yelling. His eyes nearly became slits as he stared back at Travis, who still remained calm. Connor, however, was beginning to look a little uncertain. “Gaea will be here in five days, and I need you all to look your best. I haven't slept in two days, Travis. Couldn't this have waited until things calmed down?”

Travis was proving just how daring he was. The brunet actually reached out and touched Percy's arm. The other four boys in the room's hitched. “It was just to help out Nico. He's been having a hard time lately, and Connor and I thought we'd throw him a bone. So don't be so hard on him.”

Percy narrowed his eyes, though Travis's words did seem to pacify him a little. “Fine,” Percy finally growled. “However, he's not going to get off with nothing.”

Travis shrugged. “Your call.”

“The same goes for you two.”

Connor frowned. “But it's not even going to last that long. It'll wash out within three or four days.”

A sigh escaped from the manager's lips. “There was still damage done. I punished all of you when you pulled your stunt with Nico's first night, the same will apply here.”

Both twins groaned, but offered no further protest. Percy groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. He really did look exhausted. Nico felt like shit. He only managed to add to Percy's stress load. And, once again, Nico screwed up and Jason was doing nothing wrong.

Percy returned his gaze to Nico. “Come by my room after you're done with work.” He moved to leave, but stopped before he reached the door. “As soon as you're off work. You won't be getting any clients tonight. Apparently, you and I need to have a very long, long...talk.” The way Percy said that made Nico's skin crawl. He had barely gotten the last word out, only managing it through gritted teeth.

“And what about me?” Jason finally spoke up.

Percy let out a small laugh and turned around once again. “Nico, congratulations, you've just nominated yourself as Jason's personal hair washer for the next few days. You get to shower with him and everything” He smiled at Jason. “Feel free to torture him as much as you want, I have no problem with him getting the worst blue balls possible right now.”

Nico let out a quiet whimper as Percy disappeared out the door. This was going to be painful, and he had not even gone to see Percy in his room yet. He turned to look at his roommate, expecting the blond to lash out at him, but Jason just frowned and let out a sigh. Nico was not sure which response was worse, the possibility of Jason yelling at him or the one that never came.

Jason did not say anything as he got ready for his next performance, never spared Nico another glance. It was not helping Nico's nerves.

Connor slung his arm around Nico. “See, now you got to torture Jason a little, and nothing really bad happened.”

Nico frowned. “But he's going to punish me. I can only shudder to think what he's going to do when I go to his room.”

“Maybe it'll involve whips and handcuffs,” Travis teased. Nico gave him an unamused look. The brunet just grinned. “Oh lighten up, Neeks, you'll be fine. Besides, he already gave you your punishment, you get to be tortured sexually by Jason.”

“Then why am I going to his room?”

Connor let go of him. “Probably for a talk, like he said. I doubt he's going to do anything, he's probably too tired.”

“Yeah,” Travis added, “none of us have really been able to discuss business hours with him over the past week now because of how swamped his is.”

“And exhausted,” Connor mumbled.

Nico frowned, wrapping his arms around himself. “So why help me with this if you knew he might get severely irritated.”

Both twins grinned. Travis motioned between Connor and himself. “Because we like chaos, it adds flavor to things. Besides, we know Percy pretty well, so we knew he wouldn't be too harsh. He's too busy right now, so most of our problems have to be overlooked by him during this time.”

Connor nodded in a agreement. “Though, this will probably be the only stunt to happens, so as to not 'poke the bear'. All that is expected of us right now is to do our jobs and go see Circe before the twentieth.”

Nico groaned and rubbed his forehead. “I didn't mean to stress him out more. I guess I should have been paying better attention to him.”

Both twins shrugged. “Guess you should have thought about the consequences of putting the dye in Jason's shampoo then,” Connor mumbled.

Nico sighed and shook his head. Turning around, he headed back to work. It seemed like he was not done screwing up and making the wrong decisions. Why did things have to be so complicated here. He did not think that normal sixteen year olds had to worry about as much as he did. Though, in his defense, most sixteen year olds did not go through what he had, and still would.

Nico was on his best behavior for the rest of the night, not even thinking a smart aleck remark to things customers said to him. He was polite whenever possible, but remained mostly quiet. And his nerves only worsened as the hours passed. By the time he was standing outside of Percy's door, Nico was practically a wreck.

As he raised his hand to knock, the door swung open and Nico was met with Percy's blank face. The manager quirked a brow at him. “Are you planning on just standing in my hall?”

Nico frowned up at him, slipping into the suite. “How did you know I was there?”

“There's no one else on this floor, and I don't have my TV on, so it's fairly easy to hear the elevator ding.”

“Oh.” Nico scrunched his lips. “I'm sorry.”

Percy scooped up a glass of scotch from his kitchen counter before heading into the living room to sit down on his couch. He let out a sigh and spread his arms across the back of the couch. “I'm not really surprised by this point that something like this happened. If this is the kind of behavior I can expect, then maybe I shouldn't let you sit in on the meeting.”

“It won't happen again, I promise,” Nico quickly stated.

“I can't have things going crazy right now, Nico.” The manager sipped on his drink before sitting it down in front of him. “I need you to be on a better behavior. Gaea will be here in just five days, four technically, so I don't need things like this happening. If the dye had lasted longer, you'd be much worse off. I can't tolerate screw ups right now, do I make myself clear?”

Nico rapidly nodded his head. “Yes, sir.”

Percy leaned forward, frowning at Nico. “I know you know better than this. I know you're still young, but I need you to act more like an adult. Especially right now.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered, casting his eyes to his feet. “I wasn't thinking.”

Percy was quiet for a while, much longer than Nico would have liked. But he finally pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke. “I know you've had a rough time this month, so I am going to look over this for the most part.” A dangerous spark briefly appeared in Percy's sea-green eyes before he smirked. “I gave you part of your punishment already, but there is something else.”

The Lost Boy did not like the sound of that. “Um, okay? Extra weekend shifts? Cut my time on stage? Give me a-”

“Bend over my knee.”

Nico's mouth fell open. “What?”

Percy did not even bat an eye before responding. “You heard. Come over here, pull down your pants, and bend over my knee.” He leaned back, spreading his arms across the back of the couch again. “You want to act like a child, you're going to get punished like one.”

The boy's hands shot around to cover his backside. “Percy, you can't be serious.”

“Completely.”

There was no amusement in Percy's eyes as he stared at Nico. The Lost Boy fidgeted for a brief moment before shifting his hands to his waist. Pursing his lips, he slowly pushed down the cloth pants that he had on. Percy arched a brow and Nico let out a groan. He hooked his fingers under his speedo and lowered them to his knees.

Nico was sure his entire face was red. He was so embarrassed. This was humiliating. The only good thing about it was that it was just the two of them to see it happen. With his head down, Nico moved closer, until he stood in front of Percy. When the manager remained still, Nico felt his heart drop again.

With a small whine, Nico positioned himself across Percy's lap. Percy shifted and wasted no time in what he intended to do. A sharp pain spread throughout Nico's ass, soon followed by another. Nico buried his face against the couch as Percy smacked him on the butt. His face was burning. He just wanted it to stop.

Nico blinked. Percy was laughing. He quickly rose up and stared at Percy in confusion. “What are you laughing at?”

“Just enjoying your reaction,” Percy chuckled. He grabbed Nico's waist and shifted the boy into a sitting position on the couch.

Nico frowned and raised his underwear and pants. “That wasn't funny, it was unpleasant.”

The manager laughed again before taking a sip of his drink. “I know. I figured you wouldn't like it.”

“Are you into that, or something?”

A low humming came from Percy, his eyes closed as he rested his head against the back of the couch. “Never really thought about it. Can't say I really have any fetishes.” He let his body relax, lightly rubbing his neck. “I guess dealing with all of the different fetishes of other people sort of deterred me a little bit from developing any of my own.”

Nico frowned and stood up. He peeled back his pants and underwear to inspect to butt. His breath hitched when he found a bright pink handprint across his pale ass. “Then why did you do it!” His arms flailed wildly as Nico sat back down.

Percy shrugged. “Quite a few reasons, actually. First, because of exactly what I said. You want to act like a child? Fine, I'll treat and punish you like one.”

Nico pursed his lips, staring down at his lap in shame. “I'm sorry. I'll do better next time.”

“But it was also to see if you would actually do it.”

The brown-eyed boy's head shot up to glare at the manager. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He shouted.

“Such a potty mouth for a little boy,” Percy mocked him with a stretch. He winked and stuck out his tongue before slipping a hand behind Nico's back to pull the boy closer. “But, also because you need to be more comfortable with things like that happening to you. If a customer wants it, they'll probably get it, as long as it doesn't bring you any harm.”

Nico's head fell onto Percy's shoulder. The boy let out a sigh and closed his eyes, exhaustion hitting him. He cracked an eye open to stare up at Percy, who was taking another sip of his drink. How was the young man not passed out? Nico could not see how the manager was not passed out. Not even the Lost Kids tried to stay up all night. In a place like this, everyone tried to get sleep whenever possible.

Percy caught Nico staring at him and smiled. “Sleepy?”

“Mmm,” Nico replied with a small smile.

The green-eyed young man brushed some of Nico's hair from his face. “You know, as much as I know you won't like it, experimenting with one or two of the Lost Kids might not be a bad idea for you,” the manager whispered. Nico instantly sat up. “I don't mean it to sound like I want you to just go around and have sex every second on the spot. I just know that you're still uncomfortable having sex with people you aren't wanting to have it with. I would also recommend you try it with one of the girls.”

“I'd rather just feel sick after every customer,” Nico mumbled.

Percy shrugged and stood up. “Suit yourself.” He briefly stepped into the kitchen before returning with a second glass, this one a golden color that reminded Nico of syrup. Nico frowned as it was placed on the table in front of him. “Want some?”

The brown-eyed boy eyed his boss hesitantly. “Is this some other test?”

Percy simply shrugged before taking his place beside Nico once again. “I was just offering you something to drink. I know things haven't been easy for you the past few weeks, so I thought I might offer you some.”

“Even after I said I didn't like wine?”

“Well, that's why I said you might like liquor more,” Percy replied casually, picking his drink back up. “No catch, no disappointment, just offering.”

Nico eyed the drink, tapping a finger against his leg. “You're so...confusing.” He looked up to meet Percy's eyes, who raised his eyebrows in response. “This-you said you wanted me to stay innocent, but now you're encouraging me to drink. That's the opposite of what you said.”

A small chuckle emitted from Percy's throat. “I think you've misunderstood what I mean, at least to a degree.” He sat his drink down and shifted on the couch so that his right leg was underneath his other one. The young man sighed as he slouched. “I will be an adult and admit that I was partly wrong, believing that you had to remain as pure as snow. It was an impossible task, and I see that now. I shouldn't have expected so much from you, it was a lot to put on your shoulders.

“But I started to realize that you would never really grow up that way. The world, the experiences that you have during your time on this planet, they define who you are. And I think I am partly to blame for your poor decisions of late. It would be like keeping you as a child forever if you fulfilled what I asked to the letter.” He turned to Nico with a smile before brushing Nico's cheek with the back of his hand. “And you have potential to make something of yourself, Nico. I wasn't lying when I said you're strong. You see, you just might be stronger than all of us.”

It hurt to hear Percy tell him that. Not because it was not because it was something he did not want to hear, but because it felt like Percy, for the first time, was really praising him. “So...what do you want from me?” The boy whispered.

Percy cleared his throat. “I want you to grow up, that's what I want. Can't have you being a kid forever, you'll never get into a good university that way.” The young man smiled again, melting Nico's heart. “I want you to be responsible and get a good education, because that's what you deserve.”

Nico's fingers gripped the couch. “And what...what do you mean by 'keeping my innocence'? If it's not staying a virgin and never drinking, what am I supposed to do?”

“I guess I should have explained things better from the beginning,” Percy sighed. “You see, I saw hope in you.” Green eyes turned upon Nico, piercing through him like a sword. “When I look at you, I see hope in the world. It makes me want to believe that maybe, just maybe, there is still hope for the people in this world. Being here, being around the people that do business on our upper floors, it makes things seem rather dim. And growing up around it and on the streets, I always just thought the world was too far gone and all that you could do was make your life better by doing whatever you needed to.

“I've done...a lot of bad things in my time after coming into Gaea's care, and even some before that. Because it needed to be done, and some because I wanted to put the people you see here in their place. It's what Gaea promised me when we first met, that I would look down at all these rich and powerful people and be able to completely shatter their lives with a single command.” Percy leaned his head back and ran his hand through his hair. “But having you around gives me hope that not everyone is corrupt in this dark, dark world.” Nico blinked as Percy reached across the couch and placed his index finger against Nico's chest. “And what's what I want you to hold onto, Nico,” the manager whispered. “It's not about refusing sex anymore, it's about doing what's right and being hopeful, seeing the good in people.”

There was a swelling in Nico's chest, as well as the desire to cry. But it was not because he was sad, not completely anyways. It was sad, hearing these things from Percy. It had to make him wonder how dark and hopeless this hotel was before he got there, or even what went on through Percy's mind over the years of being brought up under Gaea's care. The hardness that Nico found in Percy's eyes spoke more words than anything the young man probably ever could.

Swallowing a heavy lump in his throat, Nico nodded. “Okay,” he whispered. Percy's eyes widened as Nico leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the young man. “I won't.”

\--------------------------------------

Nico sighed and stretched his legs, pulling the bottom of his shorts down to cover more of his pale legs. He placed his hands behind his head after adjusting the sunglasses he wore on his face. Everything seemed so much better today, but that could be because he was done with school until after New Year's Day. And, as far as he could tell, he had done exceptionally well on all of his midterms.

So, to reward himself, he had gotten a smoothie from Ganymede before heading to the pool to relax. Apollo and Silena were lounging on either side of him, caring about as much as Nico was about what was going on around them. Which meant they did not care at all.

For the first time in a very long time, Nico was not feeling overwhelmed while at the hotel, and it was glorious. Now if only he could get a tan. The boy lifted his sunglasses and stared down at his torso. Nope, still as pale as ever.

The only bad thing that currently came to mind was what came tomorrow. Tomorrow all of the Lost Kids would be taken to Circe and be styled to perfection before Gaea's arrival. Which brought him back to another reason he felt the need to relax. If Nico was going to die tomorrow, he meant to enjoy his last day on this earth.

Nico opened his eyes when someone cleared their throat. Clarisse was standing in front of Silena. Nico and Apollo had to stop for a second, both boys raising their shades to get a better look at the girl. Clarisse was dressed up...like a girl. Well, she still had jeans on, but her hair was brushed and her shirt did not have anything masculine on the front of it. She even looked like she might have makeup on.

“I'm about to leave,” Clarisse mumbled.

Silena jumped up with excitement. “Okay. Just make sure to tell me all the details when you get back.”

“Clarisse, I didn't know you were a girl,” Apollo joked, earning him a glare from Silena and the bird from Clarisse. The blond chuckled and reclined in his chair.

Nico frowned as Silena dragged Clarisse away from the two Lost Boys. “Do you know where she's going?” He asked, turning his head to look at the blond.

“Probably out with Chris. I saw him earlier, smelled like he was wearing cologne.” The blond shrugged. “About time they went on a date, they've been trying to flirt long enough.”

Nico supposed that made sense for why Clarisse got upset after Chris's promotion. He sat back in his chair, bending his knee upwards. With a brief glance over to the girls, he noticed that Silena was being very animated with her hands as she spoke. “What's up with Silena?”

Apollo did not even move to look, simply shrugging. “Just the way she is. If she thinks there's even a shred of a chance that something might come of two people, she'll latch onto them and play matchmaker. But, she also likes Clarisse, has since Clarisse first got here.”

“So why hasn't she tried to fix you and Le-” Nico shut up when Apollo glared at him over the top of his sunglasses. “Um, never mind.”

“Because,” Apollo began, “she doesn't know.” The blond relaxed again, shifting to get comfortable. “And let's keep it that way. I'd rather not have her lecturing me before giving me tips for trying to 'swoop Leo off his feet'.” Nico frowned as the blond stretched his arms above his head. There were two girls sitting across the pool, giggling as they eyed Apollo's half-naked body over, though the blond chose to ignore them if he noticed. “Like I said, she needs to think there's hope for things to work out in order for her to jump in. I mean, why don't you think she's tried fixing you and Percy up?”

Nico had to frown at that. “Thanks a lot,” he mumbled.

A lopsided smile appeared on the blond's face. “Just being real. So, I hear you got yelled at?”

“Well, not exactly.” Nico sat up more, rubbing his arm awkwardly. “He was very upset, though he did yell at the Stolls.”

Apollo finally looked over at him, his eyes shining like sapphires over the top of his shades. “It was amusing, if not a little amateurish and juvenile.”

“It wasn't my idea.”

“Yes, well, the Stolls don't care as much about being caught,” Apollo admitted.

“I think he was just stressed out, Percy that is.” Nico let out a sigh and twisted one of the laces on his trunks. “I mean, he never yelled at you when you pulled your stunt.”

When he was met with silence, Nico glanced at the blond. Apollo's mouth slightly hung open. The blond shook his head, as if he was coming out of some trance. “Oh, that's right, you don't speak French.” The blond blew his lips. “Well, he brought up the deal I had made with him not long before that.”

“Thanks, by the way.”

Apollo arched a brow at him.

“For at least trying to take it back,” Nico explained.

“Ah.” Apollo shrugged. “Didn't really make a difference in the end.” He let out a sigh and rolled onto his side to get a better look at Nico. “But I was terrified when Percy talked to me that night about screwing up your performance. To you, it might have seemed like he was just having a cordial conversation with me, but you didn't understand him. You see, in reality, he was letting me know what would happen to me if I ever tried jeopardizing the hotel's business again.”

“Like what?” Nico whispered, leaning closer to make sure no one overheard their conversation.

“Um, well, to understand that, you'd need to know that this hotel works a little different than some of the other branches. Percy, Frank, and Athena run things nicer than the other branch managers.” Apollo removed his shades, allowing Nico to see his eyes better. “You see, there are just some requests that Percy has to turn down out of the goodness of his heart. But, people like Kronos, might be open to allowing these certain requests. Perhaps things like hunting other humans for sport, or finding them a live body to perform acts of torture on.”

Nico suddenly did not feel so good. He was hoping Apollo was not about to suggest what he thought the blond was going to. “And Percy was going to...allow people to...torture you?”

“No...” It was all the blond said for a while. Apollo chewed on his lip, sitting up and pulling his knees to his chest. Finally, he let out a sigh and buried his face in his knees. “He's promised to keep all of us safe, so he would never permit me to be physically harmed like that. I wouldn't be getting tortured, I'd be doing the torturing.” He looked over at Nico, licking his lips and moving to sit on Nico's lounge chair to be able to talk quieter. “You see, some people that go to the kink rooms in other hotels, very much enjoy watching torture, but don't like getting their hands dirty.”

Nico had to swallow a lump in his throat before he could speak. “Percy was going to make you torture someone for a customer's enjoyment?”

Apollo nodded his head. “He also mentioned that it might involved me spending some time in the Middle East, at Kronos's hotel, so that I could do that.” He sighed and laid down next to Nico, placing a hand on the boy's stomach. Nico glanced at the two girls, who did not seem as pleased anymore. “So, yes, now you know what Percy told me that night.”

Apollo's skin was very warm and soft. It was also a little distracting. Nico soon found his hand resting against the blond's abs. “You know,” Nico whispered, “if you hadn't pulled your stunt, you might have been my first time.”

The blond grinned and began tracing his fingers along Nico's stomach. “Oh really? Well, it seems I'm not as crafty as others like Octavian or Annabeth.”

“But, perhaps it was for the best,” Nico continued. “Though, either way, I probably would have ended up where I'm at now.”

“I used to think you had a real crush on me.”

Nico chewed on his lip before looking up to meet Apollo's eyes. “I did,” he admitted. “I might have considered dating you, if things had continued like they had, instead of me getting hurt.”

“Then it's for the best, because I wouldn't have deserved it,” the blond mumbled. Nico frowned at him. He reached up and pushed the blond's curls away, but Apollo would not look at him. Instead, the blond was distracting himself with the hemline of Nico's trunks. Nico probably should have stopped him, but he also knew that Apollo was not being serious with his current action. “It's something that I've thought about ever since we had our talk on the balcony.”

“What's that?”

Apollo let out a heavy sigh. “Just that maybe you would have been better off the way things were, and maybe it was better that Percy was trying to resist you. I still would like you to leave, and try to find a better life for yourself. Every day you stay here now, I feel the guilt. It's not the same as before, where I felt bad because I was not able to keep myself together while on the streets.” Nico blinked as his trunks came undone. Perhaps he had been wrong as well. Apollo's palm rested just underneath his trunks, flat against his pelvis. “But now I just feel guilty because it was my request that made that deal, and now has you in this situation. Somewhere along the way, I realized it would have just been better for you to leave than have you be like us.”

Nico's eyes continued to watch the blond's hand. It was not moving lower, so he was not in immediate danger of being groped by the other Lost Boy, but it still made him feel better to keep an eye on it. His breath hitched when Apollo buried his nose into the crook of Nico's neck. “Um, Apollo?”

“Hmm?” The blond mumbled against his skin.

“I'm not sure if we should be doing this in public.”

“It's fine,” the blond assured him. “The two girls that have been staring over here probably think we're dating now.” He pulled back to look Nico in the eye. “We're not completely unlike you, you know. Some of us, most of us, don't always like receiving attention from the people around here.” He sat up and pulled Nico against his chest. “Though, normally, when I wanted a distraction, I'd find one of the other Lost Kids and have sex. However, I don't feel like making you a distraction anymore. You do deserve better than all of this, Nico.”

Nico adjusted himself until he was sitting in Apollo's lap, his hands pressed against the blond's chest. “Are you about to confess your love for me? Because that's what it sounds like.”

That got a laugh out of the blond. “No, no, nothing like that. Like you said, you're like a brother to me. A very sexy brother that I might like to get naked, but a brother nonetheless.”

“How touching,” Nico said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

The corner of Apollo's mouth tilted up in a smirk. His hands rubbed against Nico's hips. “You know, I do recall that you might let me have sex with you one day.”

Nico's eyebrows rose at the blond. Biting down on his lip, he rolled his hips into the blond's crotch. When Apollo moaned, he leaned in to whisper in the blond's ear. “Emphasis on the one day.” He chuckled and pulled back. “And I did say maybe, which does not guarantee you anything.”

Apollo leaned back and chuckled, placing his hands behind his head. “Careful now, I might start thinking you're becoming like Percy if you start teasing like that.”

“I don't think I could do what he does,” Nico whispered. His eyes roamed across the blond's flawless skin, trailing his fingers across the Lost Boy's tan chest.

Both boys nearly jumped when someone cleared their throat. Nico slowly turned around to find Rachel standing there, arching her brow at them. “Am I interrupting something?”

Nico's cheeks flared up and he jumped off of a laughing Apollo. “We weren't doing anything,” he mumbled.

“Of course not.” The way Rachel smiled made it seem like she did not believe Nico. “Either way, I have some documents for you.”

Nico's face scrunched up. “Don't want them. I just got out of school, and now I'm having to do more studying.”

The red-haired girl pulled a briefcase from behind her and shoved it at Nico. “Trust me, you'll miss school by the time you're done with this.” She glanced over Nico's shoulder, at Apollo, before returning her eyes to Nico. “I also have that other thing for you.”

“Oh.” Nico tapped his finger against the briefcase before turning around. “I need to talk to Rachel about these documents I need to study, so I'll talk to you later.”

Apollo looked between the two of them before shrugging. “Sure, I'll catch you later.”

The two walked until they got up to the second floor lounge. Nico sat the briefcase down on a table that the two decided to sit at before opening it up. He felt sick just looking at it. “I have to read all of this?” Nico nearly yelled.

Rachel patted the two stacks of paper with a smile. “It won't be that bad.” She reached in and pulled out a handful of papers. “Look, I even marked the more important ones for you,” she said, flipping through until she found one with a post-it note on the corner. “You'll have to bring those with you to the meeting and hand them to Percy when he asks for them. Just make sure to keep the note on the paper so you know which one he is talking about fairly easily.”

Nico groaned and picked up the top sheet of paper. “I feel like he should have picked someone else for this. Anyone would have been a better pick than me.”

“Well, he's not wrong in assuming it would be a good experience for you. Sadly, you won't be able to use it as extra credit in your business classes.”

The boy let out a sigh, placing the paper back in the briefcase. “How long do I have to study all of this?”

Rachel smiled and put the papers she had picked up back where they belonged before taking a seat across from Nico. “The meeting will either be January the first or the second, depending on Gaea's mood. You'll know by Christmas Day.” The red-haired girl reached over and patted his hand. “Don't worry so much, Nico, I'm sure you'll done fine.” From a small pocket in the briefcase, Rachel pulled out a small envelope. “And here's the other part of Percy's present.”

At least that made Nico smile. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“I'm sure he'll like it.” Rachel smiled again before standing up again and patting her hair. “Though, he'll probably question how you got your hands on all of it.”

If he didn't, Percy was probably going to be upset. Nico was going to hope that he made the right decision in this present. That would just be the icing on his cake of the worst December of his entire life.

\---------------------------------------------

Nico let out a groan from where he had face-planted onto the bar. Without even pausing from the drink he was making, Chiron reached over and patted the boy on the head. One afternoon of reading those documents had left Nico with a migraine. How was he supposed to have all of this studied with only two weeks to do it? There were hundreds of documents in that briefcase, all in small print and multiple pages.

On the bright side of things, he was working the bar, which meant a less stressful environment for the night. But on the downside, it also meant that Gaea would arrive in a little over twelve hours.

Nico rolled his head to the side to be able to see the bartender. “I'm going to make a fool out of myself, Chiron.”

The man smiled and pushed the drink he had been working on across the bar to a customer. “You worry too much, my boy.”

Perhaps he did, but Nico also felt he had good cause to do so. If Gaea did not strike him down, Kronos would probably do it himself. Nico's stomach was in knots. He had barely managed to eat anything at all for dinner, too nervous to hold anything down.

By the time Nico got to take his break, he felt like a nervous wreck. He collapsed on the couch in the break room with a loud groan. Will chuckled at him from the chair next to the couch. “Rough time there, Nico?”

“I don't want to talk about it,” Nico mumbled.

The blond Lost Boy hummed and slipped over to the couch, lifting Nico's legs and placing them in his lap. “You know, you can always tell Percy you don't want to sit in on the meeting.”

The thought had crossed Nico's mind. However, he would also feel like a disappointment again if he did. “I can do it,” Nico whispered. He yelped when Will smacked him on the ass.

“Good, 'cause no one likes a quitter,” Will chuckled.

Nico lifted himself up to glare at the blond. “Sir, that is my property.”

Will bit down on his lip, leaning towards Nico. “Maybe I want it to be mine.”

The brown-eyed boy stuck out his tongue. “Too bad.” Will continued to grin at him, though. Nico sighed and rolled onto his back, propping himself up so that he could see Will better. “You know, there's something I'm still confused about with you.”

The blond winked at him. “How did I get this sexy?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Conceited. No, that's not it.” Will smiled and shrugged, rubbing Nico's legs. “I don't get what happened with you. When we met, you were just friendly, and then Apollo pulled his stunt and you seemed to despise me, and now you seem to have a crush on me.”

“I do have a crush on you,” Will chuckled. He sighed and slouched on the couch. “Why must everything have an answer with you?”

“Because I know there is one.”

Will's blue eyes sparkled as they stared at Nico. “I suppose that is true. It was a little out of the ordinary for all of us, I will say that.” He shrugged and leaned his head back. “Sure some of us found others that we didn't like that well in our ranks. I mean, look at Octavian and Annabeth, or Luke and Beckendorf.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “Leo and Apollo?”

The blond snorted. “Sure, if you want to believe that.” When Nico gave him an incredulous look, Will winked at him. “What? Apollo tells me everything. Well, for the most part. He was still mad at Ganymede when I got here and got roomed with blondie, so Apollo turned to me for a shoulder to lean on.”

“But why the change from back then?” Nico sighed.

Will frowned and ran his hand under the leg of Nico's pants. “You know, sometimes I wish that we had met under different circumstances.”

Nico's eyes drifted down to where Will was rubbing his leg. “Why is that?”

“Because, I think things would have been different between us. Maybe I'd have a better chance with you.” Blue eyes flickered up to study Nico's reaction. “You remind me of someone I used to know. This boy from the orphanage, he was really sweet. I was around...fourteen or fifteen, I think, when we had our first kiss. He was my very first, and I was very happy. Even if the place sucked, it wasn't that bad with him around, and it was much better than when he left.”

“What happened to him?” Nico whispered.

Will sighed and removed his hand from Nico's pants. He smiled and patted Nico's leg. “He got adopted.” The blond's lips tilted down. “Though, after I came here, I found out that he had later died. Apparently, his foster parents had abused him.” 

Nico frowned as Will got up and wiped his eyes. “I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. He reached out and grabbed the blond's hand before Will could leave. “What makes me remind you of him?”

Will gave him a sad smile before cupping Nico's face. “Because, even in a bad place, you want to see the good in things. He was what kept me going, and it got so hard when he was taken. Up until I found out, I just imagined that he was living such a good life. And now...now I just wish he was still living.” He smiled at Nico again. “But, to answer your question, I realized I shouldn't blame you for not being like us. That's not your fault, and you shouldn't be held accountable for it.”

Nico got up and wrapped his arms around the blond. “Will...”

He felt the blond's arms rub against his back. “I'm fine,” the blond whispered. “And you'll be fine as well.” Nico shivered as he felt Will's breath against his ear. “You see, I'm not going to let you end up like him. That's why I want you here, because I'm scared your father will end up getting you and then something bad might happen.”

Nico remained quiet, not knowing how to respond. How did one reply to that? He did not even know the answer himself. Would he stay here, or would he try to find a life away from all of this? Truth be told, he knew things might be better if he went to live with Daedalus, but at the same time, he did not want to burden them.

All too soon for Nico's liking, his break was at an end. With a smile from Will, the two headed back to work. At least he only had a few more hours to go before his shift was over. Though, given the circumstances, Nico knew he would probably be up even later, just reading over those documents.

As Nico was passing by, he caught sight of Piper laughing and chatting with a female customer, sitting alone at one of the tables. He slowed down, slowly looking the woman over. She did not look that old, possibly early thirties. And friendly, unlike most that Nico had the displeasure of meeting. Her dark hair had been tied up into a tight bun and a pair of glasses sat over her warm brown eyes.

Nico took the table next to the woman, doing his job, while being able to watch Piper at the same time. Piper smiled and handed the woman back her card before leaning in for a hug. It surprised Nico a little. Aside from Mr. Boreas, Nico had never seen a customer that the others had liked, and they did not even hug Mr. Boreas.

So, as soon as the Lost Boy was done taking his table's order, he quickly darted over to where Piper was heading for the bar. “Piper,” he called out to her.

She turned around and smiled. “What's up, Nico?”

“Um,” he motioned over his shoulder, where the woman was getting up, “who's that? I've never seen any of you be friendly with a customer before.”

“Oh.” Piper's eyes widened a little. “That's Mellie, and I've known her since I was about thirteen.”

“She knew your parents?”

Piper rubbed her arm. “Well, my mom walked out on my dad when I was real little, but Mellie there works for my dad. She's his personal assistant.”

Nico turned to raise a brow at the woman's retreating form. “Aren't you...I don't know, worried that she might relay this to your father?”

The Lost Girl nearly snorted. “Oh, that's funny. Well, firstly, she's not going to. She's more scared of Percy than she is loyal to my father. Secondly, my father probably wouldn't give a damn.” She sighed and went to start walking again, but Nico grabbed her arm.

“Wait, what does that mean?”

The girl sighed and shook her head. “This isn't the best time, Nico. I'll just say that there is more than one way to abuse your child.” She gave the boy a nod before turning and heading over to Chiron with Mellie's signed receipt.

At the end of the night, Nico was so bored. Maybe it was just the holiday, but it seemed like the hotel had slowed down a little. But perhaps this was a good thing. If it was going to slow down for a few days, then Nico could relax a little. However, the others were not acknowledging it, so perhaps it was not something to get excited over.

After leaving the bar, Nico headed back to his room, where he was greeted by a surprise visit from Percy. The manager and Jason were standing in the living room, and it seemed like they had been in the middle of a conversation. Jason was still smiling when Nico opened the door, though he frowned upon seeing Nico.

To say the last few days had been unpleasant for both of them was an understatement. It was so awkward, at least for Nico. Sure he had been curious about Jason's body, but he had not wanted such an intimate and up close experience with the blond's junk.

But at least Jason's hair was already blond again. The twins had not been lying when they said it was temporary. Still, the blond narrowed his eyes upon seeing Nico.

“I see you two have been having fun,” Percy chuckled.

Nico let out a sigh. “Am I off the hook yet?”

Percy hummed and tapped a finger to his lips. “I don't know, perhaps a few more days. Maybe if something happened in the shower, I'd end it on the spot.”

Nico's jaw practically hit the floor. “I'm starting to wonder if you're into voyeurism.”

The green-eyed young man shrugged. “Actually, I was thinking about both of you.” He motioned to Nico. “You're not comfortable with having sex with anyone but me.” He then turned and glanced at Jason, who was scowling at Percy. “And you're still not over associating sex with bad emotions. So, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. Jason finds you attractive, and you find Jason attractive. I don't see the problem with this.”

Nico felt his eyebrow twitch. “You have some serious issues.”

The manager scratched his cheek. Looking at the young man, he reminded Nico of an innocent toddler, though Nico was no fool. “It was just a thought. Think about it the next time you're in the shower. I need both of you to be more comfortable with sex and other people. Now, if you both can do that without sex, then by all means, don't have sex with each other. I figured it might be easier this way, rather than picking Lost Kids at random.”

This was a nightmare. The two roommates glanced at each other, eying each other carefully. Jason reacted first, shrugging casually. Nico let out a sigh and nodded his head. “Fine, if something happens, we'll go with it,” the brown-eyed boy mumbled.

Percy let out a sigh and smiled. “Well, now that we have that settled, Jason, you need to get to bed. Both of you do, but you have an early appointment with Circe tomorrow, so I guess Nico gets off the hook for another day. And, Nico, you need sleep as well, but I wanted to talk to you, and I know you're going to make me proud by studying some of those documents before you sleep.” He flashed Nico a bright smile before stepping aside to allow Nico to pass by him.

“I hate you sometimes,” Nico mumbled as he walked by the raven-haired young man. Jason laughed as he disappeared into his room and shut the door. When Nico turned around from shutting his own door, he found Percy laying down on his bed. “Can I help you?”

The young man grinned mischievously. “Well, we haven't really discussed hours yet.”

“Too tired.”

Percy only continued to grin. “That's actually what I was wanting to talk about,” the young man said. Nico tilted his head to the side, not following. He sat down and began to take his shoes off. “I've noticed something about you, Nico, as of late.”

“What's that?” Nico sighed, tossing his shoes aside and undoing his pants. Once he was out of them, he sat back down on the bed, near Percy, and pulled his legs up to his chest.

“It's that...as of late, I haven't really seen you trying to have sex.” The young man sat up and sat cross-legged, facing Nico. “No major blushing when someone makes a pass at you, no requesting to have sex with me, not even much of lustfully gazing at the other Lost Boys. I'm not sure if I should be impressed, happy, or worried.” He smiled when Nico glared. “But you're still cute when you do that. In all seriousness, though, I'm just surprised, but in a good way. I mean, you even turned me down for sex the other week. I'd say I'm pretty happy with your development in that regard.”

Nico's eyes fell to his sheets, where he simply shrugged. “Just haven't really wanted it.”

“I guess I'm also surprised you didn't come to me for some comfort after all of that.”

Brown eyes flickered up to meet the young man across from the Lost Boy. “Comfort doesn't always have to involve sex. It was just nice having you around.” Percy smiled at him so brightly that Nico could feel his heart begin to melt. Percy was just too much sometimes. “Or maybe even just to be held.”

Before Nico could even blink, Percy had slid in beside him under the covers. He smiled and pulled Nico close to him. “I don't have a problem with cuddling or holding you whenever you might need it.” He rested his head on top of Nico's, taking in a deep breath. “Actually, that's all I had intended to do after your mother's funeral.”

Once again, Nico found himself face to face with his failures. If only he had put more thought into his actions, perhaps he would not be in this mess. The boy's eyes slowly closed. He could hear Percy's heart beating in his chest, and the sound of it was mesmerizing. There in Percy's arms, Nico felt like the most important person in the young man's life. He knew that was not true, which only made it hurt more.

“You know,” Percy said, “I've been thinking about something else.” The young man's voice rumbled in his chest, vibrating against Nico's ear. “Aside from not fully comprehending why you like me, I don't understand why you see me as perfect. I don't really like it either. It's like a verbal slap to the face when you say that about me.”

Nico's fingers tightened in Percy's shirt. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “If it makes you feel any better, I'm starting to not think that as much.” He leaned back, allowing himself to get a better look at the young man beside him. “Being perfect means there's nothing to improve upon and without flaw. And to be human, you're going to have flaws. And that's what you are, human.”

The young man smiled and started stroking Nico's hair. “Well, I can rest a little easier now that I don't have all that expectation to live up to.”

“You are attractive, probably the most attractive person I've ever laid eyes on, though.” Nico felt his cheeks burn as Percy grinned at him. Why did he have to stick his foot in his mouth sometimes? But it seemed that his mouth had developed a mind of its own. “I know you're not perfect, I see that now, but I don't think the things you do make you a bad person. A bad person would not carry guilt with them, would not seek to help people. You're still desirable, even if you choose not to see it. You're human, and I think that's better than perfect. If you were perfect, I'd have to drown in my own sorrow because I'd have absolutely no hope of having a chance with you.”

Percy chuckled and continued playing with Nico's hair. “Well, I'm glad you decided to tear down the pillar you managed to place me on.” He shifted their positions, so that one of Percy's legs was resting between Nico's own legs. A hand slipped up Nico's shirt, where it traced circles around the boy's bellybutton. “Though, who said anyone had a chance with me to begin with?”

Nico had to let out a groan. Leave it to Percy to ruin the mood. “You couldn't just let me have that, could you?”

“Why, Nico, I take pride in torturing you, I'll have you know.”

A more true statement had never been said.

\---------------------------------

Circe had to be a witch. That was really the only explanation that Nico had for how a woman could make each of the Lost Kids look so good, even him. Nico tilted his head to the side and ran a hand down his cheek. Circe's girls had just finished giving him a facial, something he had been very much opposed to, but was not minding it so much now. His skin felt so soft...well, softer than before. His nails were perfectly manicured and his hair had been done to near perfection.

His bruises had disappeared, thankfully, leaving Nico with a face even had him looking stunned. Circe was smiling behind him as she continued to primp his hair. “Now, I let you keep a slightly messy look to your hair, while making sure it is acceptable for Gaea's liking,” the woman told him. “Make sure that you spend a little extra time in front of the mirror in the mornings until Gaea's departure. As I'm sure you've been made aware by now, you need to look your best as long as you're out of your suite.”

None of this was helping Nico's nerves. Percy and Rachel had left just over an hour ago to wait at the airport. The boy's brown eyes kept flickering over to the clock, watching it slowly tick and move. On the bright side, he had around half an hour before his life potentially ended.

He nearly jumped when Circe's hands squeezed his shoulders. “Well, I believe you're all done here. Scamper along and brace yourself for the coming storm.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled, shooting Circe a weak smile.

Jumping out of his seat, Nico nodded in Circe's direction before heading into the rest of the hotel. He stopped and looked around, debating on where he should go. It would not be long until he had to come back to the lobby, so his room seemed like a bad idea. Swimming was out of the question, unless he wanted Circe to decapitate him in his sleep. And most of the other activities around the hotel would involve getting sweaty, so Nico opted for getting a snack from the cabana.

As luck would have it, Ganymede was still there, and not off getting ready like most employees were. Though, the man was cleaning up, which meant he was probably going to temporarily close until after Gaea had arrived.

Ganymede looked up with a smile when Nico sat down across from him. “Well hello there. What do I owe the pleasure of your company on this beautiful day?”

Nico rolled his eyes, though he could not hide the smile that covered his face. “Just waiting until our guests arrive.”

The man wagged his eyebrows and leaned forward. “I bet you're just so excited about that.”

“Oh, you have no idea. I'm just plain ecstatic.” Nico leaned his elbows on the bar. He watched as Ganymede went back to cleaning and organizing. It was probably for the best, seeing as how everything needed to be absolutely perfect. “Is Piper's father famous?”

The ex-Lost Boy stopped and turned around to blink at Nico. “Um, if you consider being a well-known actor famous.” He tilted his head to the side when Nico gave him a confused look. “Piper's last name is McLean, yes?”

“Yeah?” Nico nodded, not following the man's words.

Ganymede rolled his hand slowly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You know, like Tristan McLean, the movie star.”

Nico's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Okay, so maybe it should have been obvious. “That's her father?” He practically yelled.

The man chuckled, nodding his head. “Yep, that would be her father. Though, I wouldn't try bringing him up or asking for an autograph.”

That was very curious, though. Piper had to have been brought up in a fairly luxurious life. So, how did a girl like that go from movie premieres and fame, to stripping under Percy's hotel. Why choose this life over something like that? Yet, Piper did not seem too happy to talk about her father last night, which truly made the question that much more confusing.

The dirty bond-haired man slapped his hands onto the counter, nearly causing Nico to fall off his stool. “So,” Ganymede said with a bright smile, “I hear you're going to be Percy's little assistant boy during the manager meeting.”

“Unfortunately,” Nico mumbled.

“How goes the studying?”

Nico let out a groan, burying his face in his palms. “I don't understand why he would pick me. Sure it's some good educational experience for my classes in school, but I'm pretty sure any of the other Lost Kids would be better suited for this.” He shook his head in sorrow. “They all know this stuff better than me, especially Leo and Rachel. I mean, I was even shocked to learn that the hotel rooms here were decently priced.”

Ganymede smiled and patted Nico's shoulder. “Well, you have to keep in mind that a lot of the guests here are just that, guests, and they don't know about the other things that go on here.” The tall man shrugged. “But then you also have people that simply come here to eat at our restaurant or get an appointment with Circe. You'd be surprised at some of the simple sources of income that Gaea's hotel chain has.”

Nico simply shrugged in response. His shoulders were slacking a little, but that would probably be because of his nerves and depressed mood. Something was going to go wrong, he could just tell. “I just don't know what to expect from this.”

“Well, I got to sit on a meeting once,” Ganymede replied. Nico brightened up a little. “Actually, it was the first time I ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on our dear Percy.” The man smiled when Nico leaned forward. “He was maybe a year younger than you at the time. He was just so...beautiful. Though, he was fairly quiet during the meeting. I did have the honor of having him wink at me when he caught me staring.”

“He had never come with Gaea before during her visits?”

Ganymede shook his head. “No, not really. And, during the rest of their time here, Percy was practically attached to Kronos's side, which helped deter most of us Lost Kids from trying to speak to him.” At the mention of Kronos's name, Ganymede made a face as if he tasted something sour. “They may seem similar, in a lot of ways, but Percy and Kronos could not be more different. Like, if Percy were the color white, Kronos would be black.”

Nico slowly nodded his head. “So, did anything else happen during their time here.”

Ganymede nodded, lightly chewing on his lip. “Oh yeah,” he replied. “You know, but they could never prove it had anything to do with Kronos. And now that Percy is manager, nobody would dare ask, because that would be like insulting Percy himself.”

Nico checked to make sure they were alone before turning back to Ganymede. “What happened?”

“Well, we've had similar cases before and even after this happened, but this is possibly the first time it was caused by someone from within the hotel system. At the time, Kronos was probably around sixteen, perhaps seventeen; you know, not really the age where you'd suspect something.” Ganymede let out a sigh. “Well, there was this girl at the time, pretty young and fairly fragile. In all honesty, I didn't see how she was going to make it.”

“I don't like how you keep saying 'was'.”

The man shrugged in response. “Were you expecting anything other than a tragic ending? I mean, do I need to remind you of where you're at?”

“No,” Nico sighed. He motioned for Ganymede to continue.

The ex-Lost Boy checked his watch before looking up at Nico. “Let's just say that Kronos is known to have a way with words, and can be fairly persuasive. Which, if you are aware of that about Percy, then you already know what I'm talking about.”

Nico nodded.

Ganymede cleared his throat. “I don't really want to get into great detail about it, but Aphrodite swore she saw Kronos and the girl talking. And then she turns up dead, though everyone is fairly certain it was suicide.”

“Do you believe that?”

The man rubbed at his mouth. “It probably was, though I feel confident in saying that Kronos probably said something to her to make her do that.” This was not helping Nico's nerves. “Just be aware of Kronos while he's here, okay? He's very good about getting into your head and making you do what he wants.”

“I-”

Nico was cut off by the sound of his phone. And it seemed that Ganymede had also got a text, as the young man reached down to pull his phone out of his pocket. Nico's eyes flickered down to his screen. The text was one word from Leo: Lobby!

“Well,” Ganymede chuckled, “looks like that's our cue to get into position.”

There was a heavy lump in Nico's throat, one that he could not manage to swallow. He was no longer sure who he should be more nervous about meeting. Both seemed pretty intimidating to him at the moment, though.

He was so rigid as he walked. Ganymede just laughed, tossing an arm around the boy to speed him up. As they walked, Circe came bursting out of her spa like a bomb was about to go off. “Hurry, hurry!” She called after them as she took off towards the lobby.

“You'll get used to this,” Ganymede assured him. Nico was not so sure if that would be the case.

The other Lost Kids were already standing in the middle of the lobby when they arrived. Even Chiron, Dionysus, Esperanza, and Chris were there, though they stood at the back. Nico gave Ganymede a pleading look before he was pushed away by the laughing blond.

Staring at his feet, Nico took his position next to Jason, who was practically bouncing on his heels. Which Nico could understand in all honesty. Jason was, after all, the son of Gaea's late rival. The others, however, could not have looked more relaxed unless they were given pajamas and a bed.

Leo came bounding out of the elevators, shuffling rapidly towards them with his cell phone in hand. He took a deep breath as he positioned himself at the door. Nico felt the color drain from his face as soon as Leo turned towards them. The Latino raised a hand to his mouth before he yelled, “Gird your loins! This is not a drill!”

Several of the Lost Kids rolled their eyes, but all the humor was lost on Nico. He felt his shoulders tighten and his stomach do a flip as the Latino boy slipped his phone into his pocket and placed his hand on the door.

There, in front of the hotel's front door, was a long, black limousine. Percy emerged first, with Rachel following quickly beside him. The young man dashed around to the other side and opened the door, while smiling at whoever was on the other side of the door.

Reaching out, Percy took a feminine-looking hand. And out from the door came a dark green high-heel. Nico's stomach plummeted. There was no more waiting, there was no more time to prepare. His fate had been sealed, though that had probably happened the moment he had been brought into the hotel. Nico could think of a million of other things that he would rather happen at the moment, some of which included one of the several terrorist customers the hotel had showing up and threatening to blow them up. But none of that really mattered at the moment because of one simple fact.

Gaea was here.


	35. In the Face of Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've almost caught up to where I'm at on fanfiction.net. Which means that you guys will have to get used to longer periods between updates. Just hopefully not super long periods. But I wanted to say that when I'm done updating the chapters here, I'm going to start uploading a few of my other stories. I'll probably start with some of the shorter stuff, though most of the requests were that I upload House of the Wicked over here. Which I'm going to, especially with the growing possibility of having mature content in that fic. So I just wanted to get that announcement out of the way.

Seeing a picture of Gaea had not really prepared Nico for seeing the woman in person for the first time. It felt so surreal, watching the tall woman walk through those doors in front of him. There was an air of grace and elegance about her as she walked, like she was so far out of reach, yet the true embodiment for the life Nico had been living for the past few months.

There was simply no distinguishing age just by looking at the woman, she could have been immortal for all Nico could tell. Her face was beautiful, more beautiful than any woman—even a model—that Nico had ever laid eyes on. She was tall and slender, with a thin back dress covering her figure. She walked with perfection in her heels, like she might have done it her whole life. Her hair was flowing freely behind her, as black as night itself. And then there were her green eyes, hard as stone and as green as freshly grown grass.

The woman had Percy on her arm, and the young man seemed happier and less stressful than Nico had seen him in quite a few days. Rachel tailed after them, spouting off details about what had been happening at the hotel as of late. But on Gaea's other side was a woman that Nico had yet to see.

Like Gaea, she had long, black hair, though she kept it in a tight bun. Her eyes were as grey and stormy as a raging thunderstorm, with the same hardness that Nico could often see in Percy's own green eyes. She wore a business suit and skirt, which showcased her long legs. Though she walked gracefully, the woman was busily reading over something on the tablet in her hands.

But the thing that Nico found himself thankful for was the lack of Kronos. There was absolutely no sign of the infamous young man as Gaea was brought inside.

Once Gaea was standing before them, the Lost Kids straightened their posture, though many of them still smiled. The only other person besides Nico that seemed uneasy about the woman's presence was Jason, who kept fidgeting nervously.

Gaea laced her fingers in front of her as she glanced them all over. For Nico, it was an uncomfortable silence, where he could distinguish nothing about what the woman was thinking. As hard as it was to figure Percy's thoughts at times, this woman took it to a whole new level.

“Hello, children,” came Gaea's almost harmonic voice. It was so soft, so captivating, that Nico could have mistaken her for a siren from myth. She moved to the end of the line that the Lost Kids had formed, thankfully opposite from Nico. Unfortunately, it also meant he would be last to be seen. “Annabeth, Thalia, Luke, Apollo, Octavian, Zoë, Silena, Charles, Butch, Piper, Calypso, Travis, Connor, Reyna, Hazel, Will, Leo, Clarisse, and Ethan.”

This now brought her in front of Drew and Juniper, which left the woman with only three Lost Kids until she reached him. To say his heart was going into overdrive would have been an understatement for him.

“Drew and Juniper, I trust the move has been pleasant for you both?” Gaea asked the two girls.

“Yes, ma'am,” both girls replied. It surprised Nico, to see Drew so polite to someone that was not a customer. Even to Percy, the girl could be irritable at times.

And then Gaea was on Jason. The blond clenched his hands at his sides, swallowing a lump in his throat as he stared back at the woman. Gaea narrowed her eyes slightly before opening her mouth. “You must be Jason, son of Zeus and Thalia's younger brother. I trust that you have been adjusting and that I won't have any trouble for you?”

Jason wasted no time in shaking his head. “N-no, ma'am,” he barely managed to whisper.

A beautiful smile sprung out across Gaea's full, perfect lips. “Good. Then I will enjoy having you as one of my employees, as I'm sure Percy has enjoyed having you here for the past two months. Don't cause any trouble and you won't have anything to fear from me.” Smiling again, she patted the blond's cheek and moved on.

Unlike Jason, Nico could not even manage to swallow the lump that had been forming in his throat. It felt as if his heart had decided to lodge itself there. The raven-haired boy stared up at the woman with wide eyes, trying his hardest not to shake. All traces of the woman's smile seemed to slip away as she laid eyes on him.

“And you,” she began, “you must be the Nico that I've been hearing so much about.” She gently reached out and grabbed hold of his chin, tilting it up so that she could get a better look at him. Her nails pressed against the boy's pale skin, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to cause a slight discomfort for Nico. “I've heard quite a good deal about you, my child.” The way her emerald green eyes pierced him, Nico could only hope that it had been nothing bad. “I must say, I don't believe I've had someone cause such chaos in my ranks since your boss found his way into my care.”

As Nico slowly opened his mouth to attempt to respond to the woman, someone burst through the door and practically jumped on Percy. Arms were wrapped tightly around the green-eyed manager's neck as a pale cheek was pressed against Percy's tan one.

A young man around Percy's age and height now stood at the green-eyed young man's side, nuzzling against Percy fondly. “Percy!” The newly arrived male exclaimed happily. “I have missed you so much!”

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “You've been seeing me since you arrived, Kronos.”

The lump in Nico's neck was gone. His heart had sank into his stomach, the color draining from his face. He had been hoping that Kronos was not going to arrive with his mother, but that did not seem to be the case after all.

And if to make matters worse, Kronos opened his eyes to reveal his light brown orbs. They shimmered in the light, reminding Nico of pure gold. He would have been drawn in by them, if they were not piercing him like a knife. The way the young man stared at him was like a predator stalking its prey, a lion hunting a weakened gazelle.

Still holding on to Percy, Kronos smirked. “So, this is the boy that you've been talking about, brother.”

Unlike Gaea's voice, Kronos sounded as cold as ice. The very sound of the young man's voice caused a chill to run down Nico's spine. And with a quick glance at the others, Nico could tell they felt the same. The happiness they had displayed at seeing Gaea was completely gone, replaced instead by an overwhelming tension. And many of the Lost Kids even refused to look up from the carpet.

Kronos let out a sigh, his head falling onto Percy's shoulder. The pale young man's lips tilted down into a frown as he picked at his shirt. “I must say, I'm a little disappointed. After hearing about you, I just expected more.” Nico's blood ran cold as the young man detached himself from Percy and bent forward to look Nico directly in the face. A manic grin slowly crept its way across Kronos's face. “But here you are, and you don't seem like much at all.”

“S-sorry,” Nico barely managed to get out, his eyes falling to the floor.

Kronos narrowed his eyes. Cold fingers touched Nico's chin and forced the boy to look up. Leaning in, Kronos lost his smile. “It's not nice to disappoint people,” he whispered.

“Already picking on the new kid?” Luke mumbled from down the line.

Kronos bit down on his lip, a look of excitement appearing in his eyes. Pulling away from Nico, the raven-haired young man opened his arms with a smile. “There he is. And a record time at that.” Kronos tapped his chin. “You know, it's been a while since I've seen you come to someone's defense so quickly.” Yet another grin appeared on his pale lips. “How's your mother doing these days, Luke?”

Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head. Glancing at Gaea, the green-eyed young man arched a brow. Gaea snapped her fingers in Kronos's direction. “That's enough,” she said softly, “let's settle in to our rooms.”

“Yes, mother,” Kronos said, still smirking at Luke.

Kronos headed for the elevator, Gaea and the woman that Nico still did not know following after him. Nico swallowed the lump in his throat as he turned to watch them board the elevator. When he noticed someone standing beside him, he looked up to find Percy smiling at him. Raising his hand, he patted Nico on the head.

“That wasn't so bad, was it?”

Nico wanted to say yes, but he figured it was not the best course of action. “Not at all,” Nico lied. “But who was that other woman?”

“Oh.” Percy smiled. “I guess I forgot to introduce her. I'll correct that later tonight then. But for now, that would be Athena, the European branch manager.”

Patting Nico on the head again, Percy, Leo, and Rachel headed for the elevator that Gaea, Kronos, and Athena had boarded. Once Percy was inside, Kronos attached himself to the green-eyed young man once again. Nico narrowed his eyes, feeling a surge of jealousy.

“You okay?”

Nico turned his head away, avoiding Luke's gaze. “I'm fine,” the boy mumbled.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Funny, because you didn't look fine. If you're going to act like a scared little girl, you might as well paint a target on your back for Kronos.” The blond let out a grunt. “Well, at least there's someone from the Middle East branch that I can stand.”

Nico quirked a brow and looked up at the blond, only to find him staring at the front door again. Following Luke's gaze, Nico found a tall, lanky brunet directing some of the hotel's employees with some luggage. He had a small, wispy goatee on his chin and unruly curly hair.

“Grovie!” Juniper exclaimed excitedly as she latched herself onto the brunet's neck.

So that was Grover. Looking at the brunet now, Nico had to wonder how Grover managed to survive under Kronos. The way the guy smiled as he hugged Juniper back, he did not appear to able to harm a fly. How had Kronos not eaten him alive?

Before he knew what was going on, Luke was dragging Nico towards Grover and Juniper. Annabeth and Thalia were already hugging the brunet, and Nico got the feeling they Grover better than some of the other Lost Kids.

Smirking, Luke lifted a hand to clasp Grover's held out one. “Hey, man,” the blond greeted the brunet. “How was the flight?”

“Not too bad.” Grover smiled at Juniper as he finally managed to pry her off his neck. “A little relieved to be here finally. At least now Kronos has someone to distract him...not you of course.” Luke shot the brunet a dirty look. The brunet's eyes finally landed on Nico. “This the new kid?”

Thalia grinned and held Nico's shoulder, pushing him forward. “Yep. Grover, meet Nico. Nico, this is Grover, the most awesome person in Gaea's employment.”

Grover smirked and held out his hand, shaking Nico's pale one enthusiastically. “You know, I was originally going to get posted here, but Percy ended up finding Leo and Rachel.” He let out a sigh. “And Kronos requested me first anyways.” The smirk returned as he placed his hands behind his head. “I hope you're surviving okay. I know that these three can be a handful at times, not to mention you have Percy walking around. Nothing but trouble that one is.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Please, like you weren't encouraging most of his stunts back in Germany. As I heard, you were the reason he ended up with a broken leg that one time, when you convinced him it would be perfectly safe to ski down the flight of stairs at Gaea's hotel.”

“You know,” Grover began, “there are a lot of versions of that story flying around these days. However, since Percy is not around to say otherwise, I'd like to say that mine is the honest one.”

“Uh-huh,” Annabeth replied, unconvinced.

Grover smiled innocently. “Anyways, I've got to get upstairs before Kronos has me hunted down.” The brunet nodded at Nico. “Nice to meet you, dude.”

Nico turned his head lightly to watch the brunet head to the elevators with Juniper attached to his arm. He frowned to himself. It must suck for Juniper, having to be so far away from the guy she liked. And Grover seemed like a pretty good guy, at least from Nico's first impression.

\------------------------------------------------

Nico quirked his brow as he entered the bar room on the top floor. Annabeth stood at his side, shaking her head. Nico tilted his head to the side. “Is he okay?” He whispered to the blonde.

“Hard to say,” she whispered back.

Luke was splayed out on the couch, his eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. In a way, he reminded Nico of a child that had just been put in timeout. Taking a chance, Nico poked the blond with his foot. Icy blue eyes instantly shot over to him in a murderous glare. The brown-eyed boy quickly held his hands up in defense.

Luke sat up, still glaring. “What do you want?” He growled.

Annabeth let out a sigh. “You need to get backstage. And I'd recommend going now, before Kronos gets up here.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Luke grumbled as he stumbled up from the couch. Had he been drinking?

Annabeth shook her head with another sigh as Luke managed to get himself out the door. “I'm already awaiting the end of this meeting. I don't mind seeing Gaea, but Luke does this to himself every time he has to see Kronos.”

A faint chuckle drew Nico's attention to Dionysus, who was already busy mixing drink. “I don't know what all the fuss is about. Ever since I met him, I have found Kronos nothing short of effective and quite the conversationalist.”

“That's because you're both despicable human beings,” Annabeth shot back.

Dionysus's beady, dark eyes sparked in amusement as they shot over to the blonde. “Careful, Annie, or some secrets might slip,” the man grinned. Annabeth narrowed her eyes. “Oh yes, I've known for quite some time now. You see, unlike our most esteemed manager,” he said in a mocking tone, “I actually do see everything that goes on in this hotel.”

The blonde continued to glare daggers at the man before she grabbed Nico's arm and dragged him out of the bar room. Once the door was shut, she let out a heavy sigh. “I truly wish that man would just leave. At least once a year, I beg Percy to send him somewhere else.”

“You okay?” Nico asked.

The Lost Girl nodded her head. “Never trust him, Nico. I know we've told you that before, but you need to hear it again. The man is a liar and a deceiver, who will stop at nothing until he's gotten under your skin. On numerous occasions, he's tried causing divides amongst us.”

Nico frowned. “Why does he even stay around?” Nodding his head to the door, Nico locked eyes with the grey eyes of the blonde in front of him. “He seems to like Kronos, so why doesn't he go work for him?”

Pursing her lips, Annabeth pushed herself off the wall she had propped herself against. “Because, he is waiting for something. And if I'm correct, may be something soon.” Her eyes were no longer staring at Nico, but rather the floor to the side of the boy. “He has always resented Percy, but is still hoping that something will come out of biding his time. And he thinks he knows what I want, but he's wrong.”

“And what do you want?”

Grey eyes flickered back over to Nico. Straightening herself, Annabeth patted his shoulder. “Time to get to work,” she said with a small smile.

Nico let out a sigh and followed after the blonde as she weaved her way around the tables. For the duration of Gaea's stay at the hotel, the wall had been taken down that separated the boys and the girls. Apollo had told him that it was for efficiency, which pretty much meant that they were doing it so that Gaea wouldn't have to move around so much. Thalia had mentioned that in Germany the boys and the girls all performed on one stage, like they did here on big weekends.

Out of nowhere, Nico was yanked away by his arm. Letting out a small yelp, he nearly fell on his face. Luckily, there was another hand that caught him. Looking up, he found Percy's smiling face. And it would have made him smile as well, if not for the other hand that had originally pulled him. Alongside Percy were Gaea and Kronos, the latter having yanked him.

“Just who I was looking for,” Kronos said, the hint of a smirk on his face. “Why don't you wait on our table tonight, Nico.” Placing his hand on the pale boy's back, he guided Nico towards the booth Percy always sat at. “After all, I've been so looking forward to meeting you.”

For some reason, Nico had the feeling that was not a good thing. “I'd be happy to,” Nico managed to reply. He felt cold all of a sudden, and he tried to look to Percy for support, but the young man was busy talking with Gaea.

A few of the other Lost Kids took notice of Nico being dragged to Percy's booth, but they did not look upset like they did on the first night Nico managed getting Percy's table. They looked a little worried, as well as relieved. Not that Nico could really blame them for the last part, as he himself wished more than anything right now that he was not the one serving Percy's table.

Placing Nico in front of the table, Kronos slid into the booth and stretched his arms out across the back of it. Nico glanced at Percy with panic in his eyes as the young man came up beside him. His were not answered, though, as Percy just smiled and ruffled Nico's hair before sliding in beside Kronos.

After Gaea was seated, Nico pulled out the pen and pad he kept tucked in the waistband of his speedo. “So, what can I get for you three?”

Inspecting his nails, Kronos quirked a brow. “What kind of greeting is that? I do hope you try harder with the customers.”

“I do.” Nico swallowed a lump in his throat. “I just didn't think it would matter as much at this table, since I'm not soliciting business.”

“Now that you're working the back rooms,” Gaea interjected, though she was not bothering to look in Nico's direction.

Nico bit down on his lip and glanced at Percy, who just shrugged. He was now understanding what he had been told recently: Gaea really was not happy about Percy's original decision concerning Nico's employment.

Finally coming to Nico's rescue, Percy smiled. “I'll just have some water for now, Nico, and maybe have some salsa chips sent up from the kitchen.”

Nico nodded, scribbling it down on the pad. Propping his chin up with his palm, Kronos stared at Nico with a bored expression. “I'll have a Black Russian, and make sure Dionysus adds an extra shot of vodka,” the young man ordered. “Oh, and get some cheese dip for those chips Percy ordered. Salsa is good, but I'm craving some cheese dip.”

Nodding his head quickly and scribbling down Kronos's order, Nico glanced up at Gaea. The woman had her fingers laced under her chin as she watched Nico with an unreadable expression. Nico's whole body tensed on instinct. “A-and what can I get for you, ma'am?”

In silence, Gaea continued to stare at him for a few long seconds. She finally smiled and relaxed into the booth. “Well, at least he has manners.” Waving a hand casually, she continued. “Just call me Gaea, dear. I'm not old enough yet to let people like you call me ma'am.”

Nico glanced at Percy in question. The manager chuckled. “She means working as a Lost Kid, you're one of the few people she'll let call you by her name.”

“I gave the Lost Kids their name,” Gaea continued. “I started this business before Percy or Kronos were even born, so the kids I took in were essentially just that, my children.” Nico was uncertain if he should be relieved or not by hearing that. It was a nice sentiment, but the woman still made him nervous. “I'll just have a martini, sweetie.”

Nodding, Nico headed for the bar room, scribbling down Gaea's order as he went. Pushing the door open, Nico tore of the piece of paper and slipped it across the counter to Dionysus. The man grabbed it and lifted it to his face, where he nodded and placed it back on the counter.

“I see you haven't been eaten alive yet,” Dionysus said, keeping his eyes on the drinks.

Nico scrunched his lips. “Disappointed?”

The man pouted his lips, placing his hand on the bar as he turned to face Nico. “Now, Nico, I'm offended. I would be very dismayed if some form of harm were to come to you.” The man went back to his drinks, while Nico typed in the order for the chips to be sent up from the kitchen. “Besides, it's inevitable that at least one of the two of them will eat you alive before they leave.”

As much as he hated to admit it, the comment managed to get under his skin. Nico paused, his finger hovering over one of the buttons on the small computer. “You're not going to get to me,” he whispered.

“Run all you like, the hotel always claims its victim.”

As he poured Percy's water, Nico's fingers tightened on the pitcher. “Well, maybe one day you'll have that satisfaction. However, for now, I'm still surviving.” Putting the pitcher of ice water back in the fridge, Nico grabbed a tray and put all the drinks on it. “You're not going to get to me, Dionysus.”

There was a smirk on the man's lips as Nico balanced the tray. “You say that like I'm intentionally trying to sabotage you, Nico. If I do recall, I'm not the one who did anything to you, that would be your latest 'family'.” As Nico headed for the door, the man sat down in his chair. “Besides, trying to ruin all of you would be too much work, and isn't necessary anyways. Everyone in this hotel ends up destroying themselves eventually.”

Nico headed back to Percy's booth, where he dropped off the drinks. “The salsa chips and dip should be up shortly,” he informed them.

“Do hurry, I'm hungry,” Kronos mumbled.

Percy arched a brow at him. “You just ate an hour ago.”

Kronos shrugged. “And now I want chips.” Raising his drink to his lips, he made a face. “You call this a drink?” Rather roughly, the pale young man shoved the drink back in Nico's direction. “Take it back, and have me another made.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico mumbled, picking the drink back up. Chewing on his lip, he headed back to the bar room. Sighing as he opened the door, he walked over and deposited the drink on the counter. “Kronos didn't like it.”

Dionysus nodded, though he simply filled the drink back up. “There you go.”

Nico arched a brow as he held the refilled drink in his hand. “Aren't you going to redo it?”

Turning to the boy, Dionysus blinked at him. “And why would I do that? It's not that Kronos didn't like the drink, it's because he doesn't like you. Sadly for you, you've got the worst time to serve Percy's table. The Lost Kids avoid it like the plague when Kronos is here.” Nodding to the drink, Dionysus went back to work on more drinks. “Now go on, tell him I put more alcohol in it this time to make him happy.”

Letting out a sigh, Nico slowly made his way back to Percy's table...again. He was getting the feeling that this was going to become routine as the night went on. As long as he did not have to do this every night for the rest of Kronos's visit, Nico could probably survive. Hopefully.

As the night went on, Nico was only proven right in his assumption. It seemed like Kronos went out of his way just to torment Nico in every way he could, and get away with it without making it seem like he was doing it intentionally. First it was the drink, then he complained about the cheese dip. And then when they finished the chips, Kronos complained about not having enough. Towards the end of the night, it seemed like Kronos was just trying to be an ass when he said the color of Nico's speedo didn't suit him.

Nico narrowed his eyes over at the raven-haired young man, who had somehow managed to corner Luke near the stage. The room was mostly empty now, save for a few customers trying to talk with Gaea, but were being blocked by Clarisse and Ethan.

Smiling warmly, Juniper patted Nico's shoulder. He sat at a table with the girl and Grover, waiting to be dismissed. Nico frowned as he watched Kronos and Luke. The blond narrowed his eyes at something Kronos said to him, which only made the brown-eyed young man grin wider. Before walking away from the blond, Kronos patted Luke's cheek rather harshly and laughed lightly. Octavian hurried over to his brother, placing his hand on Luke's shoulder before the other blond could go after the smug manager.

“You know,” Juniper began, “if I didn't know what a sadistic bastard Kronos was, I'd say he has a thing for Luke.” When she received odd looks from the two boys at the table, she rolled her eyes. “Like boys when they are younger, and they pick on girls that they like, since they aren't intelligent enough to know how properly act on their feelings.”

“Hey!” Nico and Grover replied, slightly offended.

“Don't get mad over the truth.” Juniper smiled. “But, as we all know, Kronos is not the affectionate type.”

“He actually might be getting engaged soon,” Grover mumbled around a sandwich he had brought up from the kitchen. “Rhea.”

Juniper's eyebrows rose. “Oh really? Well, she's a nice girl, so maybe she can straighten him out.”

“Good luck to her,” Grover muttered under his breath.

“Grover!” Kronos shouted from the stairs.

The brunet stiffened and scarfed down the rest of his food. “Got to go,” he said quickly, pecking Juniper on the cheek as he dashed off.

Juniper sighed and rolled her eyes, attempting to clean up the mess that Grover had left behind. “I worry that Kronos is going to send Grover to an early grave...in one way or the other.”

Nico scrunched his lips as he let his face fall onto the table, resting his cheek on the surface. “How do you do it?” He asked. Juniper arched a brow at him. “Being with Grover, I mean. Are you two dating?”

“Um, it's complicated.” Juniper let out a sigh. “The distance is rough, and I'm not sure we'll ever get to be near each other. Grover owes a lot to the hotel, and Gaea, so he's sort of bound to it for life. Unlike the rest of us, he doesn't have as much of a choice in the matter.” Slouching in her chair, Juniper laced her hands across her stomach. “I've asked Percy to transfer him here, and I asked Athena when I was back in Europe, but they both said there's nowhere to really put him at the moment. He's a good secretary, and good at keeping things organized, so they don't want to just put him anywhere.”

“And no one wants to send Leo or Rachel over there.”

Juniper nodded. “Exactly. Percy says if he finds an opening, he'll talk to Kronos about it.” Running through her fingers through her hair, Juniper let out another sigh. “It's just not exactly what a girl dreams about when she's growing up.”

“I'd imagine not.” Nico sat up and grabbed the bottle of water he had grabbed before leaving the bar room for the night. Yawning, he took a swig. He was so exhausted, but he knew it would be another hour or two before he got any sleep. Nico had managed reading over a great deal of the material Rachel had given him, but he still had a huge pile sitting beside his bed. Though, to say the least, he was learning a great deal about the hotel.

Juniper smiled at him. “So, what did you always dream up for your prince charming?”

Nico barely managed to smile, feeling his eyes beginning to droop. “Well, after I came to admit to myself I was gay, I would imagine up these insanely hot guys that would come along and say all the right things to make me melt.”

The Lost Girl let out a chuckle. “You know, just looking at you, people would think you're all doom and gloom. And, yet, underneath it all, you're just a big softie and romantic.”

The boy narrowed his eyes. “Don't repeat that!” He hissed. Letting out a sigh, he glanced over to where Percy was smiling and talking with Gaea. “I was younger, and I just wanted the fairytale ending that everyone got in those movies. As I got older, though, I went through a long phase where I thought simply because I was gay that I didn't deserve such an ending.”

“And then?”

“I realized that was just my father talking in my head.” Nico's eyes grew dull as he watched Percy walk in their direction. “And, sadly, I don't see myself getting an ending like that in my future anymore.”

Following Nico's gaze, Juniper smiled again. She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Don't say things like that. I think you'll end up happy, and with someone that really cares about you.”

“Just not Percy,” Nico mumbled.

“I never said that,” Juniper chuckled.

Nico stiffened when he felt something touch the back of his chair. His breath hitched when he felt lips press against his ear. “Don't go to sleep too early, I want to come see how you're doing with everything,” Percy whispered into his ear.

Nico shuddered. His eyes had closed as soon as Percy began speaking, and now he was feeling too tired to manage opening them again. Nico simply nodded, letting out a breath when he felt Percy let go of his chair.

Juniper smiled at him from across the table. Standing to her feet, she nudged him with her foot. “Come on, sleepyhead, we'll get you back to your room.”

Nico let out a groan, but managed standing up. His legs felt like lead as he dragged himself towards the stairs. “You mean so I can do more work.”

Taking Nico's arm, Juniper led the boy down the stairs. “Look on the bright side, Percy's going to be stopping by your room shortly, and I figure he'll be willing to help you if you're lost on anything.” Boarding the elevator, Juniper hit the button to their floor after sliding her card through the slot. “And you know, you'll have him all to yourself.”

“Percy and I actually haven't done anything since my mother's funeral,” Nico mumbled.

“A little fucked up way of looking at it, ain't it?”

Nico shrugged. “No more so than anything else in this hotel.”

When they arrived at their floor, Juniper was pleasantly surprised to find Grover standing outside her door. Nico smiled at her as she released his arm and headed down her hall. Once she was inside her suite with Grover, Nico's smile slowly fell off his face. At least they were open with their feelings with each other, and were able to see each other a few times a year. At this point, Nico would have given anything to be like that with Percy. Just not as far away from each other.

Upon entering his suite, Nico found the lights off, which meant that Jason was either not back yet or he was already asleep. Either was fine with Nico, as he was finding it hard to fully stare his roommate in the eye the past few days. Having to stand naked in the shower with an also naked Jason—while enjoyable for Nico—was also slightly uncomfortable.

Sure he had seen some of the Lost Kids naked by this point, and sure he was now technically a prostitute, but he was not yet fully comfortable being so vulnerable with the blond. Perhaps it was the blond's indifference while they were in the shower. Jason barely spoke, and rarely looked Nico in eye during the shower. He was so different from the other Lost Boys, who even now still made passes at Nico.

But it truly sucked for him in the regards of finding Jason appealing. Jason was attractive, there was no doubt about that. And perhaps, if put in a different situation where their lives had not been so fucked up—and Percy was not involved in the situation like he was—Nico might have found himself romantically interested in Jason. The blond was interesting and fun to talk to, at least when he opened up to Nico. And he was probably one of the more attractive guys at the hotel.

But, whereas Apollo felt like an older brother to Nico, Jason felt like a very close friend. A friend that some part of Nico's mind wanted to have benefits with. And having to see Jason naked on a daily basis now sort of made it hard to not try anything, even if he was being coerced into doing something by Percy. How fucked up was that anyways?

It was a little after three when Nico heard the door to his suite open. Footsteps drew closer, until they came to a stop outside of Nico's door. The brown-eyed boy rolled onto his side to look at the door when it opened.

There stood Percy, who walked inside and closed the door behind him before plopping down on the bed with Nico. The manager picked up a sheet of paper and looked it over, propping his chin up on his palm. “So, how goes it?” The young man asked.

Nico let his head fall onto his arm with a groan. “I've lost a lot of extra sleep, just trying to be prepared for this meeting. I'm still not sure if picking me was the best idea.”

Nico sighed when he felt fingers rake through his hair. “Maybe you should have faith in yourself.” Percy smiled at him. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Nico shuffled through some pages, trying to remember any questions that he had. “Um, well, I didn't know that there were other hotels like this one in North America.”

“Yep,” the green-eyed manager replied. Nico's heart skipped a beat when Percy rested his head on Nico's back, the young man's fingers slipping up the back of Nico's shirt. “I mean, that would just be unfair that our clients had to come all the way out here just to see performances. But there are a lot of just normal hotels around.”

“And they outnumber the ones like this one?”

Nico felt Percy nod against his back. “Makes it a little harder for law enforcement or the federal government to crack down on the right one.” Percy's index finger trailed down Nico's spine. “Because, let's face it, none of the clients are brave enough to rat us out, and those that snoop around learn really quickly that they shouldn't go poking around Gaea's business.”

Finally finding the paper he was looking for, Nico scanned it over quickly. “And Gaea's funding a movie?”

Percy grinned and slid his hands around to wrap around Nico's stomach. “What, Gaea can't like movies?” The young man asked, sliding up so that his nose was buried in the crook of Nico's neck. “You know, Gaea is planning on dropping by the set. I could bring you along, if you'd like.”

Nico perked up slightly. “I could see a movie set, and meet the actors?”

“More than likely,” Percy mumbled. “I'm sure Gaea wouldn't mind if I asked her. It'll be shortly after the meeting, a few days before Gaea leaves to go back home.”

Nico opened his mouth to reply, but stopped and gasped when he felt Percy kiss and suck on his neck. The boy let his head fall onto the papers in front of him, his eyes fluttering closed. Percy's arms tightened around him, pulling the boy closer. Slowly, Percy slid a hand down the side of Nico's shorts, rubbing Nico's soft thigh.

“Percy,” Nico breathed out.

In response, Percy pulled Nico onto all fours and yanked Nico's butt into his crotch. With a hand still on Nico's stomach, Percy leaned forward and bit down on Nico's neck. A gasp escaped Nico's lips as the back of his shorts were pulled down.

Nico felt Percy grin against his throat. “You know, I didn't take you for the type to go commando,” Percy growled against his skin.

Nico's cheeks lit up. “I was just trying to get comfortable,” he mumbled.

Percy's fingers brushed lightly against Nico's entrance. “Aw, and here I was hoping you did it with the knowledge that I was dropping by.”

Nico maneuvered his upper body so that he could look at Percy. He narrowed his eyes. “Don't flatter yourself so much.”

Percy simply grinned and crashed their lips together. Nico let out a moan when Percy took his bottom lip into his own, rocking his hips roughly against the brown-eyed boy's butt. When Percy pulled away, he pushed between Nico's shoulders, pushing the boy upper body against the bed.

Nico frowned at seeing the paperwork he was supposed to be studying strewn about, some of it partially crumpled. “Percy, maybe we should-”

He was cut off when the green-eyed young man took hold of his balls. “I think it's kind of hot,” Percy whispered into Nico's ear. “In fact, you're more than welcome to come to my office at a later time and try out my desk.”

Percy chuckled when Nico just narrowed his eyes and ripped their shirts off. With a quick nip to Nico's bottom lip, Percy removed his pants and underwear before taking his place behind Nico once again. Nico frowned against the papers his face was pressed against when he heard a popping noise.

Turning his head, he found Percy with a thing of lube. Nico arched a brow. “And where did that come from?”

Percy stared back at Nico with raised eyebrows. “What? I figured you didn't have any lube and condoms yet.” Smirking, he applied some lube to his fingers. Nico let out a gasp as Percy's coated finger slowly slid inside of him. “You should really stock up on some, especially if I have to keep checking up on you like this.”

Some part of Nico wanted to be annoyed with what Percy had just said, but at the same time he was happy. He was happy because the young man was implying this might become a normal thing. And while Nico knew it was not what he was wanting, it was still more than he had when he first got to the hotel.

By the time Percy was done stretching him out, Nico's face was flushed. Percy pulled him back onto all fours before pulling out a condom he had brought. Sliding it onto his member, Percy pressed it against Nico's entrance and slowly began to push in.

Nico bit down on his lip and scrunched his eyes shot as Percy's manhood slowly penetrated him. But, unlike his past few sexual experiences with people, Percy entering him did not bother Nico in the slightest. Well, save for the slight discomfort due to Percy's size.

Once fully embedded into Nico's ass, Percy pulled on the boy's shoulders, biding him into getting on his knees. Placing a hand on Nico's cheek, Percy pressed their lips together and took hold of the boy's hips. With a light thrust, Percy managed to draw a gasp out of Nico. Seizing the opportunity, Percy slipped his tongue into Nico's open mouth.

After a few more thrusts, Percy broke their kiss, letting Nico fall back onto his hands. Percy pressed a hand between Nico's shoulder blades, shoving him roughly into the paperwork and Nico's mattress. And while normally Nico might have objected to something like this, being treated like this sexually, he found it hot.

Percy's hands gripped roughly on Nico's hips, keeping the boy's ass securely in place as it jutted out for Percy to have his way with. One of Percy's hands reached up to grip Nico's shoulder, squeezing it tightly as the young man leaned his body forward to angle himself better. Nico let out a string of loud moans as the green-eyed young man quickened his pace, slamming his tan hips into Nico's pale ass.

Without warning, Percy flipped Nico onto his back and placed the boy's legs onto his shoulders. Nico stared up at the young man with wide eyes as Percy slowly slid back into Nico. Percy just stared down at him with dark, lust-filled eyes, briefly leaning down to claim Nico's lips. He pulled Nico more to the edge of the bed, lifting Nico's legs higher.

Nico's mouth fell open and he saw white when Percy began rapidly slamming into him. Every single time, Percy hit his prostrate dead on. Nico screamed out in pleasure as Percy gripped his legs tightly and slammed into him as hard as he could.

And as Nico's head rolled to the side, he suddenly became very thankful that he had left his closet door open. The door's mirror was opened just right, giving the brown-eyed boy the perfect view of Percy's tan and toned butt as the manager rolled his hips into Nico's ass.

It was kind of hot, being able to see himself get fucked like that.

It did not take long after that for the two raven-haired males to build up a sweat. Nico's eyes were drawn back to Percy's actual form, his eyes raking over the young man's sweat-covered chest. His brown eyes dilated as he took in Percy's sweaty, lean form , watching as Percy's abs tightened . He reached out and ran his hand down the manager's torso, which glistened from all of the sweat. From above him, Percy grinned, his eyes partially covered by his wet bangs.

Gripping Nico's legs again, Percy lifted Nico's lower body once again and rapidly thrust in and out of the Lost Boy. Nico's head fell back, his mouth agape. His vision turned white as Percy continued to pound into him relentlessly. And, without touching himself, Nico released himself across his stomach.

Percy slowed down until he was moving at a snail's pace. Readjusting Nico's legs, he wrapped them around his waist as he leaned in to press their lips together. Pushing Nico's sweat-covered bangs out of the boy's eyes, Percy smiled. One of Percy's hands rested around Nico's throat as he slowly continued to thrust in and out of the boy.

Nico's mouth fell open in a moan as Percy managed to brush against his prostate once again. In response, the young man smirked and took hold of Nico's still hard penis. With half-lidded eyes, Nico attempted to prop himself up, ultimately failing.

“I already came,” Nico barely managed to whisper.

Biting down on his lip, Percy continued with his thrusts, all the while still sliding his hand up and down Nico's shaft. “Which was hot, since you didn't touch yourself. I was just curious if I could get you off a second time before I finished.”

Nico's cheeks flared up again, but he did not stop Percy. Taking that as a sign to continue, Percy grinned wider and went on with his agonizingly slow thrusts. But when Nico went to open his mouth to ask Percy to go faster, the young man slammed against his prostate. Looking up at the young man, Nico caught Percy smirking again. That bastard was doing it on purpose!

But before Nico could object to anything, Percy leaned down and slid his tongue into Nico's mouth. Nico let out a moan as Percy's erection brushed against his prostate. It was so slow, and definitely not the pace Nico had been wanting, but it felt so good as Nico could feel every inch of Percy's arousal brushing against him.

With a last slow thrust into the boy, Nico released himself a second time onto his stomach and Percy's hand. Percy moaned into Nico's mouth, letting Nico know that he too was climaxing. With a cocky smirk on his face, Percy pulled back. And if not for the sight of Percy's long and lean torso in front of him, Nico might have been irritated. And then Percy did something that made Nico hard all over again.

With his smirk still in place, Percy raised his hand to his mouth and licked a portion of Nico's semen off him. Nico's mouth hung open as Percy removed himself from Nico and deposited the used condom in the nearby trashcan. Leaning back down, Percy pecked Nico on the lips.

Nico frowned as Percy began gathering his clothes. He knew there was no point in asking the young man to stay with him for the night, but he still wanted to try. But he didn't. Letting out a sigh, Nico stood to his feet, where his legs wobbled. Grabbing his shorts, Nico turned back to his bed, his eyes widening.

The material he had been given was everywhere. There were some crumpled up from where Nico had been laying, while some had been pressed inwards in the shape of fists from where Percy had hovered over him. And even worse, some had managed to tear during their activities. Some of the pages had even been knocked off the bed altogether!

“Fuck,” Nico hissed under his breath.

Percy pressed his lips to Nico's temple as he buttoned his jeans. “It's not a big deal, I can get you more copies. Or I can just run you through summaries of everything during our downtime.”

Nico buried his face into his palms. How could Percy be so calm about this? If Nico messed up, it would only make things worse with Gaea and Kronos. Kronos was obviously after him already, but he was uncertain of how Gaea was going to approach the situation. She was unhappy, Nico did know that much, which meant that he needed to tread carefully.

“As long as I get everything covered before the meeting,” Nico sighed.

Smiling, Percy kissed along Nico's neck, his hand squeezing Nico's ass through the boy's shorts. “Well then, you're more than welcome to drop by my office for a more...private session on the affairs of the hotel.”

\--------------------------------

“I feel like there's a joke about not dropping the soap in here somewhere,” Jason chuckled while Nico massaged his scalp.

Narrowing his eyes, Nico intentionally let some of the shampoo get in the blond's eyes. Nico smirked when Jason winced. “You're the one standing in front,” the boy reminded his roommate.

“This is true.” Jason shrugged. “And I'm sure you're enjoying the view from back there.”

“When will this torture be over?” Nico mumbled. Though, the blond was not wrong in his assumption. If he were being honest with himself, Nico would admit that he had taken to staring at Jason's perky, pale ass every time he had to get in the shower with the blond. And while he had not intentions of fucking Jason, it did not mean he could not admire the blond's backside.

Once Nico was done, Jason ran his head under the water, making sure to get all of the shampoo out. After that, the blond shook his head, slinging some water at Nico. Nico's roommate playfully stuck out his tongue at seeing the raven-haired Lost Boy's displeased expression. Grabbing some body wash, Jason began lathering his body up in front of Nico.

The raven-haired boy sighed and grabbed his own shampoo, swapping places with Jason so that he could wet his hair. He let out a yelp when he received a slap on the ass. Spinning around, he glared at his roommate. “I thought you didn't go for sex unless it was business or with Percy?”

The blond shrugged. “Yeah, but it's fun to watch your reaction. Besides, I thought we were supposed to be messing around. No offense, but I kind of like being alone during my showers.”

“You and me both,” Nico mumbled.

Jason reached around and washed his ass, which brought a small blush to Nico's cheeks. “Well, in response to your comment a second ago about torture, I'd like to point out that we are both in this mess because of your little stunt.”

As bad as it might have been to argue this point, Nico did so anyways. “Well how would you feel when a new Lost Kid comes along and does everything just right, when you messed up all the time and keep making mistakes?”

Jason's face deadpanned as his hand stopped. The blond rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Oh yes, how dare I be good at something I've been forced to do since I was thirteen,” the blue-eyed Lost Boy said sarcastically. Shaking his head, the blond ran his fingers through his wet bangs. “In case you have forgotten, I was sort of put into this by my own father as soon as I hit puberty. And unlike you here, I got hit when I messed up under my father's business. That or he'd let my brother handle me.” The blond let out a dry chuckle. “Oh, and I guess I should mention that my brother always handled me by raping me when I tried to sleep at night. But you know, it's completely understandable to get upset for me being good after I come here.”

All of Nico's resentment seemed to instantly dissipate. Nico suddenly felt two inches tall as he fidgeted in front of the blond. And to make the boy feel even more vulnerable, they were still naked. “I'm sorry, I didn't know,” Nico mumbled. “I've been messing up a lot lately, I guess. Not sure I can do anything right at this rate.”

Letting out a sigh, the blond did something that surprised Nico a little. He wrapped an arm around Nico and pulled the boy to his chest. Opening the glass shower wall, Jason sat them down on the edge of the tub that bordered the shower, the shower head spraying their feet.

“You know, it doesn't make you stupid or a bad person for messing up. People make mistakes every day. We mess up, and it often costs us. And even sometimes we mess up and it is counterproductive to what we initially were trying to accomplish.” The blond squeezed Nico's shoulder. “But it doesn't make you a failure. You shouldn't worry so much about pleasing others either.”

“And what if I never fully get the hang of things? I'm being watched like a hawk.”

Jason shrugged. “Then maybe you should try to move on with your life. I'm not gonna tell you to leave or stay, but I do think everyone deserves to find there place, somewhere or something that makes them happy.”

Nico's lips tilted down in a frown. “And how do you separate what you want from all of that?”

“Who says they can't be the same thing?”

“Because life isn't so kind,” Nico mumbled. He glanced at the blond from the corner of his eye. “Why didn't you get mad at me after I did what I did?”

Jason shrugged with a sigh. “I guess I figured Percy had already tore you a new one, so you didn't need me adding onto your guilt trip that I'm sure you were inducing upon yourself.” Reaching up, the blond scratched at his cheek. “So, do you mind if we get things over with and do as Percy asked?”

Nico frowned and fidgeted. His eyes flickered over to Jason's crotch. While Jason was not currently hard, his cock was still impressive. Nico would also be lying if he said the thought had never crossed his mind. “Can't we just not do anything and tell Percy we did?”

Jason chuckled. “Do you think you are capable of getting away with lying to Percy?”

“Fair point,” Nico mumbled.

“It's not like it'll be that bad. It could just be like a handjob, if you're not comfortable with anything else yet.”

Nico slowly reached over, but stopped himself. “And why does it have to be me doing all the work?”

Jason shrugged, leaning back slightly. “Well, this is your punishment, not mine. Plus, I think it's more for you to get comfortable doing things with other people, rather than them doing stuff to you. But, if you want, I can return the favor.” Nico jumped when Jason reached over and grabbed his hand, placing it around the blond's cock. “And, besides, you've stared at my ass and crotch every time we've been in the shower, so I figure you wouldn't mind that much.”

Nico narrowed his eyes, but did not pull his hand away. Pursing his lips, he slowly began to stroke Jason. The blond placed his hands on either side of his hips, letting Nico take over. Blood slowly filled the shaft, filling it until it reached full size. While Nico did not have a ruler, he would estimate it to be a little over seven inches.

“I wish I could be more like you,” Jason whispered. “You know, still shy and hesitant when it came to sex.”

Still stroking the blond, Nico looked up at his roommate. “Well, you're not unlike me. I don't see you jumping into bed with everyone around here.”

With a flick of his head, Jason flung his short bangs out of his eyes. “Give it a few months, I'm sure you'll come to dislike sex as well.”

“So you hate this?”

Jason shrugged. “Not really. You're cute, and you're not really trying to do anything.” The blond stared down to where Nico was touching him. “I don't know, it just feels different...like with Percy.”

Nico hummed in response, taking a more firm grip on the blond's shaft. Jason watched him with dull and unfocused eyes. The blond really was a sight, with his lean, wet body. The Lost Boy had a long and beautiful torso, the little 'V' shape included at the hips.

Nico blinked when he felt water hitting his back. Without realizing it, he must have gotten down between the blond's legs. And there Jason's cock was, sitting right in front of Nico's face. His mind seemed to be working on its own today as Nico leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the head.

Jason let his head fall back with a sigh of contentment. “For not doing this very long, you're not bad,” he breathed out.

Nico hummed around Jason's head, causing the blond to shiver. The water from the shower head beat against Nico's back as he took more of Jason's shaft into his mouth. Nico's eyes widened as Jason still up, his dick still in Nico's mouth. The blond reached over Nico and turned off the shower before picking Nico up and straddling the brown-eyed boy's legs around his waist. Carefully, the blond carried Nico into his bedroom and sat the boy down on his bed.

But, before Nico could really look around his roommate's room, Jason had his dick in Nico's face again. Leaning forward, Nico opened his mouth and let Jason slide his erection in. Nico's hands drifted around the blond, groping the blond's firm ass.

Jason's head fell back in a moan as Nico took the last inch into his mouth. The blond placed his hand behind his head, which Nico found very hot to look at. Pulling back until he only had the head in his mouth, Nico flicked his tongue against the erection's tip. Another moan was Nico's reward for his action.

Sliding out of Nico's mouth, Jason plopped down on the bed. When Nico arched a brow at him, Jason motioned to his crotch. Rolling his eyes, Nico slid down between the blond's legs. Jason laid down on his back, spreading his legs for Nico to get better access. Nico reached out and took hold of the blond's shaft, running his tongue down the bottom of the shaft.

Jason propped his head up by placing his arm under his head. He stared down at Nico with eyes filled with lust. In response, Nico simply stared back at him while sucking on the blond's head. Jason moaned again. “You look really hot like that.”

Nico let Jason's dick pop out of his mouth. “Like what?”

“Just with those dark eyes of yours, hiding behind your bangs, all the while having my cock in your mouth.”

Nico rolled his eyes and slid the erection back into his mouth. This was not exactly how he imagined things going when he found out he was going to have a roommate.

After several minutes, Jason's hips bucked up into Nico's mouth, nearly causing him to gag. Grabbing onto Nico's dark locks, Jason thrust into the boy's mouth a final time before shooting his load. Nico scrunched his eyes shut at feeling the hot liquid feel his mouth. He pulled back, which only got him hit in the face.

Jason fell back on the bed with a sigh, placing his arms beneath his head. “That was really good, dude.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He stuck his tongue out and smacked his lips at the taste. It was not bad exactly, just an odd taste. Noting this, Jason grabbed a bottle of water from beside his bed. Nico took a sip and washed Jason's seed down his throat. Reaching up, he swiped some of the white liquid off his cheek.

“That looks hot as well,” Jason said with a grin.

“Not sure I like swallowing,” Nico said before taking another swig of water.

The blond shrugged. “Some of the male customers might not give you a choice, so you might want to get used to it.”

Nico handed the water back to his roommate. “Yay,” he droned.

Jason collapsed on the bed again with a grin. “I could return the favor, but I think we both need to start getting ready for the day.”

With a glance at Jason's clock, Nico confirmed that they did indeed need to hurry and get dressed. Jason's room was not as messy as it usually was, Nico noted. The few times that Nico had been into the blond's room, it was usually a total disaster area. “Then I guess you need to get up.”

The blond chuckled. “My legs are a little shaky at the moment.”

“I thought you didn't like sex with other people?”

“Yeah, but that wasn't bad. Besides, like I said, you're not really trying to push it on me.” Nico's eyes trailed down the blond's nude form as he listened to his roommate talk. “Not really sure, I'm still trying to figure you out. You're different from everyone around here. Though, I also find it amusing that you see me as a threat that might stand between you and Percy.”

Nico froze. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Please, I know that's why you did what you did. I've seen the irritated looks you've given me.” He smirked up at Nico. “I think some friendly competition might be good for you.”

Nico crossed his arms. “So you do like Percy.”

“Who wouldn't? He's a great guy, and everyone that comes here eventually develops something for him. You know, even if it doesn't last long.” Jason pointed to his cheek. “You might want to clean that off before it dries.”

Nico grunted and went to wipe Jason's cum off with his arm, but Jason tossed a towel at him. Mumbling his thanks, Nico wiped at his face. Slightly annoyed by the blond's smirk, Nico faced away from his roommate. Though, that might not have been the best idea.

Jason surprised Nico by sitting up and grabbing both of Nico's ass cheeks in his hands. Spreading the boy's pale cheeks, Jason leaned in and ran his tongue along Nico's entrance. While Nico's eyes had shot open in surprise, the boy let them shut with a moan. And just like that, Jason pulled away, slapping Nico on the ass afterward.

Nico turned, ready to snap at Jason for teasing him like that, but the blond's serious expression caught him off-guard. Pushing his blond bangs out of his eyes, Jason glanced up at Nico. “You know, I was kind of attracted to you when I first met you. Well, I thought you were cute, I should say. And, while I think that if things might have been different, I might could have seen myself with you, I don't see things that way anymore.”

Nico simply nodded, sitting down beside the blond. “I've been thinking the same thing. Don't know, I just see you as more of a-”

“Friend?”

Nico nodded. “Yeah,” he mumbled.

“Yeah.” Jason sat up, his hands propping him up behind him. “If my life hadn't been so fucked up before meeting you, and maybe if the hotel had of never become part of our lives.” Blue eyes glanced over at Nico. “And if Percy weren't involved.”

“You would have dated me?” Nico glanced at his roommate, pushing his dark bangs out of his eyes.

The blond Lost Boy nodded a single time. “Possibly. I think I could see myself with you. But, yeah, things have kind of been fucked up in my life. I'm not really... never mind.”

“I probably would have liked that,” Nico said with a smile, bumping shoulders with his roommate. Standing up with a sigh, he stared down at Jason. “But, I guess things weren't meant to work out that way. And I think, at least for now, I'd like to keep this a one time thing.”

Jason's lips tilted up. “Doesn't bother me. My sex drive is usually rather low anyways. You probably weren't the only one that was surprised that I got into it so much. You interest me a little bit, I'll just leave it at that.”

Standing in the doorway, Nico stopped and turned to look at his roommate again. “Thanks.”

Jason cocked his head to the side. “For what?”

Nico shrugged. “Just...being a friend. I think I really might need one right now, and one that I don't have to worry about trying to get into my pants.”

“Then we have a mutual understanding, that's good.” Jason stood up and grabbed a clean pair of boxer-briefs. “Just do me the favor of not becoming me. I think you're in a fragile state right now, Nico, and that could be bad. I don't think everything has fully set in for you yet.”

Nodding, Nico went to leave again, but stopped. “Just one thing, though,” he said. Jason glanced up at him. “Why did you just lick my ass then, if you're not really trying anything. I mean, I get that you were doing this because I don't bother you and Percy requested it, but why rim me?”

Jason simply shrugged, letting the waistband of his underwear pop against his hips. “What can I say, you have a really nice ass.”

Nico rolled his eyes and headed for his room to get dressed. That had certainly been interesting, Nico thought as he shut his door and tried to find some clothes. He did enjoy it, and part of him did kind of want to try it again, but he also doubted Jason would let him. Since the blond's arrival, other than customers, Nico had only seen Jason have sex with Percy. The blond just was not sexual like the other Lost Kids.

Nico frowned to himself as he slipped on some underwear. He felt bad for all that he had done to Jason, and even what he had simply thought about. The had been a worse life than Nico had originally thought. Did Thalia know about what their older brother had done to Jason? Surely she did, judging by some of those past conversations they had. It must have sucked for Jason after Thalia had left, not having anyone there to really lean on. No one to make him feel safe.

After getting dressed, Nico grabbed his wallet and his phone before exiting his room. Stretching his arms above his head, Nico contemplated making something to eat, but he would probably end up finding something with some of the other Lost Kids. With that in mind, Nico opened the door to his suite.

“I was just going to suggest-”

Nico quickly stepped back inside his room. During the split second that he had his head in the hall, he had caught sight of Percy and Rachel heading towards the elevators. While he did not know what was going on, Percy did not seem happy.

“Do not bring me into this, Rachel!” Percy shouted. Nico peered around the door frame to see if he could get a better look. Percy had stopped walking and had blocked Rachel's route as well, using his height to tower over the girl.

“But-”

Percy slammed his fist against the wall. “I said 'no'!” With his nostrils flared, Percy stormed off to the elevators.

Nico gulped. He had never seen Percy angry like that with one of the Lost Kids, and he was not sure he wanted to know what it pertained to. He knew that asking Percy would definitely be out of the question. Quietly, Nico slipped out of his suite.

“Hey, Rachel,” he called out when he was nearly to the elevator.

Rachel looked dazed. She shook her head, realizing that she was no longer alone. Clearing her throat, she straightened herself out. “Hey there, Nico. Where you off to?”

Nico shrugged. “Not sure. I don't have to work until tonight, but Octavian wanted me to come see him before then.”

Which was true. At dinner last night, the blond had asked Nico to drop by his room again for another lesson in adapting to the ways of the hotel. And while his last lesson had not been very enjoyable, Nico also knew it was probably necessary. As much of an asshole as Octavian could be, he was still perceptive.

Rachel checked the time on her phone. “Well, I was just about to grab lunch with Zoë, if you want to tag along.”

The Lost Boy smiled. “That would be great, I'm pretty hungry.”

As the two Lost Kids rode the elevator down, Nico kept stealing glances at Rachel. Was she needing help? Why did Percy not want to help her? But it was probably best to stay out of it, he reminded himself. Look at all of the mistakes he had been making lately, and they were usually due to him not being able to keep his nose out of things.

When the elevator came to a stop, Rachel led Nico into the hotel's restaurant. Zoë was already waiting there by the time the two arrived. “I see you found Nico,” the dark haired girl stated.

Rachel sat down across from the other Lost Girl. “Yep, he caught me as I was boarding the elevator.”

“It seems we weren't the only ones wanting to eat down here,” Zoë mumbled with a nod behind her.

Rachel and Nico followed where the girl had nodded, finding Gaea and Athena sitting at a table nearby. Rachel chewed on her lip as she picked up the menu. “He'll probably be joining her shortly.”

The other Lost Girl nodded. “I was thinking the same. We can always go somewhere else, if you want.”

“Oh, don't leave on my account.”

All three Lost Kids froze. A chill ran down Nico's spine as he turned to find Kronos standing a few feet behind him. Nico's eyes drifted away as he caught sight of Percy heading over to Gaea's table. Returning his eyes to Kronos, the young man smirked down at Nico.

The raven-haired manager placed his pale hands on the chair next to Nico. And, unfortunately for Nico, Kronos was looking directly at him. “Still enjoying the sights around here?” He grinned down at the boy. “I've actually seen some pretty interesting things since I arrived,” he said in a mocking tone. And to Nico's great displeasure, Kronos leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Some very unpleasant things that need to learn where they belong, and when certain things are too good for them.”

“Kronos!” Percy called across the room. The green-eyed young man had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot. “Hurry up, we need to eat.”

Kronos stared down at Nico with a manic grin covering his face. Reaching a pale hand up, he brushed some of his dark curls out of his face. “Coming, Percy,” he called back. Patting Nico roughly on the head, the young man began to head over to his table, but stopped short and snapped his fingers. Rachel paled as the young man pointed to her. “Oh yes, that reminds me, Rachel, I got to have lunch with your father not long ago.”

“I don't care,” Rachel whispered.

Kronos tapped a finger to his chin. “You know, I tried bringing you up to let him know you were doing okay, but it was like he had no memory of you at all. In fact, he even went as far as to say he didn't have a daughter.” The pale young man's lips tilted up again. “Strange, don't you think?”

And with that, Kronos turned back around and went over to his table, having fully accomplished ruining the Lost Kids' moods. The more and more Nico got to be around Kronos, the more he was already beginning to see what a horrible person the guy really was. And that just made him all the more thankful that it was Percy's hotel he was at and not with Kronos.

Zoë let out a sigh as she looked through her menu. “Just ignore anything he says, Nico, he's just trying to get under your skin.”

Rachel cleared her throat, trying to recover from her own encounter with the young man. “And be thankful that you're not Luke or Annabeth. He singles them out a lot during visits.”

“And be thankful that you didn't have to live with him,” Zoë sighed. She put down her menu and propped her cheek up by her palm. “When I was living in Germany, he was a nightmare. I mean, he still is, but at least now I don't have to see him all the time.” She held a hand up to signal to a waiter that they were ready to order. “Back then, I did everything I could to avoid the son of a bitch.”

After they had all ordered, Rachel smirked. “You just essentially called Gaea a bitch.”

The other Lost Girl took a sip of water. “Well, someone needed to do a better job raising that asshole. I love Gaea, she's been good to me, but her son turned out to be horrible.”

The red-haired girl let out a sigh. “No argument there.”

Nico frowned, glancing over to where Percy and Kronos were talking to each other. How could the two of them be so close? Percy was a good person, even if the young man didn't want to admit it, so how was it that the two could hit it off so well? Scrunching his lips, the Lost Boy turned back to the girls. “Why is he like this?”

Zoë simply shrugged. “Nico, some people don't need a reason to be sick and twisted. There are some people out there that are just messed up in the head.” She stared at the glass of water in her hand, swirling it lightly. “And that would be Kronos. You don't need to give him a reason to be cruel to you, he'll just do it because it is fun for him. I've seen him do some very sick things to people that crossed his mother, some things I wish I could forget.” She let out a sigh. “However, I have also witnessed him show some genuine acts of kindness.”

Their waiter brought Nico and Rachel their drinks. After thanking the guy and he walked off, Rachel took a sip of her drink. “Well, I mean, we've all seen him be nice. And after all, he does keep Grover around, so he has to be nice to the guy sometimes.”

Zoë gave Nico a lopsided smile. “The point is that one never knows how Kronos might react. He's got a few screws loose in the worst way imaginable.” She cleared her throat and stared down at the table. “I never got to see what he was like as a child, but there were rumors that he brought half-dead animals in after playing. Like a baby bird after having broke its wings. That story I heard quite often. Apparently, when Athena told him to take the bird back outside and get rid of it, he simply broke its neck right there in the middle of the lobby.”

Well that had certainly helped Nico's appetite. A chill ran down his spine as he thought about what some of the Lost Kids had talked about before. What if Kronos did take over for his mother one day? Did he really want to be here when that happened?

When they were nearing the end of their lunch, Nico decided to voice his fear. “Does he...take over for Gaea, you know, if something were to ever happen to her?”

Rachel pursed her lips, surprisingly choosing not to say anything. Zoë wiped her mouth before shrugging. “We're not sure. He is a likely candidate, should it ever come to that, but before Kronos got old enough, I know that Athena was supposed to be the one to take over.”

Reaching out, Rachel took a sip of her drink. “And that will hopefully still be the case,” she mumbled, sounding slightly bitter.

Nico chewed on his lip for a second before speaking again. “What about Percy?”

The dark-haired Lost Girl shrugged. “As far as I'm aware, he doesn't want the job. Though, in his mind, I'm sure he thinks Gaea is going to live forever.”

Nico simply nodded. Wiping his mouth, he stood up. “Well, I guess I need to go see Octavian before I have to get ready for work.”

The two Lost Girls smiled and waved as Nico pushed his chair under the table and headed for the exit. His ride up the elevator was rather quiet and uneventful, since he was alone. When he reached their floor, he knocked on Luke and Octavian's door.

Usually, Luke was the one to answer, but today it was Octavian. “You're here early,” the blond mumbled.

Nico shrugged. “Had nothing better to do, so I thought I'd get an early start.”

Octavian motioned to the hallway. “We'll be going into my room. Luke had a long night, and he's still trying to get some sleep, so be quiet.”

Nico nodded and followed the blond back to his room, where Octavian shut the door. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the blond motioned for Nico to sit on the bed. Doing as he was instructed, Nico slipped out of his shoes and sat down.

“You look tired yourself,” Nico pointed out.

Octavian shrugged. “I didn't get to sleep until around six, so that might be why.” He sighed and began pacing. “As much as he hates showing it in public, my brother gets irritated very easily around Kronos. And the asshole that he is decided he wanted to talk to my brother last night.”

“About what?”

Octavian stared down at his feet. “Nothing,” he whispered. “Just our mother, which hopefully Percy will not agree with.”

“That Percy will disagree with your mother, or Kronos's wish?” Nico asked.

“The latter.” Octavian plopped down on his bed, rolling onto his stomach. “Percy already hates our mother, and I doubt he's going to go along with what Kronos was suggesting, but one can still worry.”

Nico frowned. By the sounds of it, Luke and Octavian's mother was someone important. Well, Piper's father was a movie star, so maybe he should not be as surprised by this if it was true. “Who is she?”

From behind blond bangs, Octavian's blue eyes narrowed at Nico. “No one that matters. I hated that woman from the day she made Luke run away.”

Nico pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his cheek on his knee. “Why does Kronos hate your brother so much? I mean, is it just because Luke stood up to him?”

Octavian let out a sigh and rolled onto his back. Some of his bangs slid off to the side as blue eyes stared up at the ceiling dully. “It's not like that. It's actually quite the opposite, really.” Octavian reached a hand up, like he were trying to touch the ceiling. “In Kronos's eyes, my brother, as well as Annabeth, are held higher than most other people. Myself, you, and the others, we're all just worthless excuses for living organisms. But my brother...he's a dog in Kronos's eyes.”

Nico quirked a brow. “A dog?”

“Dogs are capable of being trained, and dogs are protective of what they care about.” Octavian sat up and pushed himself against the headboard. “As much as Kronos would like, I don't see Luke being broken in to his wishes.”

“What would he even want from your brother?”

“Oh, there's quite a few things that I could think of.” Octavian glanced next to him, to where Nico was sitting. “For one thing, I think Kronos wants my brother to become like him or perhaps Ethan and Clarisse. My brother was very violent, or so I hear, when he first arrived here from the streets. Percy took to him easily enough, seeing as how Percy was also pretty savage when Gaea first found him, but Kronos just found him fascinating. And when Luke stood up to him, it only made Kronos more fascinated. And by stood up to, I mean Luke almost punched Kronos.”

Nico scratched his head. “Were you here by that point?”

“No,” Octavian whispered. “I didn't get to the hotel until a little over a year ago, where as Luke has been here for two full years now. I guess I should have stayed at home, though. Running away only made it harder for Percy to track me down.” Octavian looked down, some of his hair falling in his eyes. “I guess I should be thankful for what ended up happening, though.”

“What happened?”

Octavian remained silent for the longest time before he finally pushed himself off the bed and walked around the bed. “That really doesn't matter, it's in the past. The point is that you don't want to be like my brother, because ever since he stood up to Kronos, Kronos has gone out of his way to torment my brother at every turn.”

Nico swung his legs over the edge of the bed, staring up at the blond Lost Boy. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

Octavian's eyes darted to the side, visually hardening. Pursing his lips, the blond turned back to Nico. “Sorry for what?” Clearing his throat, he motioned to Nico. “I have to sharpen your senses before work, and we have a lot of work to do.” He narrowed his eyes. “Now, how good are you at knowing when you're being lied to?”


	36. In the Midst of a Crumbling Foundation

Sex in Percy's office had not been how Nico pictured his Christmas Eve going. But shortly after his lunch shift had ended at the bar, Nico had found his way to Percy's office under instruction from Leo. It did not take long for Percy to get to the point of the matter. “You need to start negotiating hours like the others do,” Percy had told him.

If this had happened back a few months ago, Nico probably would have turned red and gotten very nervous. However, now was a bit different. After hearing this, Nico stood up from his chair and walked around behind Percy's desk.

Percy scooted his chair away from his desk to allow Nico to sit down on the desk in front of him. Nico bit down on his lip and yanked his shirt over his head. The manager let out a chuckle. “Well, I said persuade me, but it looks like someone is already in the mood,” the young man joked.

And perhaps he was. But it was not his fault, honestly. It was Percy's own fault for wearing a dress shirt and tie today.

Without giving Percy a reply, Nico grabbed the manager's tie and pulled him forward, slowly sliding into Percy's lap. Percy leaned back, running his tan hand down Nico's smooth torso. When his fingers reached Nico's waistline, Nico got up and turned around.

Percy quirked a brow as Nico bent over his desk, peeling back the top of his pants and underwear. Okay, so Nico was very horny today. But it was better to act on it with someone like Percy, rather than wait until one of the customers requested his time and managed to kill his boner.

While Nico was bent over, Percy yanked the boy's pants down, exposing Nico's ass to the young man behind him. Percy let out a chuckle as he got to his feet. “I'd be more worried about how eager you were, if I didn't know it's primarily just for me.”

Nico turned to glare at him. The cocky bastard. But if Nico stopped him, the brown-eyed boy would be the one suffering. Just endure and have your needs taken care of, Nico told himself. He was brought out of his thoughts when he shivered from Percy in the middle of his shoulder blades.

Percy opened a drawer next to Nico and pulled out some lube and a condom. Next, Nico heard Percy's zipper. He turned to look back at the young man, but Percy grabbed the back of his neck and pressed Nico's face to his desk.

Nico let out a moan as he felt Percy slide into him. Without preparation this time, it did sting more than usual, but no more than when he was with some of his clients. At least Percy had the decency to slide in slowly, unlike the rich assholes.

When Nico was comfortable, Percy began thrusting into him. However, that quickly got put to a stop when Percy was forced to sit his computer monitor onto the floor to prevent it from falling off the desk. Without warning, Percy slammed into Nico as soon as the monitor was safely on the floor.

Nico moaned and buried his face into the desk, his fingers scratching at the surface. He did not think he would ever get tired of sex with Percy. The boy turned his head to try and catch a glimpse of the young man, which only aroused him further.

While thrusting into Nico, Percy had his hands behind his head. Nico was not sure why, but it was hot to look at Percy like that. The young man grinned at him and leaned down to bite Nico's shoulder, earning himself a gasp. There would not be a hicky, though. After their first time, Percy had made it clear that marks would not become a recurring thing, not even with the other Lost Kids. Not even the clients were allowed to mark them. Their bodies were to remain perfect and without blemishes.

Percy rolled Nico over and picked the boy up. Nico yelped as the desk fell out from under him. Percy chuckled and playfully stuck out his tongue, holding Nico in the air. The brown-eyed boy locked his legs around Percy's waist, his arms holding on for dear life.

Nico's heart calmed down when Percy sat down in his chair, Nico now in his lap. The young man sat back and placed his hands behind his head again. He arched a brow when Nico just sat there. “Well? Get to it.”

It took Nico a moment, but he eventually realized what Percy wanted. His hands slipped around Percy's neck as he worked to raise and lower himself onto Percy's manhood. After a few minutes of this, Nico buried his face in the crook of Percy's neck. Percy's skin was a little salty from the sweat that was starting to form on their bodies. Not that Nico minded, he actually kind of liked it.

Nico pulled back and kissed Percy full on the mouth, sliding his tongue into the green-eyed young man's mouth. He felt Percy smirk into the kiss. Nico gasped into Percy's mouth when the young man began to thrust up into him as fast as he could.

A loud moaned escaped Nico's lips just as the door flew open. Nico's face turned red and he did his best to cover himself, which proved harder than he would have liked. Sitting in someone's lap doesn't really offer a modest position when naked.

Percy let out a sigh and gave Kronos a slightly annoyed look as the other young man shut the door and sat down on the other side of the desk. “Kind of in the middle of something here,” Percy said casually.

Kronos just waved it off, bored. “I didn't say you had to stop.” Nico chanced a look and the young man gave him a dark look. “But I did need to talk to you, and it is important.”

Percy sighed and worked on buttoning up his shirt, which was the only piece of clothing still on the young man. He lifted Nico off of his lap and let the boy stand in front of him. Nico was not sure if it was possible, but his face turned even more red. As it stood, he felt more comfortable with exposing his ass to Kronos than his front, not that it stopped him from trying to cover his butt with his hands.

From in front of Nico, Percy smirked up at him as he slid on his boxers and pants. Slapping Nico on the ass, Percy sent the boy away. “Get dressed and go enjoy the rest of your afternoon off,” Percy told him. Nico nodded and slid his boxer-briefs on. “I'll see you tonight.”

With a quick glance at Kronos, who gave the boy an amused look, Nico left Percy's office. Rachel looked up from her computer monitor and whistled. “Damn, nice underwear, Nico.”

The boy glared at her as he stumbled his way into his pants. “Can't Percy lock his door?”

The girl chuckled. “Sorry about that. There's really no stopping Kronos, sorry. I tried to tell him Percy was busy, but he just kind of went in anyways after he heard your cries of 'more, more. God, yes!'”

Nico's face turned red all over again. “I did not say that.” His brow furrowed. “Did I?”

Rachel pinched her fingers together. “Little bit. And in Italian, too. I was unaware you even knew Italian.”

“Jesus Christ,” Nico whispered as he managed to get his shoes on. “Um, I only know a little, but I don't even usually realize it when I use it.” Nico found it hard to look at the Lost Girl as he walked by her desk. “I'll, uh, see you later.”

“Have fun finishing up by yourself!” Rachel called after him.

Nico groaned as he shut the door, internally dying all over again. Sure he knew that some of the others had seen him naked by now, whether it be from his own choosing or from the security room, but it felt different when it wasn't from him being observed by cameras. At least none of the others had made a joke about seeing him naked or have sex while watching the video feeds.

If anyone would ask Nico what he did the rest of his afternoon, the boy would firmly deny taking a nap until he had to wake up for work. But that nap that certainly did not happen was so good and much needed. He had not even realized how exhausted he was, or how much sleep he had been missing, until he laid down to try and figure out something to do for the rest of his day.

He had quickly gotten a shower and threw on some lazy clothing to head upstairs in, a bag of his wardrobe changes for the night thrown over his shoulder. Stripping in front of a crowd had never really been how he had pictured he would ever spend a Christmas Eve, but it was certainly what happened.

And so, Nico found himself changing with the rest of the Lost Kids into his first piece of Christmas attire: the Santa suit that he had picked up the day he had gone with Thalia and Ethan to see Aphrodite. He still did not fully like it, but that was because he was fearful that his junk would fall out of one of the small legs that reached halfway down his thigh.

Luke popped one of his suspenders as he walked past the boy, casting a grin back when Nico turned to glare at him.

“Here you go, Nico,” Annabeth chuckled after Luke was gone off to get dressed himself. Without even waiting, she placed the Santa hat she carried on top of the brown-eyed boy's head. “There, now you look adorable.”

Nico pouted at her. “I don't want to look adorable.”

The blonde snorted. “And I don't want to be smart.”

“She's lying!” Luke called over to them.

Annabeth shrugged. “I am. And I don't think you mean it either,” she said to Nico. “No, your looks give you power, something you need to start remembering.” She adjusted his hat. “Remember that next time you feel weak when a client is having their way with you.”

Nico looked down at his feet. “I'm in their to steal their secrets, possibly ruin their lives.”

Annabeth let out a breath, taking a step back to look Nico over. “You're in there to do a job, but that job gives you so much power over them. Besides, it only ruins their lives if they cross Gaea or Percy.” She smiled and gave him a thumbs up. “Perfect.”

Nico felt far from perfect.

Annabeth winked at him and opened her mouth, like she was about to say something else, but her face paled as she glanced over Nico's shoulder. The boy turned to follow her gaze, his face draining of color as well. Percy had entered the backstage, which would have normally been a good thing, if not for the fact that Kronos was at his side.

The green-eyed manager came up to Nico and Annabeth. “Everything ready to go?” He asked. Annabeth gave a nod, her grey eyes not leaving Kronos. The other manager did not even seem to acknowledge her existence, though, as he stared around the room like he was bored. “Good.”

Percy's eyes drifted over to where Nico stood. The young man smiled and looked the boy over, leaning back to finish off his examination by looking at the boy's ass in the tight cloth shorts. Nico glared at the manager when he straightened and wagged his eyebrows.

“Santa, I think I've been a very bad boy this year,” Percy joked. Nico rolled his eyes. Seeing this, Percy only grinned and leaned in. “But, then again, I suppose I could say the same to you. And naughty boys do need to be punished.”

Nico's pulse quickened as Percy's breath hit his ear. He was also very much aware of the young man's hand holding onto one of his suspenders. “I, uh, need to get ready,” Nico blushed.

Percy bit his lip. “Looks like those shorts are pretty tight. Let me know if you need help getting out of them later.”

Nico chose not to respond. He might have, if not for the fact that Kronos was staring down at him. It wasn't an annoyed or angry look, not even an amused one, Kronos just was staring. The young man blinked and tilted his head to the side, his eyes drifting over to Percy for a brief moment. When he looked back at Nico, his lip curled into a sneer.

Nico left Percy and Kronos standing there with Annabeth, the green-eyed young man giving him a curious look. But Nico did not like being around Kronos, not at all. There was something about the other manager that just did not sit right with Nico, but he could not quite place it yet. Something about the way Kronos smirked and the look he would sometimes get in his eye.

And then it clicked as Nico stared at them from across the room.

Kronos reminded him of Percy, but only when Percy was scary. It was like someone had taken that aspect of Percy and completely made a whole new person. Kronos was the dark, Percy the light; complete mirror opposites of each other, yet so similar.

It was already scary enough how similar the two looked. Their hair was both black, though Percy kept his more messy than Kronos did. Their eyes were both a sort of mixture of colors, shifting the longer Nico stared. They were even the same height and nearly the same build, though Percy definitely had more muscle.

Percy and Kronos were already seated by the time the first performance came. Nico stood with the others performing tonight: Luke, Annabeth, Jason, Will, Juniper, Connor, Silena, Drew, and Calypso. They were all dressed fairly similar in Santa costumes, and all fairly revealing.

The Lost Kids were already on stage when the Mariah Carey version of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” started playing. Each of the Lost Kids had a unique pose, slowly beginning to move as the jingling played. Several of the girls placed their hands over their breasts, which probably did not help with the fact that their Santa dresses looked like they might fall off at any moment.

Nico liked the routine, for the most part, because it was a lot of shimmying and sliding back and forth. Nico spun around and ran his hand up the back of his leg and then his ass. When Mariah started singing about how she “didn't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree”, Nico began popping his ass. He caught Will smirking at him and he stuck his tongue out at the blond.

Perhaps that was not the best idea, as the blond saw it as an invitation to deviate from the routine. Will got down on his haunches, spreading his legs as he knelt in front of Nico. The blond winked up at him as he unfastened one of Nico's suspenders and squeezed the brown-eyed boy's crotch. Nico's eyes were wide with surprise as he gaped down at Will, though he knew he could not really stop the blond from doing what he was doing either.

Looking at the others, Nico found that Will was actually a nice distraction, as Annabeth and Drew had let the tops of their dresses fall down. They weren't wearing bras. Nico sighed and unfastened his other suspender before pushing Will forward and climbing over the blond.

When he came up, Connor grabbed him and twirled Nico around with a grin. Luke ended up catching him and brought him to a stop so that his back was to the audience. Nico went bright red, thankful that his back was to the audience, as Luke peeled the back of Nico's shorts and slapped the boy on the ass.

At the end of the song, they all found themselves huddled together, smiling and point at the audience as the song faded away. Nico placed his hands on his hips, trying to catch his breath while they received some applause. As one might expect, it was not all that crowded tonight because of the holiday.

Nico was silently hoping that he would not have to spend time with any customers due to that.

\-------------------------------------------

During Nico's break, he found himself standing at Percy's table, after the green-eyed young man had pulled him to the side. Nico had said he was tired and wanted to relax in the bar room, but Percy had given him some puppy dog eyes that Nico could just not refuse. And, so, he found himself standing in front of four very intimidating people. And, yes, he was including Percy in that group.

But it also marked the first real conversation that Nico had with Gaea since her arrival. “I do like his features,” the woman said with a small wave of her hand in Nico's direction. “His eyes are appealing, and I like that I can see the emotion in them.” She pursed her lips at him. “You have no idea how many Lost Kids I have out there that just look dead when you gaze into their eyes.”

Nico offered the woman a small smile. At least she was not trying to intimidate him tonight.

“But,” the woman continued, “I suppose I shouldn't expect less from my Percy's hotel.” She smiled and patted the young man's cheek, who was beaming up at Nico. Nico sort of felt like he was being brought home to meet the parents...except much more intimidating and Percy and Nico weren't dating. “You also have a nice smile. Though, I must say I was a little...baffled when Percy told me you were only working the bar when you first arrived.”

Nico turned to Percy for help, but the young man offered him none. “I didn't even know what this place really was, ma'am, until a month later.” Nico's eyes subconsciously turned on Kronos, who was tapping his fingers on the table in a bored fashion while he narrowed his eyes at Nico. “Um, but I'm just thankful that Percy found me. It was very kind of him to offer me a place to stay and a job.”

A spark of amusement appeared in the woman's eyes. “And you didn't...harbor any resentment for what he's made you do?”

Nico briefly looked at Percy, who shrugged. “No, ma'am,” Nico mumbled with a shake of his head. “I mean, he's just been doing his job.”

Gaea leaned forward and began tapping her fingers together. “I admit that I have been very curious about you, Nico. It started out when I first heard about you and that you wouldn't be like the others, especially after I was emailed a picture of you. Such a beautiful boy and he's not contributing like the others? I was shocked.” She took a sip of her drink. “And then I did my research on you.

“Father immigrated from Italy to try and make a better name for himself. Not a very impressive or compassionate man, I must say. A kind and loving mother, though quiet at times when possibly needed,” the woman started citing off Nico's profile. “You have my condolences. Two very bright children, though one currently is reported missing.” Her lips tilted up. “I could not possibly imagine where he might be. And it seems that your father is spending a lot of time with a new woman already. A man with such little respect for his late wife might fit in nicely here, though I couldn't say much for his character as a person.”

Nico was left speechless. She had done her research. And as he stared at the woman, he had to wonder if that was all she knew about him. Doubtful. Percy probably knew more about Nico, he just did not say or perhaps wanted Nico to tell him instead.

“A very nice performance,” Gaea continued. Nico let out a breath, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. “I do love this time of year. And I'm sure you're eager for tomorrow, what with all the expensive presents that will probably be coming your way.”

Nico looked to Percy again. The young man wagged his eyebrows, letting Nico know that he would, in fact, enjoy the present Percy had gotten him. Nico chewed on his lip. “I wouldn't mind if it was just something homemade, honestly. Christmas at home was usually small, and I think my presents were usually just from Mom and Bianca.” For some reason, Nico felt like she was accusing him of hungry for money. Not that it was unlike some of the others around here: Drew. “I'm just really thankful to be here and not on the streets. The presents are really just like a bonus.”

The woman stared at him for a moment, studying him for any sign of a lie in what he had just said. But there was none, so Nico felt a surge of confidence as he let himself be examined under the microscope. She finally smiled. “A lovely sentiment.” She brushed her hand against Percy's cheek. “Percy, do you remember the present I got you four years ago?”

The young man nodded, taking a drink of his alcohol. “How could I forget? The bitch of a wife that my father had married got to lose her house on Christmas Day.” He grinned and looked at Gaea. “They never really did recover, did they?”

“I imagine that's why your brother showed up on your doorstep not long ago,” Athena said as she busied herself with the contents of her tablet.

“True enough,” Percy agreed.

Kronos snorted, putting his drink down. “Oh, don't forget what happened to that bitch. She got disowned after trying to pawn all her parents jewelry off.” The young man leaned back with a content sigh. “Good times.”

Athena quirked her eyebrow at Percy. “Didn't she end up going to jail when Gaea offered her parents some money to press charges?”

Percy nodded, taking another sip of his drink with a smirk. “That she did.” His eyes flashed up to Nico. “She hung herself a month after being put there.”

Nico suddenly felt very exposed. Well, more than just because he was standing there in nothing but his Santa shorts. “Oh,” he finally managed to choke out. He managed forcing on a smile. “That was very nice of you, Gaea.”

The woman's eyes gleamed with amusement. “Well, I won't keep you any longer.” Nico nodded and bowed slightly. “Oh, and, Nico?” She called after him. The boy turned around. “I do look forward to seeing how you handle the meeting in a week.”

Nico counted himself lucky at the end of the night, and not because of the hot blond attached to his lips. No, because he was simply not in the back rooms. Since the crowd was smaller than usual, most of the Lost Kids got to count themselves lucky, just not all of them.

Nico sighed and pulled back from Will, who beamed at the brown-eyed boy when he opened his eyes. Nico rolled his eyes. “I feel like you took advantage of me talking to Juniper.”

Will shrugged. “Perhaps. It's not my fault that I noticed you standing under the mistletoe.”

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes and held out a hand when Will tried to lean back in for another kiss. It was partly because he was still undecided on his Will dilemma, but also because their current audience consisted of a certain brown-eyed manager.

Kronos stared at the two Lost Boys from across the room, not even moving when Nico stared back at him. The pale Lost Boy pursed his lips and took a step away from the blond, who seemed confused by his actions. Percy leaned on the table that Kronos was at, leaning in to whisper in the other manager's ear. The corners of Kronos's lips tilted up and he finally tore his eyes away from Nico to give Percy his full attention.

Nico did not stop staring when Will touched his shoulder. “You okay?” The blond asked. Nico just nodded. The other Lost Boy frowned and patted his shoulder. “Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning. I hope you like my present.”

Nico let out a sigh. He bit his lip and cast his eyes towards Will's retreating form. He really needed to sort through his feelings. It sounded so easy, if he were being logical about it all. Will was tangible, within reach, while Percy was so far out there. Why was it even a competition?

And then Percy caught Nico's gaze and smiled at the boy, reminding the boy exactly why it was not an easy matter.

“If I were you, I'd work on keeping a low profile,” came Ethan's voice from behind Nico. The brown-eyed boy turned to find the security guard sitting down at the table next to him, a cup of coffee in his hand. “Looks to me like Kronos wants to toss you in front of an oncoming train.”

Nico sighed, sitting down beside the other Lost Boy. “I'm sure if he wanted me dead, he'd find a more painful way to do it.”

“I see you already have an idea of what Kronos is like.” Ethan's eye shot over to where Nico sat, amusement plastered all over his face. “Unlike Percy, though, you'll easily know if Kronos is upset with you, and you'll know exactly why.”

“Maybe I should like him better,” Nico mumbled. Percy was just a headache waiting to happen for anyone to try and figure out what was bothering the young man. His eyes roamed back over to where Percy and Kronos were carrying on their conversation. They seemed so...normal and comfortable with each other. “Have they ever...?”

Ethan quirked an eyebrow at him. It took a second, but realization finally dawned on his face. “Oh.” The Lost Boy sipped at his coffee. “Not that I'm aware. From what little I've heard, Kronos just sort of took an instant liking to Percy when Gaea first adopted Percy. Been very close ever since.” The Lost Boy shrugged and placed his coffee on the table, crossing his legs. “But, ever since I've arrived, I've never seen them do anything that was more than platonic.”

Nico's eyes watched as the other Lost Boy's hand traced the lid of his coffee. “Isn't it a little late for coffee? Don't you want to get some sleep?” Ethan just blinked at him. “I mean, tomorrow is Christmas.”

“Well,” Ethan took another sip, “technically it already is past midnight.” Nico rolled his eyes and Ethan grinned wickedly. “Nah, I've just not cared much for the holiday for a few years now.”

The shorter of the two leaned on the table with a small smile, probably reminiscent of a child waking up on Christmas morning. “But you get presents, and Leo said there will be lots of food.”

Ethan snorted. “Yeah, food is good I suppose.” The Asian Lost Boy leaned back in his chair, nodding at Percy as the manager left with Kronos. He rolled his eyes when he caught the longing gaze Nico gave the green-eyed young man. “You have some issues.”

“So do we all.”

“True enough,” Ethan agreed. He held out his coffee for Nico, who shook his head. Ethan just shrugged and took another sip. “Just never really put many happy memories with the holiday.”

Nico realized that Ethan was staring down at the coffee mug in his hand. “You get kicked out on the holiday?”

“Not quite.” Ethan's voice was quiet, with a hard edge layered underneath it. His one good eye glanced around them and Nico realized that they were alone on the top floor now. “My mother died.”

“Oh.” Not the best response he could have given, Nico realized. “I'm sorry,” he quickly added.

Ethan's lips tilted down, like the coffee had left a bad taste in his mouth. “Not like that. I just watched her die.” Another sip of coffee. “I got one of the most lasting Christmas presents that year.”

There was no confusion going through Nico's head. He fully understood that Ethan was talking about what happened to his eye. So, instead of asking questions, Nico just let Ethan talk.

“I wish that my dad had never walked out on us, looking back on things. And we were sort of by ourselves, my mother and myself. Just the two of us living in Austin, Texas.” Ethan crossed his arms over his chest. “She was a very...disturbed woman. Perhaps if someone else was there, maybe they would have seen how crazy she really was. And, you know, Asian kids have it pretty bad with living up to the expectations of their parents, so it's not like I had the best childhood growing up with this woman.

“But, I don't know, this night had just felt different. I mean, I could feel something wrong as soon as I walked into the room.” Ethan just shrugged, chuckling dryly. “I even got some nice presents, and she just stood there and smiled while I opened them all.” The boy's jaw tightened and Nico could tell that Ethan was starting struggle with what he wanted to say.

“We don't-”

But Nico was cut off. “She pulled out a gun while I was trying to open my last present. And by the time I saw it, she already had it in my face.” Another dry chuckle came from Ethan's throat. “And, so, there I was, standing in front of our Christmas tree with a gun pushed up against my eye.” Nico can feel his stomach tighten. He knows the ending. How could he not? “She just keeps repeating what a failure I am, because my grades were not perfect,” Ethan said in a mocking tone. “Blamed me for her depression and her drinking. But that woman had her own issues, none of which I could ever try blaming myself for.”

“Ethan,” Nico whispered.

The other Lost Boy gave him a cold look to shut him up. “I tried jerking away, but she pulled the trigger.” Ethan pointed a finger to the edge of his eye. “Caught me right at the edge. My body ended up going into shock and I fell back into the Christmas tree. A lot of the decorations broke and ended up getting embedded into my skin.” Nico swallowed as Ethan held his arm out for inspection. “And then she turned the gun on herself and blew her brains out.” The other Lost Boy didn't even bat an eye as he picked up his coffee and looked across the table at Nico, waiting for a reaction. “So, how's that for a Christmas?”

Nico finds that he has a lump in his throat when he goes to respond to what he had just heard. Clearing his throat, he still finds it hard to come up with any words. What was he supposed to say to that? “How did you survive?”

Such a simple question, and possibly not the response Ethan had been expecting. But to Nico, it was what felt more important to ask.

Ethan leaned back in his chair. His lips finally tilted up. “Well, she missed my brain by a margin. The doctor said if I hadn't moved, I probably would have died. But, as luck would have it, our neighbors heard the gunshot and called the cops.” The Lost Boy shrugged. “Wasn't anything they could have done for my mother, but I didn't really care anymore. And it seems like she ended up torturing me even from the grave, because after that, I just couldn't stand to look at a woman. Had to go to counseling for a while after that.”

Nico rested both of his elbows on the table, leaning in towards the other Lost Boy. “I suppose saying that my dad beat me sometimes as a present doesn't really compare, does it?” Nico said, trying to lighten the mood. Ethan smirked at him. “I'm sorry.”

The Asian boy shook his head. “Don't be. I'm happier here.”

Licking his lips, Nico frowned. He motioned to Ethan's face. “Does it...ever bother you? Was it hard to learn to shoot with the eyepatch?”

That seemed to amuse Ethan. “A little, at first.” He picked up his coffee and finished it off before tossing the empty cup into the nearby trashcan. “The doctors fixed me up the best they could, and Percy even paid for me to have some reconstructive surgery. After a while, I guess I just got used to it, you know?”

Nico felt his throat tighten as Ethan reached up and pulled his eyepatch up. His whole body stiffened. He wasn't quite sure what he had expected to see under there, but Nico had definitely not prepared himself for it.

The eyelids had nearly fused together from when it must have healed. As far as he could tell, there was no eyeball inside the socket. But the rest of Ethan's face looked perfectly fine, and would continue to look as such whenever the Lost Boy wore his eyepatch.

Nico covered his mouth with his hand to fight back a sob. “Ethan,” he breathed out.

“Pretty gross right?” The other Lost Boy chuckled as he slid the patch back over his eye. “Shouldn't have shown you, sorry.”

Nico shook his head, his mouth slightly agape. “I am so sorry that it happened.” There was a slight pain in his chest as Nico watched Ethan stand to his feet. Without thinking, Nico got up and hugged the other Lost Boy.

To say that Ethan was surprised by this was an understatement. His whole body locked up as soon as Nico's arms were around him. “Um, what are you doing?” The taller boy asked.

Nico rubbed his nose as he pulled back. “Sorry, I just thought you could use a hug.”

Ethan eyed him funny. Shaking his head, he patted Nico on the head. “You're all right, kid.”

\--------------------------------

In his sixteen years of living, Nico had never seen so many presents before. Thirty-two presents for each of the thirty-three people that occupied the conference room. That was a lot of presents. Nico just stared in awe at the mountain of presents that had been placed in his pile. He was even surprised when Dionysus and Kronos had dropped gifts onto his stack. Even Drew was in the spirit, wearing a Santa hat and passing out her presents with a smile. Okay, that was a little scary for Nico, to be honest.

But all in all, it was good. It was nice having everyone together and exchanging presents.

Ganymede came to sit down beside him, and Nico was pleasantly surprised to find the blond's contacts were not in. He would never get over how sexy Ganymede's two different eye colors looked. The blond handed him a small wrapped rectangular package.

Nico blinked before reaching back and handing Ganymede the wrapped cologne he had gotten the blond. Nico grinned as he tore into his present. Ganymede just pulled his legs up to his chest and watched Nico's face glow with excitement.

A copy of Perks of Being a Wallflower now sat in Nico's hand. The brown-eyed boy turned to the blond. “I thought it reminded me of you a bit,” the blond admitted. “You kind of remind me of Charlie. You know, you have your own problems, but you focus so intently on everyone else's problems that you forget sometimes to take care of yourself.”

Nico wrapped his arms around Ganymede's neck. “Thank you,” he whispered.

When he pulled back, Ganymede ruffled Nico's hair and stood up. “Take care of yourself, kid. And Merry Christmas.”

Nico smiled and tossed a wave to the blond as he walked across the room to hand off his next present. A large package fell into his lap from his pile of presents, causing Nico to wince. What was in this thing?

Frowning to himself, Nico worked on getting the wrapping paper off, noting how neatly it was done. A lot of books had been tied together, ranging from business, psychology, history, and even Calculus. Nico found Athena's name on the side of the package.

Putting the books aside, Nico rose to his feet and made his way to the table, where the manager was sitting down. He was just thankful that she was not sitting with Kronos. Nico sat down beside her. “Thank you for the present. You didn't have to get me anything,” he told her.

Her stormy grey eyes peered at him from over the top of her tablet. “Well, the way I figured, you were likely to buy me one, since you probably wanted to make a good impression on everyone.” She glanced back at her work. “That being said, I was under the impression that you might go ahead and graduate early.”

Nico's eyes shot over to where Percy was talking with Annabeth and Silena. So Daedalus was correct in his assumption of Percy's intention with arranging Nico's schedule. “I suppose I could. Not sure if I will, though.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. Placing her tablet in her lap, Athena crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. “You seem to be a smart boy, yet you're willing to toss away a head start at a good education.” She looked at him expectantly. “And for what, a crush?”

“I, uh...” Nico really didn't know what to say. “I'm just not sure what I want to do yet.”

“Well, that is what the liberal arts are for.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “I used to want to study abroad,” he admitted.

Athena gave a small nod. “Europe does have some good programs. Though, you then run a chance of having to learn a foreign language.”

“Can I ask something?”

Athena pursed her lips, studying the boy carefully. “Proceed.”

Nico looked over to Gaea, who was handing out presents to Travis and Connor. “What's it like...at the Germany branch I mean? I just imagine it being different, what with it being the hotel Gaea stays at.”

“And here I thought you were going to ask for my entire life story,” Athena sighed. She picked her tablet back up and tapped on the screen. “The structure and grounds are much larger over there, as you can probably imagine. The hotel I manage houses a resort on its grounds, as well as the hotel itself and Gaea's mansion.”

Nico scrunches his lips. “She doesn't live inside the hotel?”

The woman shook her head. “After she got pregnant with Kronos, she had a home built within the hotel boundaries. Other things that cover the premises include: a golf course, volleyball area, and a overly large pool. There's even a lounge and nightclub on the roof of the hotel.”

Nico's brown eyes searched the room for Percy. He really wanted to see if he could get Percy to take him to Germany all of a sudden. Why couldn't Percy manage that hotel? It sounded like heaven, even if Nico would still be doing the same thing he was here.

Speaking of Percy. Nico nearly jumped when the young man cleared his throat behind the brown-eyed boy. Nico chuckled nervously as he turned in his seat to look up at the young man. “Having a nice chat?” The green-eyed manager asked.

Athena smiled at Percy. “Just informing your employee here of what it's like over in Germany.”

“Hopefully not telling him too nice of things.” Percy chuckled and placed a hand on top of Nico's hair. “Wouldn't want him to request a transfer.” His bright smile was then turned on Nico. “I got you something,” he said, holding out an envelope. Nico reached out for it, but Percy jerked it away. “You can bring my present and we'll head upstairs.”

Nico stared at the young man in confusion. Why couldn't they just do it here? Regardless, Nico got up and walked over to where his presents were. He dug out the one that had Percy's name on it and slipped it into the hoodie he had on.

The two got a few looks as they slipped out of the room, though Nico found himself mostly concerned with the dark look he received from Kronos. If looks could kill, Nico would have probably be already dead. When they were close to the elevators, Percy came to a stop and turned to face the Lost Boy.

And there was that stupid grin of Percy's plastered all over his face. The young man bounced on his heels. “So, what did you get me?”

“Really?” Nico asked, crossing his arms. “You drag me out here, and you want your present first?” Percy shrugged, looking at Nico expectantly. The boy sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small square box with a blue ribbon. “Here.”

Percy turned the box over in his hands before looking up to give Nico a questioning look. Nico was just thankful when Percy did not shake it. The boy eagerly waited as Percy undid the ribbon and pulled the lid off the box. And then Nico's heart stopped as Percy pulled the golden chain out and lifted his present in front of his face.

It was the pocket watch that Leo had gotten him, but all cleaned and repaired. It was so clean now that Nico could see his reflection in the service. There was even a little clicking noise when Percy opened the watch. Nico felt his blood run cold as Percy stopped when he noticed the two pictures Nico had placed inside the watch. Rachel had given him two small photos: one of Gaea and Kronos, the other of Percy's biological mother. The watch was one thing, but Nico had been constantly worrying over the second picture he had decided to have put in the watch.

With an unreadable look on his face, Percy ran his index finger over the picture of his mother. “Where did you get this?” He whispered.

It took Nico a moment to find his voice. He hoped he had not made a mistake with this. “I had some help,” the boy managed to get out.

Percy's green eyes were a sea of emotion as he glanced up to look Nico in the eyes. With a sigh, Percy closed the watch. “I told you her name was Sally, didn't I?” Percy asked, holding up the watch in his hand. Nico gave a small nod. “She was a nice woman, from what I can remember, I think you would have liked her.” Popping the watch open again, Percy stared down at the picture again. “I don't remember much about her, to be honest, but I do remember she smiled a lot whenever she knew I was looking at her. Didn't want me to think anything was wrong.”

Nico fidgeted with his hands. Just being in front of Percy at the moment made him uncomfortable. “I'm sorry if you don't like it. I can always get you something else.”

Nico was surprised when Percy gave a small chuckle. “Don't like it?” His voice was soft and a sincere smile graced his lips. “Thank you.” He squeezed the watch in his hand. “I really do appreciate it.” Clearing his throat, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to Nico. “And I hope you like your present.”

Nico stared down at the envelope in confusion. He didn't mean to seem ungrateful, that wasn't it at all. It was just that, after seeing the large and extravagant gifts that Percy had given the others, the last thing Nico had been expecting to get was a tiny envelope.

That train of thought was quickly put to rest as soon as he had it opened.

Nico thought his heart might stop beating at any second. His mouth fell open as he stared down at the contents of the envelope. With eyes wide, he looked up to Percy for some answers. This couldn't be real.

The young man just smiled. “Do you like it?”

“P-Percy!” Nico pulled out the two checks that Percy had put inside. “These are blank checks for me and Bianca!” His brow furrowed in confusion. “I don't understand.”

“What?” There was that cocky smirk on the green-eyed young man's face, partially serving to irritate Nico. He would have been more irritated by it, if he wasn't holding two blank checks. “They are for you and your sister to use for your education. Bianca graduates this year, and you have the choice to do the same, and I want to pay for your tuition.”

“For the first semester?”

Without missing a beat, Percy replied, “No, for the entirety of it.”

Nico wasn't sure he had the capability of moving. He nearly forgot how to breath, the boy was in such a shock. Percy was willing to spend at least a million dollars on him and his sister to go to a university? Looking down at the checks again, Nico found that his hands were shaking.

“I-I don't know what to say?” Nico's eyes were still wide as he looked up at Percy again.

The green-eyed young man smiled. “You don't have to say anything.” He reached out and ran his fingers through Nico's hair. “Merry Christmas, Nico.”

Without hesitation, Nico flung his arms around Percy's neck and clung on tightly to his boss. Perhaps it was a bit unprofessional, but since when had that ever mattered? “Thank you! Thank you!” Nico kept repeating as he held onto the young man's neck.

Percy chuckled in his ear, though Nico could feel that Percy's body had locked up on initial contact. He was just relieved when Percy finally wrapped his arms around Nico's waist and pulled the boy closer. With his mouth pressed into Nico's hair, Percy mumbled something that Nico failed to catch.

The brown-eyed boy pulled back and looked up at Percy. “What was that?”

Percy raised a brow at him. “What?”

“You said something?”

The young man simply shook his head. “You must have been hearing things.” Giving Nico a final squeeze, Percy removed himself from Nico. “I better get back, as should you.” He smiled. “Take your time to collect yourself.”

Nico had not even realized that he had been crying until Percy wiped a thumb across his cheek. The boy laughed and wiped at his face, thanking Percy again as he disappeared back into the conference room. This was amazing, he thought.

And then he was brought crashing down. “You know, it's been a while since I found something that made me want to throw up, but that was just so sickeningly sweet,” came Kronos's cold voice from behind Nico. Turning around, the boy found the manager closing the door behind him. “I didn't actually want to believe what I had been hearing about what you're doing to Percy, but I guess it's true.”

Nico slid the checks back into the envelope and placed it in his pocket. “I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing is going on with me and Percy.”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.” The taller of the two narrowed his eyes down at the Lost Boy like he was some rodent. “I don't like the way Percy looks at you, and you just look like some love-sick puppy when you even get a scent of him.”

“I do not!”

Unlike normally, Kronos did not seem to take enjoyment out of frustrating Nico. Instead, he just stared down at the boy that could have managed to freeze over hell itself. “Maybe you could do a better job if you didn't ignore your responsibilities to gaze longingly at my brother.”

“Maybe you're just being jealous,” Nico mumbled before he could stop himself. As soon as the words had left his lips, the boy clamped a hand over his mouth. “I didn't-”

There was such a cold laugh that came from Kronos, one that chilled Nico to his very soul. Even though the hotel was always kept well lit and at room temperature, Nico found himself shivering at the sound of Kronos's laugh. “Sorry to burst your bubble, you jealous little brat, but I don't see Percy in that way. Contrary to what you might believe, but I have absolutely no desire to long after the 'hero figure' that is Percy, nor do I wish to be seen as a hero myself. I don't want people trying to worship or idolize me like he has all of you. No, when my employees are done, I'm ready to see them go.”

“Then I'm glad Percy's my boss and not you,” Nico mumbled.

Kronos arched a brow at him. “You should be thankful indeed. Because, if I were Percy, I would make quick work of this little crush you think you have on him.” The manager tilted his head to the side when Nico wouldn't look up to meet his gaze. “Oh, what's that? You know, I had wondered if it's true, and maybe it is.”

“What?”

The young man's sinister smirk crept across his lips. “Are you in love with my brother?”

Nico's entire body tensed. “O-of course not.”

“That was so convincing,” Kronos replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. “How do you even manage with your job?” Reaching one of his pale hands up, Kronos tapped a finger to his lips. “Though, I can't help but wonder if you really do love him, or is it just some emotion you've concocted in your head? Come now, you don't really love Percy. I mean, you barely know him.”

Nico clenched his hands at his side.

Kronos tilted his head to the side, still smirking. “Did I hit a nerve there? My sincerest apologies, little boy. But tell me, how old was Percy when my mother found him? When did he start stripping? Why did he start stripping?” That damned smirk only continued to grow. “Who taught him before he started at a university? Where was his favorite vacation spot?”

When Nico remained quiet, Kronos just laughed and turned to head back to the conference room. Glaring up at the back of Kronos's head, Nico growled. “He was fourteen when your mother found him. And he did it because it was required of him.”

Nico had felt so confident with his answers, yet it was all knocked out of him when Kronos turned around with a smug look. “You really have no idea about his past, do you?” Kronos crossed his arms, staring at Nico in amusement. “He was about to turn twelve when my mother found him. What, you asked him? Percy barely remembers anything from that time in his life.” He quirked a brow at Nico. “And you think my mother made him strip? Percy volunteered. My mother was going to let him live a life of luxury the rest of his life.”

Nico was stunned. That couldn't be true, could it? Why would Percy want to strip? And how could Percy have told Nico so confidently an age that wasn't even accurate? What did he really know about Percy?

Kronos was now biting down on his lip to try and hide his amusement. “Oh, this is good. I didn't think anyone could give me more satisfaction than Luke normally does.” Another icy laugh. “You see, your great hero chose his life, and yet I'm sure you've done nothing but pity him this entire time.”

There was not a doubt in Nico's mind that Kronos was taking great satisfaction of the devastated look that was plastered on Nico's face, but he really did not care at the moment. Did he know anything at all about Percy that was true?

“See,” Kronos continued, “you don't really love him, you just think you do.”

“No.” Nico's eyes darkened and he clenched his hands into fists. “You're wrong. Percy's past doesn't matter.”

Slowly stepping backwards, Kronos smirked. “You don't really believe that, do you?” And with that, he left Nico standing there in the hallway alone.

Nico fell against he wall, covering his mouth with his hands. Slowly, the boy slid down until his ass came in contact with the carpet. Was it all just a lie? Did he even really love Percy? It did not seem like he knew anything real about the young man, so perhaps he didn't. Did Percy just not trust him enough to tell him the truth?

Nico was not sure how long he sat there, but he barely moved when his phone started to ring. He already knew who it was. It wasn't hard, since only two or three people outside of the hotel had his number. Without even looking at the screen, Nico put the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Bianca,” he mumbled.

“What's wrong, grumpy? You should be happier, it's Christmas.”

Nico let out a sigh. “It would be better if we were off for the holiday and I could just barricade myself in my room.”

Nico heard Bianca's car door shut. “Well, I don't know if I can get you off of work for the day, but how about you and me spend some time together?”

Nico wiped at his face. “When?”

“Now.”

Nico pulled his phone back and stared at the screen. He frowned and put it back to his ear. “Are you at the hotel?”

He could practically feel Bianca's grin. “Maybe,” she sang back to him. “So, how about it?”

Nico bit on his lip. Letting out a breath, Nico got up and headed towards the conference room. “Let me clear it with Percy first.” Bianca hummed in response. Opening the door, Nico found Percy sitting on the edge of the table with Kronos. “Percy?”

The green-eyed manager looked over at him, eyebrows raised. “What can I do for you?” A split second later, he frowned. “Are you all right?”

“Fine.” Nico forced himself to smile with a nod. “So, um, I was wondering if I could go out with Bianca for a few hours? Is that okay?”

Percy just shrugged. “I mean, as long as you're back for work, I don't have a problem with it.” Nico grinned at him. The young man leaned back on his palms. “Stay out of trouble,” he called as Nico shut the door.

When Nico got to the lobby, he found Bianca sitting on one of the couches. She jumped up when she saw him, holding her arms open for him to come hug her. And he did just that. Nico breathed in Bianca as he held her close to him. How easy would it be just to go with her and not come back to this place? He was not going to lie, the thought was seriously crossing his mind at this point.

“I missed you,” Bianca said as they let each other go. She motioned to him. “Come on, I've got your presents in the car.”

“I got yours on the way down,” Nico told her as they walked out into the city. There weren't many days that Nico just came out in front of the hotel, and some days he almost forgot that there was an entire city surrounding them at the Lotus.

Nico blew out a breath as he watched the slow Los Angeles traffic move by in front of the hotel before following his sister down the street to where she had parked. Before Nico could try and climb in the passenger seat, Bianca already had the door open and was pulling out a package and an envelope.

Nico frowned as he took the envelope from her. “I didn't know what your pay was like, so I got you two gift cards. One is for food, the other for any clothes you might want,” Bianca said quickly.

Nico just smiled and pocketed the gift cards. If only she knew the half of it. “Thank you,” he said, taking the small package from her.

The boy's smile slowly melted off his face as he stared down at an old picture of his mother holding him and Bianca when they were little. A small lump formed in his throat as he ran a hand down the glass frame. Looking up, Bianca just smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

And then Bianca motioned to the back seat and Nico's jaw dropped. “So, I brought these from home.”

“Bianca,” Nico breathed out.

Sitting there, in his sister's back seat was his entire book collection from home. It had taken three boxes to fit them all in, but Nico was certain that they were all there. Without hesitating, Nico wrapped both of his arms around his sister.

“Thank you,” the boy whispered into his sister's ear.

She smiled and pulled back. “So,” Bianca began, “what did you get me?”

Nico rolled his eyes and pulled out a long, thin rectangular box. Bianca eyed him funny as she took it from him and pulled back the lid. The look on her face was enough for Nico. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as Bianca gaped at her brother.

Reaching into the box, Bianca pulled out a necklace with a heart made up of a bunch of tiny emeralds. “Nico!” She exclaimed. “Where on earth did you get this?” She shook her head. “Now, how did you get this?”

He just smiled sheepishly at her. “Don't worry about it. Do you like it?”

She shook her head in disbelief. “Of course, dummy.” She blinked at the necklace, contemplating if it was really there. Nico laughed when she grabbed it with her other hand to check. “I just...” Blowing out a breath, she placed it back in the box. “I don't understand how you were able to afford that.”

“I did tell you that I was taken care of here,” Nico said with a grin. Reaching out, he took the necklace and stepped behind his sister. Bianca lifted her hair and allowed Nico to place it around her neck. “I just wanted you to have something nice.” Then he remembered what Percy had given him earlier. “Oh, and Percy wanted you to have this.”

Bianca stumbled against her car when Nico placed the blank check in her hands. “Percy gave this...to me?” Nico nodded. “Is he sick? Is he dying?”

Nico just laughed. “No. Um, Percy's kind of loaded.” He smiled and showed Bianca his check. “I have one, too. Percy's going to pay for both of us to go to any university of our choosing, for the entire duration of our time there.”

Bianca actually pinched herself. “Okay, sorry, just had to make sure I wasn't dreaming.” She looked between the check and her brother. “Can you like marry this guy? I mean, how does a guy like this even exist?”

“He's my boss,” Nico reminded her.

“Right, right.” Bianca placed a hand over her mouth. “Just...wow.” She hugged her brother again before walking around to her side of the car. “Okay, so if Percy is trying to win me over, let him know he's succeeded in doing so.”

Nico chuckled and climbed in the car as well. “He is something, isn't he?” Nico whispered as Bianca pulled away from the curb. His sister missed the distant look on Nico's face as the boy stared up at the hotel as they drove away.


	37. To Die Would be an Awfully Big Adventure

Unlike with Gaea and Kronos, the Lost Kids were not required to show up to greet the other managers. However, since Nico had never even seen them, he stood on the second floor balcony with Ethan and Clarisse, while the three remaining managers entered the lobby.

Atlas had been the first to arrive, and the man had immediately made a lasting impression on Nico. The man was terrifying! He had to be around six-foot-five and with arms that could probably have broken Nico in half. Clarisse had laughed at the pale look Nico had gotten on his face at seeing the man. He even towered over Percy! But that did not stop Percy from smirking and shaking the man's hand after Atlas had dropped his bags.

Demeter had arrived almost twenty minutes later, not intimidating Nico as badly. In fact, she reminded Nico of his grandmother back in Italy. She had even brought some cookies, which she handed over to Percy. Percy had eyed them and then asked something, which had ended up getting him smacked on the back of the head.

Now, Nico was just waiting to get a look at the Asian branch manager, Frank. He rested his arms on the balcony railing and carefully watched the door.

“The most amusing thing,” Ethan mused while watching Leo peek at the cookies that Demeter had brought, “is watching the others freak out when Demeter offers to cook or bake.”

Nico turned his attention to the other Lost Boy. “Why's that?”

Clarisse, who had been chewing her nails, spit a piece of her thumb nail across the lobby. “Because, she has to dispose of bodies somehow.” Nico paled at that. “Not that she's ever fed any of us that stuff, but it makes the others a little nervous to wonder if the next piece of food they eat from her might include a organ or finger.” Clarisse gave a lazy shrug. “I know Kronos and Atlas buys some off of her on occasion, and the two of them and Demeter both offer them to clients they despise.”

Nico made a face at that. “Sounds gross. People don't notice?”

“Not really.” Ethan let out a sigh. “You'd be surprised at the taste of human flesh.”

That made Nico feel a little uneasy. Had Ethan ever tried some of Demeter's special delicacies? That was a little disturbing to think about. He made a mental note to himself to steer clear of anything the woman had to offer. He would rather not take the chance of swallowing an eyeball.

Approximately fifteen minutes after Demeter had left the lobby, a tall young man with a crew cut walked into the lobby with two Asian girls following behind him. He was handsome, with a strong jawline. His shoulders were broad and his physique reminded Nico of some war hero in an action movie. His eyes reminded Nico slightly of a wolf.

Almost immediately, Hazel appeared and threw herself at the guy, who smiled warmly as he hugged her. That would have to be Frank, if Nico had to guess. Frank spun Hazel around as Percy walked over to them. After letting Hazel down, Percy and Frank hugged.

Nico barely was able to catch what was said. “So, about Hazel,” Frank said with a smile.

Percy rolled his eyes. “Not even here a minute, and you already have the nerve to ask.” The American manager smiled and threw his arm around Frank. “Afraid I'm going to have to decline.”

Frank reached out and cupped Hazel's chin. “It never hurts to ask.”

Nico had to wonder how this guy was a manager. He looked like a teddy bear. A teddy bear that could snap Nico like a twig, but the point still remained. Even so, Nico did try to keep in mind how he had been deceived by Percy's appearance as well. If the green-eyed manager could pull off the look of a sad seal, then the teddy bear could probably stab someone through the heart just as easily.

“So, how is Drew treating you?” Frank asked as the three headed towards the elevator.

Percy has caught sight of Nico by now and was staring quite intently. Frank seemed to notice and followed Percy's gaze up to the balcony. Rolling his eyes, the Asian young man gave Percy a shove. Percy returned his gaze to Frank. “What?”

“I take it that is the new kid we've been hearing about?”

Percy motions for Nico to come downstairs. Ethan and Clarisse grinned broadly and patted Nico on the back as he stepped away from the railing. Nico jogged down the stairs until he was standing in front of Frank, Hazel, and Percy.

Percy motioned to Frank. “Nico, this is Frank, the district manager of Asia.”

Frank gave a slight bow before reaching out to shake Nico's hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Nico just sort of gaped at the young man. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

The brown-eyed young man chuckled. “Please, don't call me 'sir'. I'm not old enough for that yet.” He did a quick glance over of Nico's appearance. “Ah, but I've been looking forward to meeting you. Not as much as Kronos probably was, but I figure you have slightly less to worry about with me.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “You're all overreacting.”

“We'll see,” Frank said with a smirk. He gave Nico a nod. “Anyways, it was nice to meet you.” Taking Hazel by the arm, Frank and his two girls entered one of the elevators.

Percy slid his hands into his pockets. “So, what are your thoughts on all of them?”

“I'm not planning on trying anything that Demeter offers me,” Nico mumbled, looking over his shoulder to make sure the woman was not nearby.

Percy cracked a grin at that. “I see the others already told you about that.” He reached out to ruffle Nico's hair. “It's nothing to worry about, she isn't out to feed any of you that stuff. In fact, she tends to like most of the Lost Kids that get brought into the business. Aside from the fear of her baking, most of the Lost Kids find her enjoyable.”

Nico took a moment to just stare up at Percy. After returning from spending Christmas Day with Bianca, Nico had not gotten to see much of Percy. Between Nico's work schedule, preparing for the meeting, and Kronos and Gaea occupying most of Percy's time, Nico had barely caught a glimpse of Percy all week. And now it was New Years, which according to Thalia, was a very big night at the hotel. Since the big meeting was the next day, several clients apparently took the opportunity to stop by the hotel to talk arrangements with the big lady herself.

Finally, Nico smirked. “So, I've never really gotten a kiss at midnight before.”

Percy grinned and brushed some of Nico's hair out of the boy's face. He moved forward. And, as he passed by Nico's shoulder, leaned in to whisper, “Don't hold your breath.”

Nico turned to glare at the young man's back. He kept thinking he was getting somewhere with Percy, but it really did not seem like it during times like these. How did anyone think there was something between Percy and Nico, especially when Percy kept doing things like this?

With a quick glance at his phone, Nico silently cursed and jumped in the first elevator that arrived in the lobby. It was almost time for work, and Nico still needed to get a quick bite to eat and get ready for tonight. Since it was New Years' Eve, that meant it was also the night for the number that number that Apollo had been preparing them for, the one that everyone was still slightly ticked off with him about for him getting to head the number with Annabeth.

After an hour of eating and getting ready, Nico slung a bag that he kept his wardrobe changes in and headed up to the top floor. All of the Lost Kids that were performing tonight were dressed the same: the boys wearing simple black vests, some black pants, and bowler hats; the girls wearing golden dresses, lace stockings, and long strings of pearls.

Luke sneered at Nico as he placed his bag down in the corner with the others. “You better not screw up tonight, twerp.”

“Thanks for the motivational speech,” Nico grumbled as he put his bowler hat on top of his head.

The Lost Kids stepped out onto the stage to get into place while the curtain was still closed. While Annabeth had been surrounded by the other Lost Boys performing tonight, Nico found himself surrounded by the other Lost Girls. Nico placed one of his arms on top of his head, where his hand reached out to hold onto his other arm, which was straight up in the air.

The music and lyrics to “Show Me How You Burlesque” began to play while the curtain opened. Two spotlights found their way onto Annabeth and Nico. As soon as the music truly started, the Lost Kids came alive, shifting around Annabeth and Nico. The girls worked to hold onto Nico, all the while leaning back as far as they could. Meanwhile, the Lost Boys knelt around Annabeth and raised their hands up towards her face. During all of this, Nico and Annabeth snapped their fingers along to the music's beat.

The Lost Boys picked up Annabeth and carried her over to Nico. The girls scattered and spun around the pair as Annabeth leaned back against Nico and placed her hand around the back of her neck, Nico's hands placed on her waist.

Lights appeared on certain tables out in the audience, and the Lost Kids working the floor got up on them and moved along with the music, shimmying up and down to the guests' great enjoyment. The Lost Kids pointed up to the stage, and in response, the Lost Kids on the stage swung an arm back and forth above their heads.

As the chorus played, the Lost Kids on the stage moved to stand behind Annabeth and Nico. The two had split apart by this point and were standing next to each other. They shot one arm up in the air, followed soon by the other and taking the first one down. Nico and Annabeth curved in their lower backs as they brought each of their knees up, one at a time, to their hip level.

Behind the pair and on the tables, the Lost Kids were spinning their arms in circular patterns above their head, working in running their hands through their hair as they did so. At the end of the chorus, all of them hopped from one foot to the other, while making the 'come here' motion with both of their hands.

The Lost Kids then divided up, the girls going to one side of the stage and the boys going to the other. Slowly the Lost Kids on the stage worked their way towards the edge and shimmied lightly to the audience. Nico placed his hand on Will's back—who was slightly bent forward—as the group of Lost Boys slowly moved towards the Lost Girls, Annabeth doing the same to Hazel on the other side of the stage.

Nico and Annabeth made the 'come hither' motion again to the audience, while slowly turning around to face away from the crowd. The pair placed their hands above their head and jutted their hips from side to side. Moving their faces close together, Annabeth and Nico lip-synced the words, “Here come the ladies, about to give a little show.”

After that, the Lost Kids on the tables, flipped their way onto the stage and everyone stood in a straight line, waving their arms back and forth above their heads. All of them snapped their hands back and forth from their chest to behind them, all the while shaking their asses at the audience.

Everyone circled around Annabeth and Nico, and all of the Lost Kids placed one of their arms above their heads, slowly snapping along with the music. Everyone but Annabeth and Nico crouched down when the beat picked back up and the two pointed out at the audience. Nico reached out and Annabeth took his hand, and the two strutted their way towards the back of the stage.

At the final part of the song, the Lost Kids positioned themselves around Nico and Annabeth again, while they all kicked their knees up from side to side. Spinning around, they all shook their asses again. On the last line of the song, everyone paired up with someone of the opposite gender and grabbed each other. When the final words rang out, the girls tore away the boys' vests and the boys practically ripped apart the girls' golden dresses. The lights immediately went dark on the stage.

The Lost Kids all took a moment to catch their breaths as the audience stood up to clap for them. Annabeth gave Nico a small smile as the two stepped away from each other. “Good job,” she managed to breathe out.

After the curtains were closed, the Lost Kids got off the stage and worked to cool off. Grabbing cold bottles of water, the Lost Kids that had been on the floor headed out the door to get back to work. Nico plopped down on the nearest couch, not caring that his head was on Hazel's leg. The girl smiled down at him and put her cold water bottle to Nico's forehead.

After nearly finishing off their bottles of water, the twins headed back onto the stage for the next performance of the night. Nico groaned and closed his eyes. No matter how many times they practiced that number, it always left him feeling completely drained and sweaty.

“Frank seems nice,” Nico said with a yawn.

Hazel smiled down at him. “He's sweet. I've seen pictures of him from before he got involved with all of this, he looked even more like a teddy bear.” Nico chuckled at that. “But, like Percy, he still has a good heart, even if he has to do some unpleasant things.”

“I guess we all have to do things we don't like around here.”

“You get used to it,” Hazel replied.

Nico shifted on the couch to get a better look at the Lost Girl. “Hazel?” He began. The girl looked down at him. “How hard was it for you anyways, to go from the life you had into all of this? I mean, you escaped it one place, and then just ran back into the same life.”

“Not exactly the same.” The Lost Girl stroked Nico's hair. “Percy's nicer than my mother was, and so is Gaea. Sure they can be cold and can be ruthless when they need to be, but they try to take care of us. That's more than my mother ever did.” She leaned her head back with a sigh. “And, besides, at least I'm getting paid here.”

“That's a sadistic way of looking at it,” Nico mumbled. He rolled onto his side and pushed himself up to sit beside Hazel. “But, I mean, you could leave. All of you could.”

“I suppose.” Hazel dropped her hands into her lap. “But I guess we all just feel like we need to stay here. We feel like we belong here, like we finally have a real family. And isn't that what everyone wants in this world, to feel like they belong somewhere?” She offered the boy a weak smile. “I know someone looking in on us probably thinks us all insane, but we just finally feel safe. Out there, and back where we came from, there was no feeling of comfort, family, or safety. Back at home, I cried myself to sleep most nights. Here? Here I just feel dirty after I'm done with work and take a shower.

“But, to better answer your question, I guess I just got used to it. Sure I had a lot of trouble accepting it when I first came here, realizing that I'd still be selling my body to strangers, but I think we all had issues when we first got here,” Hazel continued. “Ask anyone, especially Percy, and he can tell you that each of caused a commotion on our first day of work here. And, by the time I got here, Silena was already here, and she helped me get through it.”

“Not Thalia, Annabeth, Apollo, or Luke?”

Hazel slowly shook her head. “Silena and I....we could relate.” She glanced over at Nico. “I'll just leave it at that.”

Nico looked up as the twins made their way off the stage. Connor frowned heavily and reached into his speedo to pull out some dollar bills. Looking like they disgusted the brunet just to hold them, Connor shoved the money at his brother.

Nico jumped up, since his performance was next, and walked over to his bag to get ready for his next performance. Travis crouched down beside him and slipped the money the two had accumulated on stage into his bag. Nico glanced over at him. “What was up with that?” He asked.

Travis did not look at Nico, just let his hands drop after placing the money in the bag. He sighed and stood to his feet. “Just another issue Connor has with the job. He's fine accepting his paycheck, but he's never touched the money customers give him personally.” The brunet shrugged. “No big deal, I just put it all up in the bank, so that we can use if we need to ever leave here.”

“I guess that's smart.” Nico yanked his open vest off his body and stuffed it into his bag. Sitting on his butt, Nico pulled off the black pants and swapped them for a pair with suspenders. “But doesn't it worry you, with Connor, I mean.”

Travis was looking at his brother when Nico glanced up at him. The brunet frowned and scrunched his lips. “I always worry about my brother, but we all have issues, Nico, it's nothing uncommon around here.” He cracked a grin and playfully hit Nico's shoulders. “It's the ones that try to act normal around here that you need to watch out for, my friend.”

Nico furrowed his brow as he watched Travis walk off. As he got to his feet, Nico adjusted his suspenders onto his shoulders. Blowing out a breath, Nico slowly walked onto the dark stage and got into place.

The song that he and Apollo had picked out for his solo performance tonight was a bit different than his usual choices, but the blond had been working with Nico pretty frequently to make sure he moved just right with the dubstep song.

As the lights slowly lit up on the stage, Nico started to let his hips bounce from side to side as Nostalgia and Aami's “Bad Machine” began to fill the room light beats. When the lyrics started, Nico slowly worked his arms and hands down from his head, slowly letting them trail down his body. As he turned to face the audience, Nico played with the suspenders on his torso. The main thing he had to remember, as Apollo had told him, was to keep bouncing his hips from side to side.

At the part where the song kept repeating the words “make you”, Nico brought his fists to his chest and popped out his ass to each utterance of the word.

Placing his hands behind his head, Nico arched his back before sliding one of his legs out and crouching down. Biting down on his lip, he reached out and ran a hand along his outstretched leg. As he came up, Nico unhooked the suspender on his left shoulder.

Jumping around, Nico smacked his ass and threw his head back. Leaning forward, Nico moved his upper body in a crescent arch, making sure to bring his head as close to the floor as he could. After coming up, Nico removed the other suspender and slid a hand along his torso, making sure to bite his lip when his hand ghosted over his crotch.

Nico rolled his upper body along with the music, slowly getting his pants off. When they finally came off his legs, Nico tossed them to the side and turned around to gyrate his ass to the audience. Reaching behind him, the Lost Boy hooked his thumbs under the fabric and slowly jerked the speedo from side to side as. At the end of the song, Nico slid one of his hands under the material of his speedo and turned his upper body. Placing a hand on the back of his head, Nico struck a pose while biting his lower lip.

Nico's bad news came right before the final performance of the night. Leo poked his head through the door and made his way over to the brown-eyed boy. Nico instantly paled, knowing exactly why Leo was there.

Nico slumped his shoulders. “Which room?” He sighed.

Leo gave him a sad smile. “First room on the right.” As Nico turned to head there, Leo patted him on the back. “Don't freak out too much.”

But, before Nico could even ask what Leo meant, the Latino boy had already vanished. Nico let out a little groan and pushed open the door to the back rooms.

The room was empty when Nico arrived, so he just sat down on the bed for a minute. With a quick glance at the cabinet, Nico contemplated if he needed to take another pill. So far, the boy had just waited until he saw the customer to decide. If it was a woman, Nico always took a pill; but if it was a guy, the circumstance depended on what the man wanted.

The bottle of alcohol that was also kept in every room also sounded appealing to him most nights that he found himself in these rooms. Not that he ever drank it, but he admitted that it did sound appealing. What was not to like about getting so shit-faced that he could not remember his encounter with the client? Nico had begun to see the appeal the other Lost Kids had for it.

But, as always, Nico opted against it. With a heavy sigh, Nico leaned back against the wall. He just wanted to get this over with. At least he had managed to stop crying.

Nico frowned when the door opened and Octavian slid inside. “What are you doing here?” Nico asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Octavian narrowed his eyes. “Just giving you a quick reminder of your job.” The blond nodded to the door. “Percy sent me back here, said that Gaea's going to have Kronos sit in the security room and watch. She wants to make sure you're handling your job.” Nico fidgeted slightly, glancing over to the camera in the corner. “So, just do your job. Just remember to get the information out of the client as he or she is having their way with you. That's all she cares about.”

Nico sighed and nodded. “Yeah,” he mumbled.

Octavian rolled his blue eyes. “You're such a girl. This is part of why I've been working with you, so you can do what you're back here to do.” He placed a hand on his hip. “I haven't been doing it to enjoy your company, you know. It doesn't matter that you're being watched, the bottom line is that it's about time you got your act together and pulled your weight. Get what information you can, and show the bastard in the security room that you're not some easy target.”

Nico frowned up at the blond. “That almost sounded like you were trying to help me.”

The blond scoffed. “Please. I just dislike you less than I despise Kronos.”

The brown-eyed boy hugged his knees. “Thanks,” he mumbled. “I'll...try.”

With a small nod in Nico's direction, Octavian disappeared from the room. Nico glanced at the camera again. He did not like the idea of that snake watching him, even if Kronos had saw him naked the other day. All of a sudden, Nico felt extremely vulnerable.

The door opened a little under five minutes later. Nico prepared himself to try greeting the client like he was supposed to, but as soon as he caught sight of the client, Nico froze.

“A pleasure to see you again, Nico,” Senator Johnson greeted him. He smiled at the boy as he removed his coat and put it in a chair that was at the foot of the bed.

Nico closed his mouth and cleared his throat. Smiling back, Nico jumped up and played with the loose shirt on his torso. “So, I see you finally decided to spend some private time with me.” Nico's skin crawled just at having to utter those words.

He did his best not to cringe when the man ran the back of his hand along Nico's cheek.

The senator smiled at Nico again before reaching over to dim the lights. “Oh, I've been waiting for this for some time now.”

\--------------------------------------------------

Ever since Percy had asked him to sit in on the meeting, Nico had ran dozens of simulations in his head on how he thought it would go. None of them had involved getting his ass groped by Percy, while the manager sat there like he wasn't even doing anything.

Each of the managers had one of their Lost Kids at their sides, while they all sat at the large conference table. All except Frank, who had requested that Hazel attend to him.

Nico stiffened when he felt Percy's finger press against his entrance through the fabric of his pants. Percy actually had the audacity to give a smug smirk, keeping his eyes on Gaea as she spoke to the managers. But the only one who seemed to have a problem with Percy's behavior was Kronos. Though, it did not take long for Nico to realize that the Lost Kids from the different hotels were merely there to serve food, drinks, hand the managers documents, and be their plaything. In all honesty, Nico shouldn't have been surprised, especially since it seemed to easy for Percy to teach him everything that would be covered at the meeting.

“You want to pay better attention,” Kronos mumbled in annoyance.

Percy tilted his head to the side, a small smile on his face. “Have you looked at yourself?”

It was true. Kronos had actually gotten his attendant, a girl named Rhea, to sit across his lap. The young man only made Nico dislike him more by having the girl feed him grapes. How stereotypical of someone with power, Nico thought.

“How much are you feeding that boy?” Demeter said plainly, bringing Gaea's line of discussion to a halt for a moment. “He looks like a corpse.”

Percy looked up at Nico briefly. “I think he's attractive. Just because he's skinny, doesn't mean he's unhealthy.” The young man gave a light shrug. “He eats fine, though his eating habits are not enforced by me.”

Nico's cheeks were a little pink by the time Percy was done talking. This was also not the first time that Demeter had commented on his appearance since her arrival. This time was number three. The second time had been at breakfast, when Nico and Hazel had bumped into the woman at the hotel's restaurant.

“It's just the way she is,” Hazel had told him as they had sat down at their table. “She fusses over everyone. Well, aside from those like Beckendorf and Butch.” She had grinned broadly. “In fact, she nagged Frank so badly about his weight that he started working out. And, well, you've seen the result.”

Nico's eyes flickered over to where Gaea was seated. He did not like being the object of discussion that derailed her meeting. But she sat there calmly, her green eyes staring blankly back at Nico. He wasn't sure what it was about the woman, but she seemed to get under his skin worse than Kronos.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was Kronos's mother. Nico had to wonder if she had raised her son to be so cruel. Or perhaps it was due to all the information that Nico had accumulated on the woman since he had arrived. She was powerful, there was no doubt in Nico's mind. In fact, he had to wonder if there was anything she could not achieve, could not make happen.

Either way, her calm demeanor did nothing to make Nico feel safe around her.

“As I was saying,” Gaea finally continued when no one else seemed to want to discuss Nico, or the fact that the boy was being fondled by her adopted son, “I feel like it would be beneficial to the Lotus to offer some specials to the average guests.” She spun her chair to the side and crossed her legs, lifting a sheet a paper up for examination. “Add in a family plan, or something.”

Athena had a finger tapping against her lips. “What about at the main hotel? I feel we could make some profits if we offered the resort area for use to students or their parents. Charge admission to use the pool on the facility.”

The woman at the head of the table waved a hand absently. “See to it that is done.” She looked up at the other managers. “Any other ideas?”

Percy leaned back in his seat, finally removing his hand from Nico's rear. “Zeus's businesses are in our possession now. In their current state, they make a very small profit. Well, at least compared to a lot of our other sources of incomes.” The young man tapped a pen against the table's surface. “We could just shut them down, cut off funding them and let them collapse. Or, we could do some redesigning on them.” He shrugged. “Perhaps turn his old headquarters of operation into something community related.”

“Thoughts?” Gaea asked.

Percy scrunched his lips. “Community center for kids to go to after school?” The young man suggested. Gaea simply scribbled something down on the piece of paper she was holding. “It would need some cleaning up, but it's a nice way of keeping certain politicians off our backs.”

Atlas gave a scoff. “What are they going to do, storm the hotel? With what?” The man grinned wickedly. “We own most law enforcement wherever we have businesses set up.”

“Still,” Percy sighed, “it does help with politicians that aren't so easily bought.”

“And keep them off our doorsteps with annoying comments,” Frank mumbled.

Gaea crossed her arms and swiveled her chair back and forth a few times. “Fine, see to it that it's taken care of.” Percy nodded with a smiled. The woman placed the paper that was in front of her to the side. “Next order of business.”

“Can you get me some water?” Percy whispered to Nico, leaning back slightly so the others wouldn't hear.

Nico nodded and reached behind him to pour Percy some water from the ice-filled pitcher that sat on a small table. The young man smiled when Nico handed it to him. After taking a sip, Percy made Nico sit on the arm of his chair.

Kronos stared at the two of them in annoyance. “We have a few clients seeking protection,” the young man said, finally looking over to his mother.

Gaea was busy reading over a new document. “Valuable ones?”

Frank gave a grunt, scribbling something down on a sheet of paper before handing it to Hazel. “Most of them. All of them are offering large sums of money, though we do have one in the files, as you can see, that isn't as...beneficial as the others. His usefulness has expired, in my opinion.”

Percy flipped through a few files in front of him, stopping on one with a photo of a man. Nico frowned and leaned in. “Is that the man?” Nico whispered. Percy gave a slight nod.

Athena let out a sigh. “He has a bounty on his head?” Athena asked for confirmation. Frank nodded. The woman shook her head. “Cut the loss. He's not benefiting us anymore. Hell, give them his location.”

“Will do,” Frank mumbled, scribbling something else down under the man's photo.

Gaea flipped to the next page. “What about File #138459?”

Percy flipped to the page and found a scary-looking woman with a scar on her chin. “Wanted for treason,” Atlas offered. The man leaned back and crossed his arms. “Wanted for smuggling in both Argentina and parts of North America.”

Percy gave a small chuckle. “I'd hand her over. She's not doing anything for us if she's having to hide all the time.”

“But she was making some good money for us not long ago,” Atlas pointed out.

“True.” Percy looked over to Gaea. “But, in my opinion, she'd be more of a financial loss in her current state. It would take her several shipments of her very, very expensive merchandise to pay us back for erasing her criminal record and having both governments look the other way for her.”

“Not like someone couldn't just replace her,” Kronos agreed, running a hand underneath Rhea's short skirt.

“Fine,” Atlas grumbled as he scribbled something down. “I'll see to it that it's taken care of.”

Kronos pushed Rhea out of his lap, a frown marring his face. “I feel like we should discuss certain events.”

“Not important,” Gaea replied, not looking up from some documents.

“Mother-”

Percy let out a sigh. “We're just worried,” the young man jumped in. All of the managers nodded. “We all think they are brain dead, but still.” Percy rested his chin on his hand. “Surely we can all remember what usually happens when people in power grow careless and feel they can't be touched.”

Gaea cut her eyes over to where Percy sat, silencing him with a cold stare. “I am not underestimating anyone.” The woman waved a hand absently. “They want to try and take all of this? Let them try. I built this, and I'll be damned before I see someone try and steal it all.”

“I could-”

“We both could go,” Kronos jumped in.

Gaea rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. “That will not be necessary. I can manage things myself, thank you both very much.”

Percy and Kronos both smirked, offering no further objections. Nico, however, felt extremely lost. There was no files that he could recall that sounded familiar to this situation. Percy had also not flipped to a particular file, which probably meant there was not one. He wondered if Percy would inform him later.

“Next order of business,” Gaea finally said after a long moment of silence.

The managers all sat up from their lazy positions and flipped through some of their files. “Next meeting location?” Demeter offered. Her assistant, a short Lost Girl that Nico had not caught their name, handed Demeter some documents. The woman passed them to Percy. “I believe Australia would do.”

Nico's eyebrows rose as he took one of the photos from Percy. It looked so gorgeous. Percy rolled his eyes at Nico and took the photo back before passing it down to Frank. “Works for me,” the green-eyed young man said with a yawn.

Nico's eyes widened and his cheeks flared when his stomach growled, drawing attention from most people in the room. Kronos rolled his eyes.

Percy chuckled. “I guess we've been in here a while.”

Gaea's face was blanked. She stared at Nico for a moment before returning her eyes to the contents of the document in front of her. “We'll get him some food on the way to the movie set.”

Nico perked up at that. He looked to Percy, who smiled and nodded. At some point, Percy must have run it by Gaea that Nico tag along to see the movie that the woman was funding. And, apparently, Gaea had agreed to it.

After fifteen more minutes of discussion, Nico was tapping his leg in anticipation. He wanted this to hurry up so he could eat and go meet celebrities. From the cast list that they kept on file, Nico already knew several autographs he was going to try and get. However, the managers kept finding different things to discuss.

Nico nearly fell off of the arm of Percy's chair when the green-eyed young man cleared his throat. The Lost Boy quickly looked up to find everyone staring at him. Atlas was tapping his fingers in annoyance.

Percy raised an eyebrow at him. “Can you hand me that file?”

Nico's face went red as he scrambled up from Percy's chair. “Oh. Sorry.” As he flipped through the files that had been placed behind Percy, Nico realized that he had no idea what he was even looking for. Biting his lip, the Lost Boy turned to look at Percy for help.

The young man sighed and stood up, lightly pushing Nico to the side to simply reach and grab a particular file with a red label across the front. Percy leaned in to Nico's ear. “Calm down, you've been doing fine. The meeting is almost over, just pay attention.”

Nico hung his head in embarrassment as he sat back on the arm of Percy's chair. Hazel flashed him a smile, mouthing “relax”. The Lost Boy was partially startled when Percy grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled Nico into his lap. Percy leaned his chair back and slid his arms around Nico's waist, holding the file out in front of both of them.

Nico's brow furrowed. He had only seen this file once while studying with Percy. After seeing Nico pick it up, Percy had taken it from the Lost Boy's hands and told him not to worry about that file. The only thing Percy had said was to know when to hand it to him, which Nico had managed to fail at. A wonderful way to end his first attendance to one of these meetings.

Gaea laid her copy of the file onto the table, spreading some of the contents out in front of her. “Is everything here in order?”

“For the most part,” Athena supplied. The woman laced her hands together in her lap. “We still need some funding on particular political candidates on the United States' front.”

Nico felt one of Percy's hands slip under his shirt. “Leo's going to be writing the checks later today,” the green-eyed young man added.

Gaea gave a nod. “Good. And the justices that we were going to have nominated?”

“Since someone's president thought he could nominate who he wanted,” Kronos mumbled, cutting his eyes over to Percy.

“Also being taken care of.” Percy stuck his tongue out playfully at Kronos, who rolled his eyes. “And I'll make sure that the senate passes the particular one that we selected to make it through. They-”

Percy stopped in the middle of his sentence when there was a commotion out in the hall. Nico could hear Rachel say something about “not being a good idea”. There was a male voice on the other side of the door, insisting to be let in. After a few seconds, the door opened and Rachel poked her head in.

“Sorry to interrupt, but there's a client here with payment.” Her eyes flashed over to Percy, a hidden message being relayed to the young man. “Should I let him in?”

Gaea closed her folder, and the managers soon followed her example. The woman motioned to the door. “Show him in.”

Rachel stepped aside and a tall, thin man brushed past her. A pair of glasses rested on his nose, the light in the room reflecting in them to hide the man's eyes. He wore a red bow tie with his grey coat and black shirt. The hair on the top of his head was grey, though Nico could see that it was starting to thin out. In his hand was a briefcase.

Gaea stuck her nose up at the sight of the man as he walked around the table to stand closer to the woman in charge. As he was halfway around the table, Gaea held up a hand to make him stop. The man placed his briefcase on the table, next to where Kronos was sitting.

Kronos looked like he had just been touched by something diseased, scooting his chair a few inches away from the man. The way Kronos looked at him, it was like he was staring at a rodent. To Nico's surprise, this was the reaction the man was earning from all of the managers in the room.

“Dr. Thorn,” Gaea said with a great distaste in her voice, “what do I owe the pleasure of your interruption on our very important meeting?” She looked the man over before lacing her hands together in her lap and spinning her chair slightly to the side. “Your situation has already been discussed, I'm afraid, and we've already come to a decision.”

“Ah, well, I was hoping I could just have a moment of your time.” The man nervously reached for his briefcase, opening up the locks on it. “Perhaps I could persuade you to change your minds. I know business has been bad lately, but I think I can give you something valuable.”

Atlas snorted and elbowed Kronos, who leaned back in his chair and watched the man with amusement. Percy leaned his cheek on his palm, which was propped up on the arm of his chair. Nico fidgeted lightly in Percy's lap.

The room fell silent when a bag of pure white powder was pulled out of the suitcase. Nico did not have to be a genius to know what it was. The hair on the boy's arms stood up as he glanced around at everyone else in the room. The Lost Kids were deathly silent. Rhea gulped and leaned in to whisper something to Kronos, who moved his chair farther away from the man and allowed Rhea to get out of his lap to stand in the corner of the room. Even Hazel looked nervous, looking stiff and refusing to look up from the floor.

Several managers had their jaws locked. Percy, for his part, had a fire of annoyance in his eyes, as if to say: you have the audacity to bring that here? Nico looked down when he felt Percy's hand slide along his head. Percy reached for something under the table, and Nico's eyes widened drastically when he saw the back of a gun. Percy let it rest on his knee, his finger on the trigger.

“You're not very bright, son, are you?” Demeter said, breaking the silence.

Dr. Thorn chose to ignore her. He slid the briefcase down the table, where Gaea could get a better look at it. As the briefcase came to rest in front of her, Gaea drew her hands away from the table, like the object carried some disease. All the while, Dr. Thorn was grinning, like he was very pleased with himself.

Gaea's jaw locked and she reached out to pick up one of the many bags of white powder inside the briefcase. “Ah, yes, your best merchandise.” Her eyes grew hard as knives and she dropped the bag back into the suitcase, placing her hands into her lap. She let out a sigh and looked out the window, bringing one of her hands up to prop up her chin. “This is why I hate amateurs, they never know how to pay properly.”

“Huh?” Dr. Thorn drew back, stunned. “But this is some of the finest-”

“I get that by the truckloads, son,” Atlas sneered.

With dull eyes, Gaea reached out and picked up a back of powder. “I take money, Dr. Thorn. It's my businesses that sell this stuff, and I don't care to have more of it as a form of payment.” Dr. Thorn's eyes widened as Gaea tore the bag and poured its contents onto the rest of the pile. “Does this look like cash to you?”

Dr. Thorn placed his hands on the table, his face red in anger. “What are you doing? Do you know how much that bag was worth?” He demanded.

“Not even half of what we make in a month,” Kronos mumbled, inspecting his fingernails. With a dark look at the man, Kronos reached underneath the table.

Nico stiffened when Percy's finger tightened on the trigger and he began to lift it above the table.

Nico was startled when a loud gunshot filled the air, his ears now ringing. He sat there, stunned, as Percy placed his unused pistol onto the table. Dr. Thorn now lay on the floor, blood gushing from his neck as he gasped for breath. Kronos sighed and placed his cheek into his palm, grumbling as he placed his unused gun on the table as well.

Confused, Nico looked around to try and find which of the managers had shot the man. With snake-like eyes watching the dying man, Gaea stood to her feet, a gun in her right hand. She placed it on the table and walked behind her to get herself a glass of water.

Once she was satisfied, she sat back down and took a sip. “Percy, could you get someone in here to remove this filth?” She asked, motioning to the man on the floor.

Percy nodded. He looked to Rachel, who nodded and stepped back outside. A moment later, Ethan and Clarisse came in and picked up the guy, dragging him out as blood trailed behind him. Nico gulped as the door was closed.

Percy sighed and shook his head. “Now I'm going to have to redo the carpet.”

The meeting continued for nearly thirty more minutes before Gaea called it to a close and said that everyone was dismissed. After that, Nico had gone to his room to get things he felt he would need to go see a movie set: pen, some paper, and his phone for photos. He also used this time to a a break freakout over the first murder he had ever witnessed.

Percy showed up a little before it was time to go, and just shook his head and told Nico not to freak out when he met the actors.

And now Nico found himself in a limo with Percy, Gaea, Athena, Rachel, and Kronos. Just looking out the window, Nico was in awe. There were so many people running around, so many props being moved around. They even had a safe being lifted up on a crane to be loaded in a truck, though it looked like the driver was taking a break.

As they got out, Gaea let out a sigh and placed a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. With a purse of her lips, she leaned in towards Athena. “Remind me to fund them some more money.”

Rachel chuckled when she caught the confused look on Nico's face. “She's not too pleased,” the Lost Girl supplied.

What? This was amazing, how could anyone not be impressed. Nico just continued to stare up at everything as they walked through the studio lot. It was so magical, even though it was just an average workplace for these people. Percy slipped his hands into his pockets and nudged Nico along when he thought the boy was slowing down.

As they walked, Nico turned to Percy. “So, can I ask something?” He asked quietly. Percy gave him a nod. “What was up with that final topic back in the meeting? I mean, you can't seriously guarantee that those people will take office, can you?”

The young man tilted his head to the side and arched a brow. “No, they will definitely be taking office, most within a year.” The green-eyed Adonis smirked when Nico stared up at him in confusion. “I don't think the world, politics especially, works the way you think it does, Nico.” He gave a casual shrug. “Money makes things happen, and it's important to keep people in power that can benefit your interests. Political parties don't even matter, in all reality. Either candidate for whatever position they are going for can be of use. You think your vote actually matters?”

“Well that's just corrupt, especially since America is supposed to be about freedom.”

Percy shook his head with a smile. “You have the freedom to believe that your vote counts for something. You have the freedom to go about your day and pretty much do whatever you want. You can do a lot with this 'freedom'. However, no one is truly 'free' on this planet. People in power, no matter what country you are in, decide just how 'free' you are.”

Nico let out a sigh and looked over to watch someone direct around some men carrying large props. “And what happens to these politicians when they have outlived their usefulness?”

Nico jumped when he felt someone grab his shoulder. Letting out a yelp, he spun around to find a grinning Kronos. Percy chuckled and shook his head. Kronos smirked creepily. “They get removed. Permanently.”

Percy shook his head. “Don't scare him,” the manager said. He smiled down at Nico. “Not always, but some do give us problems when they are being taken out of power.” Percy reached up to scratch his brow. “Where do you think a lot of political assassinations come from? Or perhaps a senator gets into a automobile accident, and he or his family doesn't make it. Simple threats can work just as good as putting out a hit on them.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “I wouldn't call making someone wreck a 'simple threat'.”

Percy smiled down at the boy and pulled Nico closer, which did not seem to please Kronos very much at all. “That's cute, Nico. Don't worry, you won't ever have to worry about things like this.”

Nico grumbled under his breath and let Percy lead him farther into the studio lot.

Nearly two hours later, Nico emerged from one of the buildings with a big grin on his face. Percy shook his head lightly as Nico thumbed through all the autographs he had gotten. Rachel handed the boy back his phone, just having taken a photo of the boy with Emma Stone.

“I will treasure this one forever,” Nico sighed contently.

“I'm going to begin questioning your sexuality,” Rachel chuckled.

Nico held the phone close to his chest. “What? I would totally go straight for Emma Stone?” The boy narrowed his eyes when he spotted Percy snickering at him. “She's hot!”

“She also has a vagina,” Percy pointed out.

“Okay, so there would be some issues that would have to be worked out.” Nico sighed at the photo. “Also, her boyfriend is hot. I might have that threesome.”

Rachel nodded sagely. “He was very hot in that Spider-Man costume.”

Nico looked up at Percy. “So, what's the name of this movie going to be?”

Athena beat the young man to it. “Gangster Squad.” She was reading over something on her tablet. “It's based on a true story, in fact.”

As they walked back to the limo, the group fell into a silence. Percy walked beside Nico, looking over the boy's shoulder as he kept flipping through photos of himself with the celebrities that had been on the set. He was so distracted that he did not even hear the low groaning noise coming from above him until there was a loud scream.

The next thing Nico knew, he had the wind knocked out of him as Percy came barreling into him, sending the boy flying through the air. Nico's eyes widened as he landed on concrete, though the hard impact to his head never came.

His eyes became filled with panic a second later when the large safe he had seen on their arrival came crashing down where he had been standing just a second ago. Nico just laid there in shock, his body shaking. His face was pressed against Percy's shoulder, the young man's arms in a vice grip around Nico's body.

A second later, the two were surrounded by the rest of their group, with quite a few other people running over to check on what happened. Kronos was yelling down at Percy, though Nico was still in too much of a shock to make out what the young man saying. The only words he could decipher were “you idiot” and “worthless trash”.

And then Percy pulled back and allowed Nico to see his face. Nico was frozen by what he saw. There was pure panic in Percy's green eyes, his eyes wide as he looked Nico over. Kronos reached down and jerked Percy to his feet, though Percy only continued to stare down at Nico, like Nico might actually not be laying there unharmed. It was also then that Nico noted that the back of Percy's hand was bleeding, having taken the impact instead of Nico's head.

Gaea was eerily quiet, letting Athena and Rachel handle the crowd around them, and letting Kronos yell at Percy for how stupid that was. Nico just laid there, unable to get his legs to work for him. He gulped and jumped a little when Rachel reached down to help him up.

“You okay?” She asked, looking Nico over.

Nico gave a shaky nod, his eyes still locked with Percy. It wasn't until Gaea insisted they head back to the hotel that Nico looked over to the safe. It had smashed into the ground, and Nico could have been underneath it, if it had not been for Percy.

As they walked back, Percy kept his head down and his eyes hidden behind his bangs. Nico frowned, though he was not able to get near Percy, due to Kronos glaring daggers at him any time he even took a step in the young man's direction. Even in the limo, Kronos demanded that Nico sit as far away from Percy as possible.

As the limo pulled away from the lot, Nico looked out the window. This felt bad. He had been so scared of something happened, so determined and self-assured that there was nothing for anyone to worry about. He had wanted everyone to see that there was nothing there with him and Percy, that Percy was not in fact changing over him. But Percy had thrown himself in harms' way for Nico, and the boy had a feeling that was not going to end well for either of them.

The ride back was deathly quiet. Percy refused to even look at Nico, his eyes lowered the entire time. At the beginning of the ride, Kronos had been snapping at Percy, but soon gave up when he saw that Percy was not going to say anything. Nico shifted uncomfortably, fully aware that Gaea was switching her gaze between Percy and Nico, almost as if she was making a decision.

As soon as they were back, Kronos jerked Percy's arm and dragged him out of the limo. Gaea quietly got out and headed into the hotel. Rachel followed after Athena, shooting Nico a sad look. The brown-eyed boy bit his lip, trying to fight back a wave of tears. Something bad was about to happen, he just knew it.

And would all be his fault for not paying attention.

They rode the elevator up to Percy's floor. Nico had gone to push the button to his floor, but Kronos had smacked his hand away from the button. The other managers are waiting there when they arrive, all of them immediately demanding to know what happened at the movie set.

Without saying a word, Percy is ushered into the conference room by Gaea. Kronos crossed his arms and walked in beside the green-eyed boy, sitting down on the edge of the table. But when the other managers moved to go inside, Gaea blocked their entrance.

“I need to talk to Percy privately for a moment.”

“But Kronos is in there,” Atlas grumbled.

Frank rolled his eyes. “You sound like a child.”

Atlas shot the young man a glare, but shut up when he noticed Gaea's cold eyes. “All of you can go find something else to do until I'm done,” she stated. Nico looked down and slowly turned to head down the hall, hopefully back to his room. But Gaea's cold voice stopped him in his tracks. “Not you, Nico. You and I need to have a word when I'm finished with this talk.”

Nico felt a chill run down his spine, but he managed to nod in response. While the other managers dispersed, Gaea shut the door. Nico slid down the wall and planted his butt on the floor. He felt like he was sitting outside the principal's office.

It did not take long for word to spread to the Lost Kids, apparently, as Annabeth, Connor, and Hazel came down the hall. They stood in front of the small window and watched inside. As the windows were bulletproof, as Nico had been informed before the meeting, they were not able to hear what was going on inside.

Connor turned to Nico. “What happened?”

“I was being stupid,” Nico whispered. He managed getting to his feet and stood beside them to look at the three inside the room. “I nearly got crushed today, and Percy pushed me out of the way. Well, tackled me, if you want to get technical.”

The Lost Kids were silent, choosing to watch what was unfolding inside the room instead of commenting on what Nico had just said. Nico frowned and did the same.

Percy sat on the opposite side of the table from Gaea and Kronos, facing towards the window. He kept his head down, unmoving. No matter what Gaea said, Percy did not look up at her. When she apparently got no response from Percy, Gaea got livid. She slammed her hand down on the table and yelled something at Percy. The glass was very thick, as Nico could only hear that she was yelling and not what she was actually saying.

Kronos sat there, smirking as he watched everything unfold, like he had just won something. Though she does not look, Gaea pointed in the direction of the window as she continued to lecture Percy. Even so, Percy continued to sit there like a statue.

Finally, Gaea let out a sigh and sat back down in her chair, rubbing her temple. Whatever she said, it caused Percy to finally look up and shoot out of his chair. He went to say something, but frowned and looked away. When Gaea said something else, Percy's fists clench.

Percy shook his head, finally answering Gaea. He motioned with his hands a lot, his eyes wide and pleading. Gaea just shook her head. She walked around the table and cupped Percy's chin. She seemed calmer now, as did Percy. The young man looked up at her with a look of unhappiness still in his eyes.

Percy lowered his gaze and said something to Gaea, which she nodded to. Percy finally looked up and gave the woman a nod. Kronos grinned wickedly as he stood up. Percy narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger against the surface of the table, looking as if he was demanding something from Kronos. The pale young man held up his hands and smiled, responding calmly to Percy.

Kronos walked over to the door and opened it. As Percy came out, his eyes met with Nico's for a brief moment, a sad look filling his beautiful green orbs. Behind him, Kronos grinned wickedly, like he had won whatever they had discussed. In silence, Percy walked towards his suite.

“Nico, please come in here,” came Gaea's calm voice.

Nico gulped and walked forward. Kronos grinned and bumped the boy's shoulder. Leaning in, Kronos whispered, “What would you like inscribed on your coffin?”

Nico looked nervously around the room as the door was shut behind him. Gaea sat there, watching him patiently. But when Nico just stood there, she motioned to the chair in front of her. “Sit,” she ordered.

And Nico did as he was told.

Gaea crossed her arms, arching her brow at the boy. “You can relax now, Nico, I'm not going to yell at you.”

Nico gulped. “Y-yes, ma'am.”

A small smile touched at her lips. “I'm just concerned, that's all,” the woman explained. “I've never seen Percy put himself in danger like that, aside from some small accidents when he and Kronos were younger and Percy shielded Kronos.” The way she watched Nico, it was like she was studying him for dissection. “I am not mad at you, it was not your fault. I just do not like Percy endangering himself in such a way.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

The tall woman let out a sigh, pushing her chair away from the table slightly. “I do hope that Percy decides to settle down some day, I really do.” She laced her hands together in her lap. “I want him to be happy, as any parent would wish for the child they raise”

Helped raise, Nico thought to himself.

“But, I'm also not sure if Percy's what is best for you.”

Nico was a little startled by that. “Excuse me?” He said quietly.

You are a problem for Percy, which makes you a problem for me as well. However, I'm not quite sure how bad this problem is just yet.” While her face was blank, Gaea looked very intimidating to Nico as she sat there staring at him. “I'm just not sure if you should be with Percy. Perhaps you should look to leave the hotel, perhaps stay with your sister's boyfriend and his family.”

Nico found himself at a loss for words. Normally, if someone had said something like that to him, he probably would have found himself angry. However, Nico was fully aware of who he was talking to at the moment.

“Ah, perhaps I should explain.” Gaea leaned her chair back. Nico swallowed a lump in his throat, already certain he would not like where this was going. “What I just said was, in fact, not about Percy at all, but rather what is best for you, in my opinion.” Her head slightly tilted to the side as she observed the silent boy. “You remind me a lot of him, in some ways. Some of your choices, they reflect similar choices that he made.”

Nico clenched at his jeans. “Is it true?” He decided to ask.

Gaea blinked at him. “Is what true?”

“Kronos-” Nico bit down on his lip. “Kronos said a lot of confusing things, a lot that contradicted things that Percy had previously told him.” Gaea gave a simple nod. “Like how old he was when you found him.” His brown eyes found their way to his lap. “Or that he chose to do the things he did, and wasn't forced into it.”

“Ah,” was all that Gaea said at first. She stood to her feet and walked around the table, letting her fingers trail along its surface. She came to sit down next to Nico, turning her chair to face the boy. “Percy's childhood was very traumatic for him, and he still has trouble remembering a lot of details the way they actually happened.” She smiled and brushed some of Nico's hair to the side. “It does not make him a liar.”

Nico looked up at her. “So, what is the truth?”

A light smile touched at her lips. “The stories are true about you. Curious little thing, aren't you?” Nico just swallowed a lump in his throat. Gaea sighed. “He was eleven when I found him on the streets. A poor, sick thing, just lying there. And, yet, when I crouched down to get a better look at him, I could see a fire in his eyes as he grabbed at a broken knife he was using as a weapon. After I had him taken care of at the hospital, forging a few birth certificates along the way, I took him back to Germany with me.

“Kronos took to him right away, though he did look at Percy like a new toy when they first met. I think Percy was just in awe at everything, and so he did most of what Kronos asked him to. Even after I told him he did not have to, Percy insisted that he did not mind.” Gaea shook her head with a sigh. “The two of them were such a handful, always getting into trouble and causing the staff to chase them down. Never ask Athena about the office incident.” She chuckled as she thought back to the event. “But he never wanted for anything during this time. I gave him everything he could possibly want, and more.”

“So,” Nico quietly began, unsure if he even needed to say anything, “what happened?”

Gaea let out a long breath and looked back at Nico, like she was coming out of her memories. “Several months after he turned fifteen, Percy came into my office one day and demanded that he go to work for me.” She shook her head. “I told him that it wasn't necessary, but the boy was very persistent and determined. And, as you've probably seen by now, it's hard to say no to Percy...especially when he pouts.”

Nico did know, all too well.

“I never asked, though I felt I did not need to, but I'm quite certain that, in Percy's mind, he felt like he owed me. Which, of course, is preposterous, as he has never owed me anything.”

“Then why did you have him murder a family?” Nico blurted out. He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.

Gaea just smiled, her eyes not as pleased. “I see Percy has told you some things.” She ran her fingers through Nico's dark hair. “That was a different matter, a test of loyalty. It was before I even told him that he would become a district manager, but I already had the idea in mind. And it wasn't anything uncommon, as every manager before him had to do similar trials.”

Nico let out a huff, his brow furrowed. “But if you told him that he didn't have to do all of this, why did he keep insisting?”

She raised a brow at him. “Why did you demand to be a stripper?”

Nico opened his mouth, unable to find the right answer. He frowned and thought for a moment, until he came up with only one answer. “Because, I felt like I owed him,” he whispered, his shoulders slumped.

Gaea slowly nodded. “And now you have your answer about Percy. As you might know, Percy is fiercely loyal to his friends and those that he calls family.” Standing up, Gaea rested her hands on Nico's shoulder. “And perhaps now you see why I see similarities in you and him.” She hummed lightly. “But will you turn out like him? There's so much uncertainty about you. You're not like most that come through the doors of this hotel to be placed into the role of a Lost Kid.” She smiled and brushed his hair to the side. “I think I'll keep my eye on you.”

Nico looked up at her with a gulp. Slowly, Nico got to his feet and headed for the door. His legs felt like jelly as he struggled to stay on balance.

“Oh, and, Nico?” Gaea called out to him as he was about to shut the door. “What I did was for the best.”

Nico stared at her in confusion, but the woman was already looking out the window, done with their conversation. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Nico shut the door. What had that been about?

\---------------------------------------------

The rest of Nico's night showed no sign of improvement. When Percy had come up the stairs to the top floor with the other managers and Gaea, Nico had barely taken a step before stopping. Kronos shot him a venomous look, daring the Lost Boy to serve their table. He had already experienced the pleasures of serving a table with Kronos when the manager was in a good mood, Nico was not brave enough to attempt his luck with it with a pissed off Kronos.

The Lost Kids were uncertain about what they thought about the day's events. Most said that Nico didn't need to worry, and that Gaea had probably just told him to not put himself in danger again. But the unreadable looks from Luke, Octavian, and Annabeth did not allow Nico to relax. While none of those three had said anything, their silence had caused Nico's nerves to plummet.

And as if his luck was not already bad enough, Nico ended up serving a table with Robert. The blond man had a drink already in hand, looking partially intoxicated. His eyes were trained on the stage, where Apollo was dancing along to some club-like music.

“I see you already got a drink,” Nico said as he came to stand next to the table.

Robert smirked. “Just came up from the bar, thought I'd watch the show.” The man returned to his staring at the blond Adonis on stage, watching as the blond Lost Boy ran his hands all along his body. “Still flexible. Apollo was very good in bed.” He smirked over at Nico. “Though, perhaps you already know that, if the lot of you really do have sex with each other.”

“Afraid not.” The brown-eyed Lost Boy placed his hands on the table. “Can I get you anything?”

Robert held up his drinks. “Just keep them coming.” He tilted his head to the side, eyebrows raised, as Apollo bent forward and peeled back his speedo. “Surprise me, just make sure it's got a lot of alcohol.”

After returning with the man's drink, Nico tried to stay away from Robert's table as much as possible. On the fifth drink, though, Robert grabbed Nico's arm.

“Get me Leo or Rachel, I need to make an arrangement with Percy,” Robert said.

Nico stared back for a moment, casting a glance in the direction of the stage. Apollo was performing again, this time with Silena and Thalia. “If he'll even let you.”

Robert smiled at Nico. “You know, you've got the same lip and dark look in your eye that he had for a few months after living here.” The man leaned on the table. “You've already changed a lot since the first time we met, I have to wonder how much more you might change with a few more months under your belt.”

Nico narrowed his eyes down at the man. Even if he was a client, Nico did not like being talked to like that. And that was the second time today that he had been told that he reminded someone of another person at the hotel. Was it too much to ask that he just be his own person?

“But,” Robert continued, “you're still very attractive in your own way, Nico.” The man patted Nico's hand on the table. “Perhaps I'll be requesting some time with you in the near future.”

Nico smiled a cold smile and stood up straight. “I'll be right back with Leo,” he said, forcing the words out of his mouth.

Nico caught Leo as the Latino was weaving his way through the tables. “What's up?” Leo asked when Nico grabbed his arm.

“Robert wanted me to fetch you. Apparently, he wants some time with Apollo.”

Leo glanced over Nico's shoulder with a nod before heading over to where Percy and the others were sitting. Nico sighed and shook his head, making his way to another table. His was already feeling exhausted, but during his break, Leo and Rachel had gone around and announced that there would be a meeting around three, to allow for everyone to finish up with work and clients.

Nico groaned. That meant that it could be after four before he got to see his bed.

When Nico went into the bar room to pick up an order, Dionysus stopped him before he could take the tray. “I was so relieved to hear that you weren't crushed today, Nico. That would have been most unfortunate.”

“You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you might have tried to have me killed,” Nico mumbled. Dionysus smiled and sat down in his chair. “But that's not your style, at least not from what I can tell.”

“And what would be my style?”

“Mental and emotional abuse,” Nico grumbled as he headed for the door. “I can see why you and Kronos might get along.” He heard Dionysus laugh as the door swung shut.

Nico slowed down a little when he noticed Apollo leading Robert towards the back rooms. His brow furrowed as he watched Apollo smile and take his ex-boyfriend's drink from him. Nico stared darkly at Robert's back as the two disappeared from sight.

Once he had the drinks dropped off at their respective tables, Nico caught Leo again. “I thought Percy didn't let Robert have time with Apollo, unless there was punishment involved.”

Leo typed something into his phone before pocketing it and letting out a sigh, his eyes staring over to the door that led customers to the back rooms. “Depends on Apollo's mood.” The Latino Lost Boy locked his jaw with a shrug. “They say you never really let go of your first love, and I suppose that's the case with Apollo.” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he mumbled, though his eyes were once again on the door.

“Oh.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “I just didn't think Apollo would want to.”

“It seems he's horny tonight,” Leo grumbled. He arched a brow at Nico. “I'd lock your door, if things don't sour his mood by the time we all get to go to bed.”

Nico slowly nodded. “Wasn't planning on it. I was just surprised Apollo even had a choice. I mean, I just thought Percy-”

“Percy didn't okay it,” Leo said plainly before leaving Nico standing there.

Nico's brow furrowed as he stared after the Lost Boy. What did he mean by that? Percy had the final say on these things, didn't he? Or perhaps Gaea was making the decisions while she was here. Either way, Leo's words felt a little odd to him.

Luckily for Nico, he didn't find himself with a client tonight. However, that just meant he was stuck in the conference room with most of the other Lost Kids, while they waited for the rest and Percy to join them.

“So, I see you're not a pancake,” Will said, grinning as he sat down in the chair next to Nico and propping his feet up on the table.

“Lucky me, since I'm obviously just a damsel and need someone to protect me,” Nico mumbled with a yawn.

“Maybe next time, Percy won't save your ass then,” Luke grumbled as he took a seat with his brother, glaring across the table at Nico.

Will rolled his eyes. “Don't mind him.”

“Someone's panties seem to be in a wad tonight,” Thalia chuckled as she entered the room. Jason came in behind her and sat down on the other side of Nico.

Will leaned forward. “So, Jason, you still on for a small basketball game tomorrow?”

“You take me surfing and make me embarrass myself, and you take him to play a sport he's good at?” Nico narrowed his eyes at Will, who grinned at him.

“It's not a date.” Jason smirked and shook his head. “We were just talking about some recent NBA games, and we decided that it might be fun to play a little one-on-one.”

“In jockstraps and nothing else,” Will added with a grin. When Nico perked up a little, he chuckled. “Nah, but I'm sure you'd enjoy watching that. Perhaps we can do that for you another time.”

“You know,” Jason began, “we could probably make that into a performance.”

Will snapped his fingers. “I like the way you think, Grace.”

Nico shook his head with a sigh. He looked up when the door opened again and the remainder of the Lost Kids poured inside. Apollo sat down a few chairs away from Nico with a long yawn. Leo and Rachel were the last to step inside, and they closed the door behind them. The two did not look as calm as most of the other Lost Kids, and Annabeth quickly noted this.

“What's going on?” She asked.

Rachel shrugged casually, taking a seat. “Nothing,” the Lost Girl said simply.

“Something you want to share with the rest of us?” Luke growled. “Because, some of us get the feeling that we're not about to get the best of news.”

Rachel let out a breath. But, before she could say anything, the door opened again and Percy stepped inside. The Lost Kids fell quiet as the manager shut the door and walked around the table, though he did not sit down anywhere.

“We're all getting raises, aren't we?” Travis said with a grin, placing his hands behind his head.

Percy remained solemn, chewing on his lip and deep in thought. He sighed and sat down on a small table against the wall. Several of the Lost Kids straightened in their chair, all of them realizing there was about to be some bad news.

“Not a raise then,” Connor whispered.

Thalia's brow furrowed. She stood up. “What's going on, Percy? You haven't looked this serious since Akhlys died.”

Percy rubbed his hands together in his hands, as if he were cold and trying to get warm. When he looked up, his eyes reminded Nico of a river or pond after a heavy rain. The young man ran his hand through his hair, causing it to become disheveled. Letting out a sigh, he began.

“There is something that I need you all to be aware of, some news that will change some things around here.” The room was silent for a brief pause, no one even moving an inch. “I'm not sure how you guys will take of it, but I trust that you each will find a way to make due.” He let out a sigh. “As of tonight, I will be stepping down as district manager of this hotel and the North American branch for an undetermined amount of time. I will be returning to Germany with Gaea until that time comes.”

“What?” Was yelled by several Lost Kids.

“You can't!” Annabeth shouted, jumping to her feet and placing her hands on the table.

Clarisse clenched her fists. “What the hell, Jackson?”

Luke glared over at Nico. “Is this because the twerp nearly got crushed?” The blond jumped to his feet as well. “What the fuck, Percy, you can't seriously have agreed to this?”

There was a lot more yelling, though Nico remained silent. His hands were shaking, but he did not care. He stared over at Percy, but the young man refused to look at him. He cradled his head when Jason and Will got to their feet to join in the angry yelling.

“Who's going to be in charge while you're away?” Annabeth yelled over the commotion.

Percy held up a hand to get everyone to settle down. It took a moment, but Luke yelled very loudly for them all to “shut the fuck up”. The green-eyed young man let out a sigh and looked down, his eyes becoming hidden from everyone's view. What Percy said next left the room in complete silence.

“Kronos will take my place while I'm away.”


	38. Never Let Me Go

There were no words to express the pain that Nico felt inside himself right now. His chest hurt, and he did not know how to make it stop. For the most part of last night, the boy had cried in his room. As much as he wanted to deny it, Nico felt like this was his fault. If he had been paying better attention, perhaps Percy would not have to leave.

And, so, with sad eyes, Nico looked up at Percy for what he was scared would be the last time. Percy just smiled back at the boy with his usual smile that could melt the coldest of ice. Nico tried to control his breathing, fully aware that his face was still red from when he had been crying. But he did not care at the moment.

“Please, don't go,” Nico whispered, looking down at his feet.

They stood in the middle of the hotel lobby, surrounded by the other Lost Kids, Gaea, and Kronos. But at the moment, Nico did not care who was watching them. What more could they do? Gaea was already ripping Percy away from all of them, and Kronos was going to be horrible to them no matter what they did. Nothing mattered except what he needed to say to Percy.

Percy reached out, hovered his hand over Nico's head for a moment, and then patted the boy on the head. “You'll be fine, I know you will.” He smiled, tilting his head to the side to catch Nico's gaze. Nico finally looked up, holding back a fresh wave of tears. “It's not like I'm dying or anything, I'll be back eventually.”

Nico pressed his lips together. “And what if you don't?”

Percy raised a brow at Nico, still smiling. “Then I'd expect you to leave the hotel, rather than stay here.” His fingers brushed through Nico's hair. “Just don't cause Kronos any trouble, and I'm sure you'll be fine.” His voice was so calm, so relaxing, but it did nothing to calm Nico's already dwindling nerves.

“I-I could go,” Nico said desperately, his eyes wild as he looked up at Nico.

Percy's eyes darted over to some of the others, who looked over with Nico's outburst. “What are you talking about, Nico?”

Nico quickly nodded. “I could go, so you don't have to. I could leave, go stay with Daedalus. Or even be placed at another hotel.” He couldn't help himself, Nico reached out and grabbed onto Percy's shirt, needing to be reassured that the young man was still there. “Just, please, don't go. I screwed up, all of this is my fault. I don't want to put this on everyone else. I-”

Percy pulled Nico against his chest. “Nico, shhh.” The young man stroked Nico's hair. “You didn't do anything.” Nico breathed in Percy's scent, knowing there was no way to know when he would ever smell the scent again. It was like the ocean. And if Nico closed his eyes, he could almost hear the ocean and the gulls cawing above him. “I need to go, but this isn't your fault. I'll...” He looked over his shoulder when Gaea cleared her throat. “I need to go. One day, you'll understand.”

Nico did not see how that would ever be a possibility. As he watched Percy walk towards the door with Gaea, Nico's heart began to break. It hurt, just seeing the young man leave. Never knowing when he would see those green eyes again, or that smile. When would he hear Percy's enticing voice again? Nico would take Percy being angry with him, if it just meant that Percy would not leave them, if he would not leave him.

Percy blinked and turned around when he felt a tug on the back of his shirt. Nico kept his eyes shut, his fingers holding tight to the hem of Percy's shirt. He didn't want to let Percy go. He knew that the second he let go, Percy would be gone and Nico might not ever see him again.

“We need to go, Percy,” Gaea whispered.

Percy gave a nod. He smiled and looked down at Nico, tilting the boy's chin up. “Hey, smile a little,” he told the boy. Nico shook his head. Percy smiled a little more. “You can still talk to me, just ask Leo or Rachel for my Skype. Okay?”

Nico's eyes were still closed as he leaned up and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. Before he could even process what he was doing, Nico pressed his lips to Percy's cheek and cried. When Nico pulled back, though his eyes were now clouded with tears, he was able to make out the stunned look on Percy's face. The young man's arms hovered in the air awkwardly, like he had been considering hugging Nico back. Percy's mouth opened, but no words ever came out.

Gaea clamped onto Percy's wrist. “We don't want to be late for our flight,” she said before her and Percy left.

Gone. Percy was gone. Nico just stood there, watching as Percy climbed into the limousine that was waiting for them. He stopped before climbing inside, looking at Nico through the large, glass doors. He gave the boy a weak smile and waved before sliding into the back of the limo and shut the door.

A pair of hands were placed on Nico's shoulders. Thalia guided the boy over to a chair and sat him down, sitting down on the arm of the chair herself. No one really moved in the lobby, save for the normal guests, but they didn't understand what had just happened.

Thalia rubbed Nico's back. “I'm not even sure where to start,” she whispered. Her eyes were not on Nico, though. “But first things first, you need to watch your back.”

“Why, because the other Lost Kids hate me?” Nico grumbled, wiping at his face.

“No.” Her hands on his back did nothing to calm the boy. “Well, I'm sure some of them are irritated, but they will get over it eventually.” She nudged Nico. “But there's something else you need to worry about.” Nico finally looked up and followed her gaze over to Kronos. “I don't think what you just did was the smartest idea.”

Kronos had probably never liked Nico, the boy was aware of that. But the look he gave Nico now, it was one of pure detestation. His lip curled as he stared across the room at Nico.

Perhaps it would have been a better idea to look scared, perhaps it would have not painted as big of a target on his back. But Nico could not find the strength to care at the moment. His dark eyes stared back at Kronos with a burning hatred. Seeing this caused Kronos's lips to twitch and tilt up into a smirk.

And if to make it all worse, Kronos stopped the Lost Kids before any could leave. He herded them all into the corner where Nico and Thalia sat, a smug look plastered onto his face. Swiping a thumb across his lips, he grinned down at the group.

“I just wanted to let you all know just how excited I am about getting the chance to work with all of you until Percy's return.” Biting down on his lip, the young man slipped his hands into his pocket. “Now, we do still have the other managers here for a few more days, so I expect you to see to it that they are taken care of.”

“You can't even look like you aren't enjoying this,” Luke ground out, his eyes burning into Kronos.

The young man arched his dark brows. “Well now, Luke, that's just hurtful. Of course I'm happy that I'm going to be staying here. After all, it is one of our best hotels, and all of you are some of the higher sources of incomes amongst the groups of Lost Kids.” He held a hand up, his grin returning. “However, I feel that things can always be improved on, so I think I'll be making some changes around here.”

Luke growled at their new manager. “You are a horrible excuse of a human being, you asshole.”

Kronos wagged his finger. “Now, now, Luke, that's no way to speak to your new boss.” He grinned his wicked, toothy grin down at the group. “Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, there will be some changes around here. For one, I feel the clients are entitled to a little more than what Percy had been previously offering them.” There was such a heavy silence from the Lost Kids that someone could have dropped a needle and heard it. “That being said, I feel we have a severe lack of Lost Kids in our kink rooms. And as such, I feel that each of you should participate in working those rooms, no exceptions.

“You'll all be more open-minded to client demands. And, with that, I feel that there should be no restrictions on multiple Lost Kids that clients are allowed to request. Why, just last night, there apparently was a request for the Grace siblings. But, as it was Percy's last night, I felt his rules should still apply.” The way Kronos grinned, it was beginning to remind the boy a lot of the Joker. A very dark and twisted version of the Joker. “And I do believe that client is staying with us another night. So, if you two wouldn't mind, do a good job and treat our client right.”

Thalia shot out of her seat. “You can't be serious. He's my brother!” She hissed. Jason looked rather pale, unable to meet his sister's eyes. “Percy wouldn't-”

“Percy. Isn't. Here.” Kronos shot the girl a dark look and she sat back down. “I'm in charge, and you'll do as I say. When I say it, whatever I might say. My word is law, and you will all abide by it. If not...well, perhaps you'll get to see if some of those nasty rumors I'm sure you've all heard about me are true.” The young man sneered at the group. “Try to quit, fail to do your job, or even if you're stupid enough to run...” He placed his hand on top of Annabeth's head with a creepy smile. “Do any of that, and I'll hunt you down personally and break your pretty face. And then...no one will want you.”

Luke was up and out of his seat, putting himself in between Kronos and Annabeth. “You know why we all respect Percy?” The blond growled. Kronos raised his eyebrows. “It's because he doesn't feel the need to throw his power around, and doesn't feel so insecure that he needs to threaten us.”

One of Kronos's hands came up and patted Luke gently on the cheek. “You were always one of my favorites, Luke. I think that when Grover and Rhea are gone that you and I are going to have a lot of fun.” Sneering, Kronos squeezed Luke's cheek rather harshly, and Luke jerked away, rubbing his now red cheek. “Speak to me like that again, and I'll give you another scar. But how about I punish you by punishing your brother?” He tapped his lips for a second before smiling. “I know. I do believe your mother is expected to come to Los Angeles soon. Why don't I let her know that she is welcome to stay here? After all, like I said, Percy's rules no longer apply.”

Luke glared back at the young man, but Octavian looked shaken. The already pale boy looked sick. Connor and Reyna caught the blond when he nearly fell out of his seat. Kronos just laughed. It was nothing like the warm laugh of Percy, this one could scare zombies back into their graves. It was cold, and it sent chills down Nico's spine.

Now it was Annabeth's turn to stand to her feet. She pushed Luke aside and crossed her arms in front of Kronos. “This isn't how you should go about getting us to fall in line behind you.”

Kronos nodded his head, like he understood the blonde perfectly. “Wow, I never thought about it like that.” Drawing back his hand, he sent it flying across Annabeth's cheek. “Sit down, stupid girl, or I'll talk to some friends about releasing your stepmother from the asylum. If I wanted you all to like me, I would let you know.”

Annabeth clenched her jaw as Kronos smirked and walked off, leaving all of the Lost Kids to sit there in a mixture of anger and fear. Nico looked down when a few of the Lost Kids looked his way with dirty looks. It was expected, really. 

“Way to go,” Drew hissed in Nico's direction.

Nico stood up to go to his room, but Luke's voice brought him to a halt. “Shut up, and leave him alone.” The blond's blue eyes were glaring over at the Asian girl. “He's not the enemy, our enemy just got on the elevator.”

Octavian did not look as happy with Nico as his brother did. “But it's his fault Percy's gone. If he had just listened to us about how things worked with Percy-”

“It doesn't matter,” Annabeth sighed. She stood back up and squeezed Nico's shoulder. “Luke's right, we need to remember who the real enemy is.”

There was a grumble from several of the Lost Kids. Apollo smiled and jumped to his feet. “I think we can all at least appreciate the fact that Nico is not a pancake right now.”

“I am,” Will whispered. There were a few more nods from some of the other Lost Kids. Will got to his feet and clapped Nico on the shoulder. “I'm not mad at you, dude.”

If only the whole group felt that way, Nico thought.

\-------------------------------------

If Nico had one thing to be thankful about, it was that Kronos did not feel the need to come to the bar during the night. In fact, since Kronos arrived with his mother, Nico was not sure either Percy, Gaea, or Kronos had visited the bar, save for a rare lunch. And with any luck, that tradition would keep holding while Kronos was in charge.

Unfortunately, Nico had already been informed that he was not allowed to report anything Kronos did to Percy. Apollo had taken him aside before work and made that very clear. “If Kronos finds out, it'll only make things worse,” the blond had said.

And since Nico did not want to make things worse, he intended to keep his mouth shut. He did not have to like it, but Nico needed to do his best at recovering from the damage that he felt he had caused.

Nico stood at the bar for a moment, taking a short break until he needed to check on his tables. At least it was a quiet night, he thought sadly. In all honesty, Nico felt drained and unmotivated to do anything. And he was not the only one. All of the Lost Kids had looked a little lifeless after Percy's departure. It was like the young man kept the group running, and without him, they were just zombies. This was what ran through Nico's head as he watched Will and Drew drag their feet along the floor.

It was a little sad, seeing how the Lost Kids all went from being so full of energy and seductive, to barely giving a fuck about what was going on around them. And it was only day one. Perhaps, with a few days, they would adjust back to their normal selves. Or, at least, that was Nico's hope.

Seeing them like this, it only made him more depressed.

When Nico finally headed to one of his tables, he threw on a decently presentable face like he saw the others do. It actually hurt his face to smile, because all he wanted to do with frown. But, if customers noticed, they did not say anything.

Nico shuddered to think what the others might be going through right now, with Kronos being upstairs with them. And the new bomb that Kronos had dropped on them only scared Nico more. He was going to be subject to working in those rooms that the others had told him about. From the few times he had seen those rooms from the security room, Nico had mostly seen things like whips, chains, and bondage mask. He could even recall seeing a rack with leather ropes to tie someone up. Nico chewed harshly on his bottom lip as he worked on putting together a table's bill.

“I hope you're happy,” Drew said harshly as she moved in behind the bar.

Nico refused to make eye contact with her. In his mind, he deserved it. If he had been more careful, or if he had even been paying better attention, none of this would have happened. If he had even listened and backed off of Percy, perhaps things would have been different. But he had been too stubborn and determined.

But where had that gotten him?

“Pay her no mind, my child,” Chiron said once Drew was gone. He sat down his drink mixer for a moment to rub Nico's back. “Everything will be all right, Nico.”

Nico shook his head, still staring down. “I don't see how that's possible.” He printed out the receipt he had been working on. “This is my fault.”

And with that, he left before Chiron could say anything more to him. Will looked at him with concern as Nico slid out from behind the bar, but did not attempt to stop the brown-eyed boy.

Whether it be luck or his misfortune, Nico found a familiar face at his next table. He threw on a little smile as he approached Persephone, who sat alone at her table. “Well, hello again, Persephone,” Nico greeted the woman.

The woman looked up from her menu and smiled at him. “Oh, hello there, Nico.” She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. “My, you look like someone shot your favorite puppy. Is everything all right?”

Nico placed his pen and pad on her table, leaning on its surface lightly. “Of course,” he lied. “All out by yourself?”

Persephone patted Nico on the hand. “I am, sadly. My husband passed away not long ago, but I wanted to get my mind off things for a while. And, well, upstairs is just too loud for my liking right now.” Nico smiled at her. “But, I have been trying to convince this new friend of mine to join me here one night. He's a very nice man, and very charming, too. And he actually pays attention to me, unlike my last husband.”

Nico chuckled. “Well, maybe that will work out for you.”

She squeezed his hand. “Perhaps I'll arrange some time with you before then.” With a wink, she sat back in her chair. “I mean, a girl only lives once, and you are just too cute to pass up before I try to go off the market again.”

Nico did not find himself as sick as the last few times he had been with a woman. Maybe it was that he was getting used to it, or maybe he was just slightly more comfortable with Persephone. She was a nice woman, and Nico really had nothing against the woman. She was not unpleasant, like most of the customers he found around the upper parts of the hotel.

After taking Persephone's drink order to Chiron and delivering the drink to the woman, Nico went on his break. Nico sat down on the couch, his eyes quickly becoming unfocused as his mind began to race. The room was silent, but inside his mind was screaming. He felt so cold and empty.

His dark brown eyes flickered up when he noticed the door open. Will pursed his lips as he watched Nico from across the room. The brown-eyed boy could tell the blond was concerned, but right now Nico just wanted to be left alone. But he supposed that was just not meant to be.

Will slowly walked over and took a seat on the other side of the couch, resting his arm across the back of the couch, but making sure it did not come in contact with Nico's neck or shoulders. “Hey,” the blond whispered.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled, not looking away from the floor.

“Are you okay?”

Nico's dark eyes gave the blond all the answer he needed. “Does it look like I'm okay?”

Will let out a breath. “This isn't your fault, Nico.” He spoke so softly and with such assurance, but Nico couldn't find himself able to believe Will. The last time he had thought things weren't his fault, it turned out he was completely to blame. A small smile spread across Will's lips. “I miss seeing you smile.”

Nico scooted away from the blond. “Don't really feel like smiling right now.”

The blond's shoulders slumped, his eyes turning sad. Will's eyes were starting to remind Nico of a heavy rain. “Maybe you should talk about it. I just want to help.”

Nico was up off the couch before Will could blink, his eyes full of anger. “I don't want to be helped! If you could send me back in time to the moment I got crushed, that would be great. Or perhaps even before then, so I could smack some sense into myself!”

“Nico,” Will whispered, lowering his gaze. “Calm down, it's not your fault. I don't want you getting angry at yourself.”

The blond looked slightly taken aback from the dark look that was coming from Nico's eyes. Nico's dark bangs fell into his face. “I don't need your pity,” Nico growled. “Everyone hates me because I got Percy shipped back to Germany.”

“It's not like that.” Will stood up, trying to reach out for Nico, but the boy jerked his arm away. “No one hates you. Everyone's just upset right now-”

“And I'm to blame.”

“No!” Will's brow furrowed. “This isn't your fault, Nico. Stop blaming yourself for something that was entirely out of your hands. I don't think Percy would want you beating yourself up like this.”

Nico scoffed. “Well that doesn't really matter now, does it?” Nico motioned around them. “In case you haven't noticed, he's not here anymore.”

Will shook his head, staring down at his feet. “You're not thinking clearly right now. I get it, you're mad, but you need to cool off before you do something you might actually regret.” Glaring at Nico, the blond shoved his way past the raven-haired Lost Boy and headed towards the door. “Let me know when you're done being an ass.”

Nico glared after the blond, until he was left with the door swinging in his face. What did he know anyways? Will was just mad that Nico was still thinking about Percy, when Nico knew that the blond wanted Nico to focus on him. Huffing loudly, Nico sat back down on the couch for the remainder of his break.

When it was finally time for Nico to help close the bar, the brown-eyed boy felt miserable. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to cry, but he sure felt like screaming. Even the simple act of a customer trying to touch him made Nico upset. Before Drew left, the Lost Girl managed to sneer at Nico.

Nico glared back at her, flipping her off once she was standing in the elevator. Will worked on helping Chiron clean the glasses, while Nico finished counting the cash register. He was also not looking forward to school starting in a week, as it would mean that he would be getting less sleep. Nico looked up once he was finished with the fives to find Will staring at him. The blond offered him a small smile, and Nico nodded back at him. Will's smile brightened.

Okay, so perhaps Nico was a little harsh on him, but it did not change Nico's theory about why Will was upset in the first place. “Looks like we're done here,” Chiron told Will.

The blond smirked. “All right, good night, Chiron.” On his way out from behind the bar, Will stopped beside Nico, resting an elbow on the bar. “Would you be interested in coming my room for a bit? I'm not really tired.”

Nico sighed as he finished another stack of cash. “Not tonight, I just need some time to myself.”

Will gave a simple nod before he pulled Nico's head towards him and pressed his lips to Nico's temple. “Okay. Just don't do anything stupid.” Nico rolled his eyes as the blond walked off. As he neared the elevators, Will turned and pointed a finger back at Nico. “I mean it, Nico, nothing stupid.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico mumbled.

Chiron chuckled and picked up the last stack of bills to help Nico finish. “You look like you have quite a bit on your mind.”

Nico rubbed at his eyes, fighting off a yawn. “Nothing I can't handle.” He looked up. Chiron wasn't looking at him, but the man was arching a brow. Nico's eyes dulled. “I'm not sure what's going to happen anymore. Percy was like this safety net that everyone had, and now it's been ripped out from under us. This place just seems...less bright, and I feel like the others are just going to start fighting because of all of this.”

Chiron hummed in response. “I fear you may be right, my boy, but there's not much that you can do about that. Percy will remain in Germany, due to his loyalty to Gaea, even if all of you did beg for him to come back on a daily basis.”

“And what about if we told him what Kronos was doing?”

Chiron finished counting his stack and placed it back in the register, while Nico worked on putting together the profit they had made for the night. “I believe that it would not change anything. Percy would still have to fly back here, which would give Kronos plenty of time to torment all of you as he sees fit. And Percy and Kronos...I don't see them getting into an argument over it.” Chiron squeezed Nico's shoulder. “Percy does care about all of you, but he also does trust Kronos. I feel the others are right in their idea that it would be better to keep silent over everything.”

Nico let out a sigh as he handed Chiron the sealed envelope with the extra cash. “So we just have to let Kronos abuse us?”

“I would suggest giving him as little trouble as possible.” Chiron scribbled the amount they had made on the envelope. “I don't care much for Kronos, never have, but I would also never speak ill of Kronos to Percy.” The man gave Nico a stern look. “And physical abuse isn't much of Kronos's style.”

“He hit Annabeth today.”

“Just for some show,” Chiron replied. “I'd be more concerned about his other threats and the verbal and mental abuse he is capable of.”

Nico nodded. “Thanks, Chiron.”

“No trouble at all, my boy.” Chiron smiled at him as Nico stepped out from behind the bar. “Try to get some rest, I have the feeling that we will all need some for the days ahead.”

Nico had intended to do just that, up until the point he got back to his suite.

As soon as he opened the door, Nico's nose picked up on a very nasty and familiar smell. He knew it all too well from being around all those customers on the top two floors. Nico wrinkled his nose as he slid into the suite and found Jason with his back to him, leaning out their open window.

Once the door was shut, Jason turned to look at Nico curiously, a lit cigarette in his hand. The blond's hair was still wet, so he must have just gotten out of the shower. “Hey,” Jason said casually.

“Hey.” Nico tossed his keys onto the counter, his eyebrow raised at Jason. “I thought you quit?”

“I did.” Jason tapped the cigarette against the window before raising it to his lips and inhaling. Like a professional, Jason casually blew out the smoke. “I also need it right now.”

Nico slipped his hands into his pockets, walking over to stand next to Jason. “What happened?”

Jason shivered, causing some ashes to fall from his cigarette. “For starters, seeing Thalia naked. And then there was the sex with an old woman that reminded me of my aunt.” The blond put the cigarette in between his lips. “And if that wasn't bad enough, I was made to have sex with my sister tonight. Let's not forget that.” The blond snuffed out the remainder of his cigarette and rubbed at his face, some smoke flowing out of his nostrils. “I really feel like getting drunk right now.”

Nico blew out a breath. What was he supposed to say to that? “That...really sucks. How's your sister taking it?”

The blond shook his head, burying his face in his hand. “Last I saw, she was swapping between gargling mouthwash and downing some vodka. I think Apollo said he was gonna look after her while she got smashed.” He sighed and looked over at Nico. “You know, I'm fine with what we've done, I know it's just business and all that, but there are some things that I shouldn't have to be put through.”

The brown-eyed boy pursed his lips, nodding lightly. “I know,” he whispered.

Jason lurched, and for a moment, Nico thought he was about to throw up. But the blond covered his mouth and closed his eyes. “I feel miserable,” the blue-eyed Lost Boy groaned. He ran a hand through his short blond hair. “It was so awkward, dude!”

Nico couldn't help but smile a little. Not because he enjoyed seeing his roommate suffer, but because Jason's reaction was just a little amusing. He hid his chuckle as Jason began flailing helplessly, until the blond ended up laying down on the couch. Nico sat down on the arm of the couch, right above Jason's head. Reaching down, he stroked the blond's hair.

Jason groaned, rolling onto his side. “I don't think any amount of alcohol could help me forget this.” His blue eyes found their way up to Nico. “I think I am finally realizing just how much I appreciate Percy. I mean, I already did, because he treated me much better than my father ever did, but I guess I was just starting to get comfortable with the way things were around here.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. He pulled his knees up to his chest. “I think everyone is sort of experiencing that right now. I heard some of the others talk about how Percy treated his employees the best, but I guess I just didn't want to believe it could have been this bad.”

“And it hasn't even started yet.” The blond sat up, burying his face into his hands for a moment before looking up at Nico with panic. “What if I have to do this again? What if there's some other sick fuck out there that has a thing for a brother and sister having sex?”

Nico placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. “I'm sure there aren't that many people out there with that fantasy.”

Jason lightly shook his head. “I don't know, the Stolls seem to find quite a few customers interested in having sex with the both of them.”

“That's because twincest is hot,” Nico smirked.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, I'll let them know you would like some private time with them.”

Nico grunted and crawled over Jason to sit down on the couch next to him. “I miss Percy. Everything was much better, and easier, with him here.”

“Yeah,” Jason said quietly before standing up and stretching. “Well, I think I'm going to try and get some sleep.”

Nico nodded and jumped up. He followed Jason down the hall before waving to the blond and disappeared into his room. He heard Jason shut his door as he yanked his shirt over his head. Nico let out a sigh and ran a hand down his chest, falling back onto his bed. It had been a very long day. He really hoped that Percy would not be gone for too long, Nico did not know how long he was going to be able to handle having Kronos around.

Still laying on his bed, Nico lifted his legs and got his pants off, kicking his shoes and socks off with them. Groaning, Nico ran a hand through his hair as he got back to his feet. Flipping the light off, Nico collapsed onto his mattress and crawled under the covers.

But not five minutes later, Nico cracked an eye open to a knock at his door. Sliding up into a sitting position, Nico quirked a brow. “Come in?”

A second later, Jason poked his head in. “Um, would you mind if...um, if I stayed in here?” The blond winched. “That sounds weird.” Nico noted how Jason chewed on his lip. “I just...don't really want to be alone right now.”

Nico pursed his lips before nodding his head. He let out a sigh as Jason smiled and slipped into the room, shutting the door behind him. Well, it looked like Nico was not going to be alone tonight. Jason slid into the bed next to him, facing Nico.

The blond smiled in the darkness. “Thanks.”

Nico rolled his eyes, though he knew Jason wouldn't be able to see it. “Don't mention it.” He sighed and laid back down.

\------------------------------------

Wednesday was not looking better than the day before. While Kronos hadn't hit anyone, several of the Lost Girls had locked themselves in their rooms in tears. Something about looking fat. Nico let out a sigh as he stood in the hall with the other Lost Boys and what few Lost Girls had not locked themselves away yet, aside from the three Lost Kids that had to work lunch today.

Beckendorf banged on Silena and Clarisse's door. “Come on, baby, talk to me.”

“Go away,” Silena cried out from the other side.

The door opened for a moment and Clarisse stuck her head out, glaring at the group. “Stop banging on my door, I'm trying to watch a game.” Beckendorf attempted to move past the girl, but she blocked him. “Whoa there, big guy, where do you think you're going?”

Beckendorf glared back at the Lost Girl. “I want to see my girlfriend. Move.”

“Can't really let you do that.”

“Clarisse, move,” Beckendorf growled.

Clarisse shoved the Lost Boy. “Make me.”

But before Beckendorf could follow up on that threat, Apollo inserted himself in the middle of the two. “Calm down, both of you. It's still early, none of us probably got that much sleep. Let's all just cool off and take it easy.”

Annabeth nodded her head. “No reason to divide, that's just what Kronos wants.”

“He's just sitting up there and laughing probably,” Rachel mumbled.

“Is there anything that we can organize for today?” Annabeth sighed.

Zoë gave a shrug. “I could take a group to see Aphrodite. Never too early to get a jump on the Valentines attire.”

Annabeth nodded in agreement. “Sound fine to me.” She pushed Nico forward. “Take him and get him some stuff, if you don't mind.”

Zoë looked between Nico and Annabeth for a moment before nodding. “Okay. Any takers on joining us?”

Travis and Rachel raised their hands. Travis gave Rachel an odd look. “What do you need to go for?” He asked, arching a brow at her.

Rachel gave the brunet a look like he was crazy. “Hello, who is the one that has to be around Kronos all day? I'll take whatever I can get, if it means I'm away from him for a couple of hours.”

“Fair point,” Travis mumbled.

As Nico followed the other three towards the elevator, he received a few dirty looks, the main one being from Octavian. The blond bumped his shoulder roughly against Nico's and sent the boy tumbling into the wall.

“Whoops,” Octavian said causally. “How clumsy of me.”

Luke smacked his brother on the back of his head. “You should clean your room, it's a mess.”

“Yes, mother,” Octavian grumbled, but headed back towards his suite.

Luke glared after his brother. “At least I didn't abuse you!” He shouted after the other blond, which caused Octavian to flinch.

Octavian whirled around, his eyes dark with anger. “No, you decided to leave me there with our bitch of a mother, knowing father was too busy to even pay attention to what was actually going on at home.” Laughing coldly, Octavian placed a hand on his chest. “Where were you when she tried cleansing me of all my impurities, because she thought I was her gay son. When she failed to see the real bisexual living right in front of her.”

Luke grabbed his brother's collar and shoved him against the wall. Apollo and Annabeth grabbed onto Luke's shoulders, trying to pry their friend off his brother, but Luke wouldn't budge. “Oh, yeah, that's right, brat, I never protected you. I never did anything for you.” Octavian was no longer looking at his brother's face. In fact, the skinny blond looked close to tears. “I guess I just never really stepped in, isn't that right?”

“Shut up!” Octavian yelled, tears flowing down his cheeks.

Luke sneered and shoved his brother, letting Octavian fall to the floor. Luke's eyes widened when Annabeth's hand came in contact with his face. “Stop it,” she practically cried. Her own eyes looked on the brink of tears. “That's enough,” she whispered.

Reaching up, Luke massaged his red cheek. “Whatever,” he mumbled before going to his suite and slamming the door.

Rachel silently pressed against Nico's back, urging the boy to move. Pursing his lips, Nico followed after the others until they were inside one of the elevators. Travis blew out a breath once they were inside. “So, who wants to stop off by a bar while we're out? I feel like a drink all of a sudden.”

While there was a grin on the brunet's face, Nico could tell it was a fake. The brunet's eyes were worn and tired, a sad look feeling their blue depths. No one laughed, though.

Nico looked over at Rachel. “Wait, so Octavian wants to get into politics, but I get the feeling that at least one, if not both, of their parents were in politics as well.”

Rachel looked around the elevator. No one said anything. She turned back to Nico with a sigh. “Both of them are, yes. Their mother is a member of the tea party, while their father is in the senate.”

“Not really a difference so far,” Travis mumbled.

Rachel gave a nod. “That's true, but their father is more of just a Republican, not really a tea party member. Their mother is currently a governor.” She rubbed the back of her neck with a frown. “As you can imagine, there was a lot of time where their father wasn't home, and when he was, he just sort of shut himself in his study.”

“I don't think they'd want you telling this,” Zoë.

“Luke's going to tell him soon,” Rachel replied with a shrug.

“He told you this?”

Rachel ran her fingers through her hair. “Well, no, but I can just tell. He's been contemplating it.” Her eyes twinkled at Nico. “I think you'll find it quite enlightening about why Luke has yet to touch you.”

Nico let out a breath. “Let me guess, everyone else around here already know the answer to that.” The other three grinned. Nico nodded. “Well then.”

The car ride to Aphrodite's shop was much needed, in Nico's opinion. The tension seemed to be left behind, and the four of them were just relaxing during the entire ride. Rachel and Travis even sang along to the music that was playing, at least until Zoë got annoyed and turned the station.

However, Nico's tension instantly returned to him once he was inside the woman's shop and she practically shrieked upon seeing them. He did not have the energy for her happiness. She practically slid across the counter to greet them. “Welcome!” She shrieked, placing a hand on Travis's back to guide him and the rest of the group inside. “Let me tell you, it has been so slow today, I don't know what to do with myself.”

“There's a change,” Rachel mumbled.

The woman blinked at her in surprise. “Oh, Rachel, what brings you here?”

The Lost Girl let out a groan. “Needed to get away from Kronos, he's turning the hotel into a nightmare.”

It wasn't already? Nico thought to himself. The woman pressed a finger to her lips. “So it's true what Ganymede told me yesterday.” She cursed and went back around on the other side of the counter to check something on her computer. “I do hope he doesn't decide he wants to check in here.”

Rachel gave a shrug. “Haven't heard anything about it yet.”

Aphrodite breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, good.” She groaned and let her head fall onto the counter. “That guy gives me the creeps. I thought it was bad enough when he was just visiting.” Standing back up, she looked at the group frantically. “When will Percy be back?”

“We don't know,” Zoë told her. Nico looked down when her dark eyes flickered over to him.

Aphrodite motioned to her store. “Well, have a look around. Take as long as you like, just make sure you're not late for work. Wouldn't want you guys to get in trouble.” She smiled at Nico, though it only managed to make him worry. “Nico, would you like my help finding anything? I don't believe you've gotten any Valentines attire yet.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I think I can manage dressing myself.”

“Fine, just ruin all of my fun,” the woman sighed.

Zoë, Travis, and Nico poked around the store for about fifteen minutes, while Rachel sat behind the counter with Aphrodite. Nico blew out a breath as he followed along behind Travis, letting the brunet make a few suggestions for him. None of them sounded that appealing, as about ninety percent of the choices involved very revealing attire.

Nico frowned at the latest one. “But part of my butt will be showing,” he grumbled.

The brunet winked. “That's the point. Show a little skin,” the taller Lost Boy chuckled, pushing up against Nico. “Have a little fun with the job, or it'll just tear you apart.”

While he was smiling, Nico could tell Travis was being serious. So, with a heavy sigh, he took the outfit that the brunet was holding. He had to question if his ass would even fit into the thing, what with how small it looked.

“Here,” Travis said, tossing a long strand of wide, red ribbon at Nico.

Nico attempted to unravel it, but it was longer than both of his arms. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

The brunet chuckled. “Tie it around your body, duh!”

Nico's eyes widened as he examined the ribbon. “What if it falls off?”

“Well,” Zoë called over to them, “I guess you better make sure it is secure.” Giving Travis a dark look, Nico accepted the ribbon with no further question.

After a few minutes of silence, Nico decided to break it. “Travis?” He asked. The brunet grunted, still poking around some of the racks. “Did you and Connor ever find out who your real parents are?”

The brunet looked at him curiously. “No, not really.” He shrugged. “We stole our birth certificate from our last foster home, but we never looked into it. We had each other, and it wasn't like they probably wanted us.” The brunet tossed an outfit into his growing pile. “And, I mean, we already knew our surname anyways, so it wasn't like we needed anything from them. I wouldn't say I'm angry at them, but I don't really feel anything for them. They just sort of...don't exist to me.”

“That's sad,” Nico whispered.

Travis smirked at that. “Not really. I mean, look at some of the others with their parents. Not like anything good came from their parents. After getting to the hotel and finding out about the trend in all of us, Connor and I decided it wasn't worth looking into. I mean, look at Will. The guy got into fights at school, mostly in attempts to make himself not look like his father. I didn't want that potential damage put on Connor if we had the same results from our parents.”

Nico had not known that much, it sort of made him feel guilty for not knowing that about Will. But it was not like he made no attempt to find things out about the Lost Kids. Sure some of it was to understand when he was walking on eggshells, but Nico had been wondering lately if it was his subconscious’s way of keeping the attention off of him.

But with that, Nico also had to realize that the others were uncomfortable with sharing things, just like he had been in his early time here. And especially when they started asking him about his past life. Even when Percy had done it, Nico had felt very awkward. It was like an old wound being torn back open.

Travis nudged his shoulder. “You okay?”

Nico shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He blinked up at Travis. “Sorry, was just thinking.”

The brunet grinned. “Well come on, we need to try on our selections.”

And so the three Lost Kids all picked a changing room and slipped inside. Nico was in the middle of getting his pants off when Zoë spoke up. “If I didn't need him here, I'd feel jealous of Percy. God, there are just some times that I miss being in Germany.”

“Never got to see it myself,” Travis called back from his changing room.

“I heard it was nice,” Nico added.

“Oh it is,” Zoë sighed. “It's practically a resort, but the business is about the same as it is here. There's just more to do around the hotel there. Like, on break, Percy and a few of us would sneak off to ride around in some of the golf cars. It was very awkward to explain to Athena how Percy and I managed to get one stuck in a tree.”

Travis snorted. “Oh, I'd loved to have seen that.”

“It was fun.”

“No, I mean that you were actually trying to have fun.”

Nico heard Zoë's door swing open right before a hard smack filled the air. Travis yelped. “I know how to have fun,” Zoë grumbled.

“And yet you won't assist me or Connor.”

Nico slid himself into the outfit that Connor had picked out for him, groaning slightly as he struggled to get the material up to his thighs. Holy shit, how tight was this thing? There was no way it was him, he knew full well that he was as thin as a toothpick. But damn, who did they expect to wear this thing? Once he was done, Nico turned around to inspect himself. As expected, the lower halves of his ass cheeks were exposed. 

Blowing out a breath, Nico put his hands on both of his lower cheeks. He did have to admit, though, the outfit did make his ass look good. The one drawback was the lack of circulation to his balls. Nico let out a silent groan as he worked to tug the fabric down a little, seeing if it would help any. It did not.

As he looked at the mirror again, Nico asked, “So, what was Percy like back then?”

A small chuckle came from Zoë's room. “Not as charming as he is now. As I mentioned before, Percy was a troublemaker, who would sometimes get into at least one fight a week at school. Though, I will say that he almost always one the fights he got in.” The girl cursed her under breath, which made Nico wonder what she was doing. “Anyways, none of the Lost Kids at the hotel got to see much of him. From what I heard, it was even worse before he started stripping. The others told me that Gaea practically kept Percy isolated in her mansion behind the hotel, and would rarely let him come watch the shows with her.”

Nico's eyebrows shot up, his hands freezing in place from where they were attempting to straighten the material that was cutting into his hips. “Wait, Gaea let him go to the shows? At what age?”

“Um, I believe early on. I think around the time she found him.”

“Wow,” Nico sighed.

“Not something unusual,” Zoë replied. “From what the others told me, Kronos came with her to work even when he was eight or nine.”

A red and black speedo was slung on top of the dividing wall between Nico and Travis's changing rooms. “Did you ever get to see the inside of Gaea's mansion?” The brunet asked.

“Only twice,” the Lost Girl chuckled. “Since it's not actually attached to the hotel, just on the grounds, we didn't really have a reason to go over there.” Nico wished he could get the chance to see it some day, the whole place sounded amazing. “And the first time I got to, Percy and Kronos had just finished breaking an antique piano.” The girl let out a sigh. “Don't ask me how they did it, I never got an answer. I just know that there was some skateboards and a broken window from the second floor.”

Travis let out a sigh. “I miss Percy already.”

“Yeah,” Zoë whispered. There was a brief pause before she continued. “But while I was there, Percy actually spent most of his time with Kronos. During most of the day, Gaea kept him inside with a professor that she had hired to be Percy's tutor. It was at night when we saw the most of him, since he was already stripping by this point. But, even being different than the rest of us, Percy got along great with the majority of the Lost Kids at the hotel.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “So, he didn't get to go outside at all?”

The Lost Girl let out a small chuckle. “Oh, no, he got time outside. But I think part of the reason Gaea kept him inside most of the time was to keep us from being distracted.” Nico actually stopped what he was doing at what the girl said. Zoë let out a light moan. “Hot days were the best, because Percy would often be out at the pool or playing a sport, so pretty much all of us stood by the windows to watch him stand around shirtless.”

“Sucks he doesn't do that here,” Nico mumbled.

Travis laughed and stuck his head up to look over the dividing wall, which had Nico covering himself as he finished getting on his boxers. “Oh, he does, but you just missed it. It's mostly during the summer, when he tries to fit a little more free time into his schedule.” The brunet shrugged. “Percy actually spends days at the pool during the summer, or even goes off with our groups on their days off.”

Nico stuck his tongue out at Travis, feeling slightly jealous. “So, if it was so nice over there, why did you move back here?” Nico asked the Lost Girl.

Zoë opened her door and poked her head inside Nico's changing room. The raven-haired Lost Boy glared at both of the others, not even caring that he was still changing. “Well,” she began, “Percy asked me to.” She gave a shrug. “But, I mean, I was still unsure, so he made me a deal.”

Nico quirked a brow. “Which was?”

“To crash my family's finances.”

“Oh.” Nico slid his shirt over his head. “That's...something. Why did you want that?”

The Lost Girl had a sharp look in her eyes as she looked him over. “Because, they abandoned me. Just tossed me out, like I no longer mattered to them. Just because I was willing to give out information against our money hungry father and his dirty dealings. But I felt my old boyfriend deserved the same, as he just used me to get the information. So, I had Percy return the favor to his family as well.”

Travis crossed his arms on top of the dividing wall. “I'm surprised you didn't ask the same of Percy with your father, Neeks. The man seems like a real asshole...no offense.”

“Yeah, it doesn't really bother me,” Nico mumbled. He worked on getting his socks and shoes on. “I know he was a lousy father, but at least he takes care of my sister. I don't want Bianca to end up at the hotel like I did.”

“You sound like Apollo,” Travis mumbled. Nico looked at him curiously. The brunet nodded. “Yeah, blondie turned down Percy's offer as well, for the exact same reason you did. Though, I will never understand why he doesn't at least try talking to his sister. She doesn't even know he's still alive, much less that he got tossed out onto the streets after Robert dumped him.”

As Nico and the other two exited the changing rooms, a tall girl with legs that seemed to stretch on forever came out from the back with a distressed look on her face. “Aphrodite, we're running pretty low on some change. Would you mind if I borrowed some from back here?”

Aphrodite smiled and motioned to the cash register. “Sure, Gwen, grab as much as you need.”

The girl gave her thanks and scooped out a handful of quarters and nickles. She looked up as Travis, Zoë, and Nico approached the counter. “Hey, Travis and Zoë, How have you guys been?”

It was at this point that Nico noted that Rachel was no longer behind the counter. He frowned and looked around, until he spotted the girl's red hair outside on the phone. Arching a brow, Nico deposited his clothing onto the counter.

Travis smiled, leaning in on the counter. “We're good. How's Aphrodite treating you these days?”

The girl blushed slightly and finished gathering up the coins she had come for. “We're doing good. Business is just hectic today.” She let out a sigh. “I think I've learned my lesson about suggesting that we have a sale a few days after New Years.”

Aphrodite sighed with contentment. “But it'll be so good for business,” she said dreamily.

Gwen smiled and nodded to the two before disappearing into the back again. Nico leaned forward to watch her leave. “Um, what's back there anyways?”

“Ah.” Aphrodite jumped up from the stool that she sat on. “I run a normal clothing store on the other side of the building, but I prefer to stay back here. Makes it more convenient for you guys, since my girls don't know what kind of business you lot actually do.”

Nico nodded in understanding. “I see.”

“And it makes it much more simple when I don't have to explain why I'm closing down the store when you guys come in.”

As Travis was checking out with Aphrodite, Rachel came back inside, chewing on her lip. “What's up?” Nico asked her.

She looked up, stopping in her tracks. She regarded Nico for a moment before looking down at her phone. “We need to get back to the hotel. That was Leo. Apparently, Calypso, Piper, and Drew are about to kill each other.”

“Not seriously, though, right?” Travis asked. However, the look on Rachel's face seemed to say otherwise. “Right,” the Lost Boy sighed.

Aphrodite smiled as she moved on to dealing with Zoë's small pile of outfits. “Sounds like fun. I'm thankful that I'm safely here all of a sudden.” Travis narrowed his eyes at the woman.

On the way back, Nico sat up front with Rachel, while Travis and Zoë took a short nap. The Lost Boy looked over at the girl as she drove. “Are you sure we shouldn't tell Percy?”

The girl pressed her lips into a thin line, keeping her eyes on the road. “It'll be a while before any of us even get to talk to Percy probably. At least a week, if not two.” She finally glanced over at the boy, and Nico took quick note of the worry that was filling the girl's eyes. “I'm just concerned if we'll be able to hold together or not.”

“Isn't that Apollo, Annabeth, Thalia, and Luke's job?”

The Lost Girl nodded. “Normally, unless they start bickering.” She let out a sigh as she looked back to the road. “Annabeth struck Luke today, she's never raised a hand to him before. None of them have actually had a physical fight of any degree. I can only imagine what it might be like if Percy doesn't come back soon. We've never had to deal with Kronos for more than two weeks before.”

Nico pursed his lips. “But he runs his hotel, and he has Lost Kids there.”

“Yes, but Grover does a good job of looking after them. Kronos's hotel also has the highest suicide and quit rate of Lost Kids. I heard one Lost Girl decided she'd rather live on the streets than work for Kronos.”

Nico gulped and looked over at Rachel. “But...we'll be okay, won't we?”

Rachel's eyes darted over to him. She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I don't know,” she whispered.

Once they were back at the hotel, Rachel left them to go help Leo sort out the latest incident. When they were pulling into the garage, Leo had called again and told Rachel that Frank had barged into the office and demanded that Hazel left with him. Nico let out a sigh as he rode up the elevator with Zoë and Travis. It was going to be a long day, he could just tell.

The elevator stopped on their floor and the three gathered up their bags and headed to their respective halls. But as they passed by the first set of doors on the right hall, the door on Nico's left opened and he felt a hand grasp the back of his neck.

“I need to have a word with you,” Luke practically growled before slamming the door, trapping Nico inside with him.


	39. Welcome to Wonderland, Nico

Being locked in a dark room with a guy that normally wore a scowl on his face, one would think that Nico would have had other things at the front of his mind. But the first thing that came blurting out?

“You're in your underwear.”

Luke shot him an irritated look before tossing Nico onto his bed and pacing the room. Nico blinked, his eyes trailing up and down Luke's long body. Though he was nowhere near as muscular as Butch or Beckendorf, Luke's body was pure muscle. A fact that Nico could attest to from seeing what a simple punch from the blond could do to Cal's face. However, Luke was lean and built like a baseball player or swimmer. The fact that Nico preferred guys with that kind of build was completely irrelevant. It also had nothing to do with the fact that it probably explained why he found some of the others pleasing to look at.

Also, Nico had a hard time getting over how good Luke's ass looked in those tight, dark blue boxer-briefs. So distracted that he almost missed what Luke said. “Because I feel you need some more lessons,” the blond grumbled.

Nico frowned, pulling himself completely from his ongoing fantasy. “But I already have to put up with your brother. Who are you trying to stick me with-”

“You're taking lessons from me.” Nico's eyes widened as Luke hovered over him, leaning down so that his face was in very close proximity to the Nico's own face. Before Nico could register fully what was happening, he heard a faint clicking noise.

Nico quickly looked up to find that his wrists were handcuffed to the bed. “What the hell, Luke?”

The blond pulled back with a wicked grin on his face, resting his knees between Nico's flailing legs. “Now then, if you're a good boy, I won't have to break out the whip.”

This was not what Nico exactly had in mind for what it would be like to be sexually involved with Luke. Nico narrowed his eyes. “Can you let me go now?”

Nico's answer came in the form of his lower half being rolled over and a palm making contact with his ass. “You do not get to make the demands here, I'm afraid. I hold the power. You can be in control if a clients asks that you dominate them. But, for lessons, I find this much more entertaining.” Nico narrowed his eyes further, struggling to slip his wrists out of their cuffs. For this, he received another swat to his ass. “Care to keep going?”

The brown-eyed Lost Boy let out a sigh, shaking his head in defeat. “But is this really necessary?” Nico asked, nodding up the the handcuffs above his head.

Luke wagged his brows, placing his hands on either side of Nico's head. “I think I prefer you this way.” Nico felt his face heat up. Luke smirked and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Now if only I had a gag to put in your mouth, I wouldn't have to listen to you talk.”

“Fuck you!”

Luke chuckled and pulled back. “All in due time.” He sat back, allowing Nico to have some space. The blond took in a deep breath. Nico gave him an odd look, though Luke seemed to be distracted by his own thoughts to notice. “There's a lot of things down in those rooms that you might find yourself uncomfortable with, but you're going to have to deal with it.”

Nico blinked. This was the softest that Luke had ever spoken to him, and he managed to do it with no trace of annoyance in his pale blue eyes

Finally, Luke let out his breath and looked up from the mattress. “You're just going to have to deal with whatever demands that the clients ask of you down in those rooms.” Nico opened his mouth, but Luke pressed on. “It doesn't matter if you don't like it, you have to comply with whatever it is. And even if your body starts to get uncomfortable with any device found in that room, you keep quiet.”

“Devices?” Nico asked.

Luke crawled on top of the boy. His icy blue gaze slowly trailed down Nico's body, while his hand reached under his shirt. “Collars, whips, racks and leather harnesses, things like that.” Nico hissed when Luke's fingernails dug into the skin of his back. “And the clients can sometimes be rough.”

Nico frowned when Luke pulled back and sat between Nico's legs, one of his knees pulled up to his chest. Nico blew at some of his bangs that were falling into his eyes. “And if they leave a bruise or scratch pretty hard?”

“That's what Will is around for,” Luke whispered. The blond pursed his lips, looking Nico over. “While we can't today, I do want to take you down there tomorrow or the next day. If you're lucky, no one will ask for you to go down there before then.”

Finally, Luke leaned above Nico and unlocked the handcuffs. Nico frowned as he sat up, rubbing gently at his wrists. “Why don't we just tell Percy about this? We could be subtle.”

Luke shook his head. “Don't,” he whispered, his eyes no longer looking up to meet Nico's own. “Kronos always finds a way to make you miserable for doing things like that.” This time, when Luke looked up, Nico noted how tired the blond looked. With all of the chaos going around right now, Nico wondered if Luke, Apollo, Annabeth, and Thalia were running themselves rampant trying to keep the others under control.

Nico's lips tilted down in a frown. “But-”

“Percy cares too much about Kronos, I've never seen them get angry with each other.”

Gripping the sheets, Nico's brow furrowed. “How can Percy consider someone like Kronos to be a friend? How can Percy put up with someone like him?”

Luke let out a grunt. “Perhaps because Kronos was Percy's first real friend.” That made Nico look up in surprise. “Yeah, Percy never had a friend before Kronos. His father abandoned his mother while Percy was still a baby, so Percy never got to experience growing up with kids his own age.” Luke rubbed at his face with a yawn. “And when Gaea took Percy in, Kronos took an immediate interest in Percy. Sure, at the time, it was probably that Kronos saw Percy as another toy; but to Percy, it stuck with him. And in Percy's mind, it sort of always made Kronos a good person, no matter what the other did.”

Nico had a hard time believing that. Sure Percy might, but there was no way Nico could accept that Kronos could have a decent side.

Apparently, Nico's face was easy to read. Luke smirked over at him. “Hard to believe, yeah? Well, believe it or not, even someone as horrible as Kronos can have a...somewhat decent side to him.” The blond shook his head. “But that's about as good as it gets, unless you are Percy or Gaea. At most, he'll just be indifferent towards you.”

Again, Nico had his doubts about this. After seeing what he had of their new manager, Nico did not see how Kronos could be anything other than a despicable human being. “Wasn't really expecting you to say something decent about him.”

Luke's smirk grew as he got off the bed and walked over to grab a pair of cotton shorts from the floor before slipping them on, much to Nico's disappointment. “Don't get me wrong, I still loathe the guy.” He turned around with an eyebrow raised. “But do you think he could be a manager if he didn't have some decent people skills? I could also say that he's very bright, went to one of the best universities on the planet, and that he has great management skills. None of that would change the fact that he can still be sickening to be around.”

“How did he even get to be a manager anyways?”

“Ah,” Luke began, sitting back down on the bed, “he killed his predecessor.” Nico's eyebrows rose at that. “Yep, cut his throat in front of his mother. Not sure how Gaea completely feels about Kronos, I've never asked. Obviously, she loves him, as he will always be her son, but I'm not sure she always approves of his actions. But you have to keep in mind the type of business we're all involved with.” Luke cocked a brow at the other Lost Boy. “If you were Gaea and running a dirty business like she is, would you want someone nice and honest, or someone who is willing to get the job done and has the potential to be ruthless?”

“Fair point,” Nico mumbled.

Luke gave a shrug. “Goes double for South America and the Middle East. Atlas and Kronos have to be extra cold, as they tend to deal with less...civilized customers.” Getting back up, Luke retrieved a shirt from his closet.

“Still, Kronos is a monster.”

“Not arguing with you there,” Luke replied, slipping the shirt over his head. Nico wasn't sure what it was, but Luke seemed a lot more sensitive today. Perhaps the blond really was exhausted, and just didn't have the energy to put forth his usual irritable demeanor. “Just keep in mind that Kronos rarely uses that 'decent' side of his.”

Nico gave a slow nod before climbing to his feet. “Okay,” he whispered. He nodded again before moving towards the door. “Are we done here? At least for now? You look like you could use a nap, or something.”

Luke got up and narrowed his eyes. He opened the door and Nico walked into the hallway. In the living room, Nico leaned down to pick up the bags he had dropped when Luke had yanked him into the suite. But when Nico was about to unlock the door to the suite, Luke placed a hand against the door.

“One more thing.”

Nico looked up and blinked. “What's up?”

“There's a lot of...things down in those room, more than what I mentioned a moment ago.” Luke chewed on his lip. “While Percy doesn't like us to do certain things, he does still offer clients those options.” Nico felt lost. “So, like upstairs, you will find alcohol in the rooms. Which, isn't really a big deal. But cigarettes are kept in stock within each room.”

“Okay,” Nico said slowly, still not really following. He had never felt the desire to take up smoking.

But Luke looked serious still, so Nico decided to be quiet. The blond chewed on his lip for a few more seconds, his eyes scanning over Nico's face. “There are also drugs, most of which are kept in supply by Dionysus.” The blond Lost Boy reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “Sometimes, the clients might try to offer you some, do not accept any of it. Just be careful, is what I'm saying. Right now, we don't need a disaster like your first night stripping to add onto the amount of stress that is filtering around the hotel, so I thought I'd let you know.”

“Thanks.” Nico regarded the blond carefully for a moment. All that he could see was the look of someone that was on the brink of passing out. He frowned. “You should really consider taking a nap.”

Luke rolled his eyes and shoved Nico out of the door. “Wish I could, but got all these sorry asses to check up on.” With a simple nod, the blond shut the door in Nico's face.

Though, as soon as it shut, Apollo's door swung open and out stormed Leo. Apollo leaned against the doorway, a small smirk threatening to show on his lips. Leo spun around and glared up at the blond. “You are insufferable. Do you have any idea what a selfish asshole you are?” The blond in question just shrugged. This only fueled Leo further. “I try to have one civilized conversation, and you just use the time to find ways to get me out of my clothes.”

To Nico, it looked like Leo was on the verge of rearing back and punching the blond in the face. As amusing as that might have been to see, Nico also doubted Leo could take Apollo in a fight. The blond might look like a beautiful model, but Apollo was lean and muscled. Apollo also did not look threatened by the shorter Lost Boy.

In fact, Apollo seemed to ignore Leo, picking at his curls instead. Finally, the blond looked down at Leo. “I'm sorry, were you saying something. I'm sure it has something to do with my body, as I catch you staring at it so much.”

“Ass!” Leo growled. Nico moved forward, but Leo pointed a finger at him. “Stay out of this.”

Nico held up his hands defensively. Apollo smirked. “Temper, temper, Leo.”

Leo shoved his finger in the blond's face. “You... You self-centered, jealous, pretty boy...asshole.” Leo clenched his teeth, his fists shaking at his side. Apollo just smirked at him. Will poked his head over Apollo's shoulder to get a view of what was happening, waving over to Nico when he noticed the boy's presence. Leo just growled up at the curly-haired blond. “Don't just stand there, you fucking ass!”

Apollo shrugged and Leo let out a huff before storming off to his room, the door slamming behind him. Apollo arched a brow in the direction Leo had gone before smirking at Nico. “Well, that was entertaining.”

“What did you do this time?” Will mumbled, rubbing his eyes. It looked like he had been woken up from a nap.

The eldest of the trio simply shrugged. “We were just talking, and then I offered him sex.”

Will shook his head with a sigh. “Yeah, because that has gone over so well in the past. I don't think he's quite let go what happened the last time you two hooked up.”

Apollo's response was in the form of a grunt. Nico blinked up at Apollo. “Why'd you just stand there and let him yell at you? It looked like you were biting your tongue.”

“Oh, I was.” A smirk crept across Apollo's lips as he propped an arm against the frame of the door. “It's just kind of hot to see him get riled up like that.” His attention turned to his roommate, where he gave Will a lopsided smile. “Sorry if we woke you up with the yelling.”

Will waved it off. “S'all good, I needed to wake up anyways.” Though he was addressing Apollo, Will's eyes had wandered over to Nico and was smiling at the pale Lost Boy. “So, what are you going to do until work?”

Nico held up the bags in his hands. “Unload all of this and try to relax.”

Will moved out from behind Apollo with a grin. “I could help with that.”

“I bet you could,” Apollo mumbled. He coughed and looked away innocently when Will and Nico both shot him dirty looks.

Nico regarded Will for a moment. “I-”

Without letting him finish, Will shot forward and grabbed Nico. “Excellent, it's decided then.”

“I don't recall deciding anything,” Nico mumbled as Will fished Nico's wallet out of the raven-haired boy's back pocket, making sure the give Nico's ass a squeeze in doing so.

Before Nico could protest further, Will had the door open and Nico inside. Shooting Apollo a grin, Will shut the door. “It's no problem.” Will smiled and took one of the two bags Nico was carrying before heading to Nico's room.

Something caught Nico's eye on the edge of the couch, though. While Will went on to his room, Nico stopped and walked over to the couch, picking up an empty pack of cigarettes. He let out a sigh. This was not good, Nico thought. From what he had seen last night, Jason's pack had been nearly full last night, and now it was completely gone. But as he headed down the hall, Nico noticed Jason's light was off, which ruled out talking with his roommate at the current time. Pursing his lips, Nico made a mental note to talk to Jason later about it.

When he entered his room, Nico found that Will was already storing his new outfits with the rest of the ones Nico already had. Without even saying anything, Will took the other bag from Nico. “I can do that myself, you know,” Nico mumbled.

Will just smiled. “It's no trouble.” Nico sat down on the edge of the bed, watching the blond move around the room to organize everything. After a few moments, though, Will found him staring. “What?”

Nico quickly shook his head. “Nothing.” Will smiled. Nico frowned and furrowed his brow. “Will?”

“Hmm?”

“How long have you been here?”

Will paused, scrunching his lips. “I don't know, probably around a year and a half now.” He turned back to face Nico. “Why?”

“Just thinking.” Nico pursed his lips and tapped his fingers against the comforter. “Was that girl here while you were? The one that committed suicide, I mean.”

Will slowed down, slowly placing a few outfits in a drawer in the closet. “Why are you wanting to know about her?” His blue eyes looked over to Nico curiously. “You shouldn't ask about her...or any of them.”

“'Them'? There have been more?”

Will cursed under his breath. “Um,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I don't know how many. I did know Akhlys, but not very well. It wasn't long after I arrived that she killed herself.” Will shut the drawer and stepped out of the closet, regarding Nico carefully. “But ever since then, there haven't been any more cases. From what I've heard from Apollo or Luke, there were a few more cases. I think that's why they're on edge right now, because they don't want anyone doing something like that again. But, I mean, that's just our hotel, there are the other hotels that exist out there, and they each have suicides.”

“I just...” Nico tried to choose his words carefully. He fully understood that this was a delicate topic, and didn't want to go further than he needed to. “I'm just concerned, with Kronos currently in charge.”

Will nodded and laid down on Nico's bed, propping himself up on his side. “I understand.” His blue eyes refused to look up, too busy picking at Nico's comforter instead. “Just try not to ask anyone else about it? I think Ganymede and Aphrodite knew her pretty well, from what little I gathered during the time I was here. It, uh, happened maybe a month or two after Hazel and I first arrived here.”

“You arrived together?”

Will smiled sadly and shook his head. “Not far apart, though. Perhaps, at most, a couple of weeks.” He let out a long sigh and reached over to run his fingers along the back of Nico's hand. “Kronos was visiting.” Will chuckled at seeing the pale look Nico gave. “I know, right? A great way to start off our time here at the hotel.” Another sigh escaped the blond's lips. “Surprisingly, though, Kronos didn't bother either of us. Perhaps he acts more decently towards new arrivals? I'll probably never know for sure.”

This was the second time today that someone had said that Kronos was capable of being at least indifferent towards people. If only Kronos could be like that at all times.

“But I could tell that Kronos wasn't liked,” Will continued. “He creeped me out when I first met him.” Will smiled as he ran his fingers across Nico's arm. “Not as an enjoyable place before you came along.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Can we get back on subject?”

Will smiled, his eyes flickering down to Nico's lips, but never did anything. Letting out a sigh, Will's smile slowly faded. “I'm not sure what Kronos did exactly, but I never saw him threaten her or anything. Apollo claimed that Kronos didn't have to. I didn't really understand what that meant at the time, but I think I do now.” He shook his head. “I'm pretty sure Kronos brought up a lot of sensitive stuff with Akhlys, things like he used against Luke, Octavian, and Annabeth yesterday.”

That actually brought Nico to another question he had. “Is Annabeth's stepmother in an asylum?”

Will opened and closed his mouth a few times, apparently having a difficult time finding the the right words. “I'm not sure if I should answer that. Annabeth doesn't like talking about it, so don't bring it up.” Will's blue eyes narrowed at Nico. “I mean it. Not to anyone.”

Nico quickly nodded. “I promise.”

“Good.” Will let out a breath. “Anyways, on the morning that Kronos had to leave, they found her body. Or, at least, what was left of it.” Nico gave a curious look. “She sort of...jumped off of the top of the hotel.”

Nico was speechless. “That had to be...oh my god.”

“Yeah,” Will muttered. He licked his lips, his fingers trailing back down to Nico's hand. “It was definitely not the best way to get inducted into the hotel.” Will rubbed his head with the hand that wasn't busy touching Nico. “Kronos didn't seem bothered at all by it. And some of the Lost Kids suspect that Percy knows that Kronos coerced her into doing it, and never did anything about it. It just goes to show how far Percy is willing to overlook the atrocities of his 'brother'.”

“I...” Nico glanced down at his sheets, his eyes hypnotized by the soft movement of Will's hand on his own. “Percy-”

“Is not a knight in shining armor,” Will chuckled. He nudged the boy next to him lightly. “We tried to tell you from the very beginning. It wasn't just about the fact that Percy never took an interest in his employees, but also because Percy is dangerous. Being around Percy is dangerous. One of the reasons I never tried to pursue something like you or Apollo did was because it was too nerve wracking. Think about it, what would happen if Gaea didn't like you? Or just Kronos in general being involved in the situation.”

There was a long silence in the room. Nico refused to look up at the blond. He wasn't angry, not exactly anyways. It was just...hard to swallow.

After several long minutes, Nico looked up. “Did you ever...accept an offer that Percy gave you?”

There was a dull look in Will's eyes. Slowly, the blond sat up. “You mean, did I have him kill my parents? No, they are still alive. I think we've covered this.”

Nico shook his head. Briefly, the boy looked down. “Not them,” he whispered. “Did you ever...have him target the other kids from the orphanage? You said they were bad to you.”

When Nico was met with silence, he looked up. Will's eyes were hidden behind his short bangs, a deep frown marring his face. “They deserved to die,” Will whispered. “Mitchell's adopted parents, too. They deserved to die for abusing him and letting him die.” Nico reached forward and attempted to brush the blond's bangs away, only to have his hand swatted away. “They raped me, the kids in the orphanage. Said I was too pretty for my own good. And, afterward, they beat me. The adults that ran the orphanage didn't do anything.”

“But you had them killed,” Nico whispered. “You can't hold Percy accountable for something, when you asked him to do things like that.”

Will pulled away from Nico, his eyes still completely hidden. “They weren't nice people. I trusted them. The adults, the kids at the orphanage. I trusted them when I arrived, and they all hated me.” Nico swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched Will's fingers tighten as they clung to Nico's comforter. “Most nights, I woke up to a knife or something pressed against my throat, telling me that they'd kill me if I screamed.” Will reached up and touched at his lips. “I can still feel where I had to bite down to keep quiet, can still taste the blood that I drew.”

Will pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his face against them. Nico bit down on his lip before slowly reaching out and running his fingers through Will's hair in a soothing motion. This was so unlike Will, Nico had never seen the blond so...dark.

But that was how the hotel felt now. Dark, void of all light and hope. Perhaps it wasn't just nerves that were dwindling, perhaps the willpower of the Lost Kids were faltering. And with so many of them suffering, Nico had to wonder how Apollo, Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth were going to manage taking care of everyone.

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. “I didn't mean anything by it.” He stroked Will's hair again. “I don't think you're a bad person for asking Percy to do that.”

When Will finally looked up, Nico found himself wishing he hadn't. Nico wasn't sure how to describe what he saw in the blond's normally happy eyes. Pain. Suffering. Anger. Heartbreak. Misery. A hopeful look that might come from a small child, and perhaps Will was that small child once upon a time. But seeing Will now was very painful, and Nico found himself swallowing a lump in his throat.

Will ended up leaving not long after that. But fifteen minutes after the blond was gone, Nico still found himself sitting on his bed. He had a bad feeling about everything right now. Sure it was to be expected, what with Kronos being in charge, but he also had the feeling that some very dark days were ahead for everyone at the hotel.

When his phone went off, Nico climbed off his bed and picked up his phone from where it sat on his dresser. He was surprised to find his sister's name on the screen. Running his finger across the screen, Nico inspected her text.

She wanted him to meet her in the lobby. Apparently, she had more stuff for him.

Letting out a sigh, Nico grabbed his wallet and slipped his shoes back on before heading out the door. The elevator ride was quiet and felt longer than usual. Well, longer than normal for the ride down over sixty floors.

Bianca was already in the lobby when he arrived, three boxes sat beside her on the couch she had taken residence on. When she noticed him coming towards her, she got up and motioned excitedly towards the boxes. Ta-da! Look what I managed to confiscate before father could toss it out!”

Nico chuckled as he pulled one of the lids off the box on top, which contained some of his clothes from back home. The one underneath that contained his and Bianca's old Gamecube and the games they had managed to collect for it. And underneath that was a box that contained some old photos and a few things that belonged to their mother.

A small smile appeared on his face as Nico looked through the last box. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“Don't mention it.”

Nico's eyes flickered over to Bianca's wrist. He frowned and put down a photo of him and his mother that he had been holding, his hand reaching out to grasp his sister's wrist. “Where did you get this?”

On Bianca's wrist was a diamond charm bracelet with tiny silver figurines attached to it. Bianca blushed and pulled her wrist away, rubbing it gently. “Um, yeah, about that. Dad's new friend got it for me.” She shook her head, a look of annoyance covering her face. “I don't know, I feel like Dad is moving on a little too fast, he's already going out to dinner with this woman and staying out late.” Her eyes inspected the bracelet on her wrist. “But she gave this to me for Christmas, probably as a bribe to like her.”

Nico gave a grunt. His father was earning a whole new low in his books right now. “I take it she's loaded?”

“I guess,” Bianca mumbled. “I'm not really trying to get to know her. I usually just go over to Daedalus's house when she's around.” Something must have caught Bianca's attention, as the girl waved at something behind Nico. “Annabeth!”

Sure enough, the blonde was exiting the hotel's restaurant with a carryout box, probably about to go eat in her room. The Lost Girl stopped and turned in their direction, a small smile crossing her lips as she noticed them. She came over to them and gave Bianca a one-armed hug, making sure to keep her food held away from the two of them.

“Nice to see you again, Bianca.”

Bianca smiled and slipped her hands into her pockets. “I hope you've been doing well.”

Annabeth smiled and nodded. “As well as I suppose I can be right now.”

Bianca gave her a curious look before placing a hand on Nico's shoulder. “I was just checking on Nico and dropping a few things off. He's not being any trouble, is he? Eating okay?”

“Ah.” Annabeth looked between the two siblings. “Well, he's eating just fine, though I've noticed he's eaten less over the past few days.” Nico scowled at her. How could she have possibly taken notice so quickly? “But we have all been under a lot of stress lately.” The blonde shifted her weight, holding her food with both hands. “Right now, the hotel is under temporary new management.”

Bianca quirked a brow before looking around. “Percy's not here?”

“No.” Grey eyes flickered over to where Nico stood, causing the boy to fidget. “Percy was called away due to...personal reasons.”

“Oh,” Bianca replied. “I take it you don't like the current manager?”

“That's one way of putting it,” Nico muttered.

Bianca gave him a curious look before her eyes widened and she reached into one of the boxes behind her. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Digging around, Bianca eventually pulled out a bottle of perfume. “I wanted to give you this,” she said, handing it to Annabeth.

The blonde blinked before she looked up in confusion. “What for?”

“Well, I don't plan on using it, and I still have another bottle for memory purposes, but Nico told me how nice you've been to him, so I just wanted to get you something as a way of saying thanks.” She offered the blonde girl a warm smile before continuing. “It belonged to our mother, something she picked up from one of our trips to Italy a few years ago. I suppose you can count it as a late Christmas present.”

It took Annabeth a moment, but she eventually smiled and placed the bottle in her hand that was underneath the food. “Thank you, I'll try it out and let you know how I like it.”

Bianca gave a chuckle. “I thought it might help you rope in that guy you mentioned back at the water park.

“Yes,” Annabeth said, a stoney quality lacing her words. “That.” The blonde pursed her lips. “Thank you.”

Bianca smiled again before nodding. She patted her pants before letting out a breath. “Well, I suppose I better head home.” Leaning in, she kissed Nico's forehead. “Behave yourself,” she told him before waving and heading towards the door.

After his sister was gone, Nico turned to stare at the blonde next to him. He had almost forgotten that Annabeth liked, or had liked, someone. “Were you serious when you told her you liked someone?”

“Yes,” was the only reply that Nico got.

Nico slowly nodded. “Okay, I guess you don't want to talk about it.” Annabeth didn't say anything. Nico fidgeted. “Um, so, I wanted to thank you as well, for being nice to my sister.”

“She's a nice girl.”

Nico nodded again. “Yeah, she is. But, I mean, everyone has been great to her.” He smiled a little. “And Percy even paid for her tuition, wasn't that amazing of him?”

Annabeth's brow furrowed. “What?”

“Oh.” Nico blinked twice. “Um, yeah, Percy's present to me was to pay for mine and Bianca's tuition.” He smiled with a shrug, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “It was very nice of him.”

There was a blank expression clouding Annabeth's face before she shrugged. “I suppose, but I wouldn't put much thought into it. It was probably just Percy's way of hinting that he still would like you to leave the hotel with as much of yourself still intact as can be managed.” That was a blow to Nico's stomach. The boy rubbed his arm. The blonde shrugged again. “Just giving my opinion. I mean, it's still nice of him, yes, but I wouldn't look at it as a romantic gesture.”

“Oh.” Nico nodded, his head down. “I guess you're probably right.”

Annabeth let out a sigh, reaching out to pat Nico on the shoulder. “Like I said, just giving my opinion.” She let out a breath. “As much as I hate to tell you this, Kronos wants to see you in his office. He was having a word with Jason not long ago, probably wants to have a word with the new additions.”

Nico nodded, letting out a groan. This was not a good day. Annabeth nodded back at him before heading towards one of the elevators. Nico let out a sigh before turning around and staring at the boxes that Bianca had brought him. As eager as he truly was to be alone with Kronos, Nico felt it couldn't hurt to put off that talk a little longer by dropping his boxes in his room first.

When Nico finally arrived in the office, Leo directed him to go ahead in the office that was supposed to belong to Percy. Opening the door, Nico found Kronos sitting behind the computer, rubbing his temple. Without looking up or speaking to Nico, Kronos pointed towards the chair directly across from the desk. Not needing to be told twice, Nico sat down.

Kronos let out a sigh. “As much as I'm sure you'd be shocked to learn, I cannot wait for Percy to get back.” Nico did find that hard to believe. “Because while he's getting to relax and listen to mother, I'm stuck running two hotels.” Another sigh escaped the young man's lips. “Which is why I sent Grover back to the Middle East, though I still get to manage the details from the computer. And this is on top of what I have to deal with here, since I can't very well trust those two out there to finalize documents.”

Nico frowned. “You wanted to see me?”

Kronos typed at the computer, ignoring Nico for a few moments before he pushed the keyboard away and leaned his elbows on the desk. “I did.” His eyes stared coldly over at the boy. “I'm fully aware that you've been doing this job for a few months now, but your recent change in job description could prove concerning.”

It wasn't Nico's call! If Kronos was so concerned about Nico screwing up, why was he throwing Nico into the kink rooms?

“Because it's not about what you want, it's about what you should be expected to do,” Kronos stated, like he could very well read Nico's mind. “I don't like it when clients are disappointed by their time purchases.” Kronos leaned back in his chair, slouching heavily. Closing his eyes, the young man rubbed his face with a yawn. “I expect you to do your job, regardless of how uncomfortable you are. I also expect you to make your clients happy.” Once again, Kronos leaned on the desk, burying his face in his hands.

Was it just Nico, or did Kronos look exhausted? He also had yet to really say anything truly insulting, which Nico found the most concerning. He glanced over his shoulder, unsure if there might have been a laser pointed at the back of his head from some sniper attack, or perhaps a hidden knife under his chair that might trigger and stab him. Kronos just rolled his eyes before resting his head on the desk.

“Um,” Nico shifted in his seat, “is that it?”

Kronos sat up and buried his face in his hands again. “Your voice is beginning to give me a headache.” Nico wanted to point that he had barely said a word since he had entered the office. Kronos let out a sigh and motioned for Nico to leave.

Nico continued to sit there for a moment, unsure if he was truly free to go or not. Slowly, he rose from his chair. “That's it?” Nico asked curiously. Kronos shot him an irritated look. “No hurtful comment to make me cry at work?”

Kronos popped his knuckles with a glare. “I can always change my mind, kid.” Nico swallowed a lump in his throat. “If you don't mind, I have more pressing matters to deal with, rather than concern myself with insufferable people in my office.”

“Sorry,” Nico mumbled, reaching for the door.

But before he could go. “I'm just amazed that you have adapted so quickly.”

Nico found himself smiling, slowly turning around. “Thank-”

“Frankly, I'm surprised you're even still surviving in this hotel, what with how pathetic I truly find you.” There it was. Kronos tapped his fingers on the desk as he gave Nico a look that made the Lost Boy feel like he was lower than scum. “And I still think you're a fool for turning down a free ride through the hotel and disappointing Percy by volunteering to do this job.”

Nico slowly took in a deep breath, nodding his head in silence. Responding that would only put a bigger target on his back, and Nico did not need that. Kronos went back to typing and Nico slipped out the door, releasing the breath he had been holding once the door was securely shut.

\-----------------------------------------

Luck was not on Nico's side today it seemed. Halfway through the night, Leo took Nico aside and told the pale Lost Boy that Nico was expected to go to the kink rooms towards the end of his shift. That had not helped Nico's nerves the rest of the night. And unlike his first few times being in the rooms upstairs, Kronos had not allowed any of the other Lost Kids to accompany Nico into these rooms.

They were a lot different than the ones upstairs. There was a bit more lighting, but the room he was currently in used a red bulb. The fact that there was a bondage rack in the corner of the room did not help his nerves either. Luke had been right about what they kept in stock down here. The cabinets and a table in the room were stocked with various alcohols, packs of cigarettes, and various forms of—what Nico could only assume was—drugs. The walls also seemed to be thinner down here, as he could hear a client screaming in one of the other rooms, though considering the nature of these rooms, Nico was uncertain if it was out of pain or pleasure. Perhaps a mixture of both.

But perhaps the most concerning thing was the fact that there was a chain and collar attached to the foot of the bed.

The one thing that did catch Nico's eye, though, was a glass bowl next to the small bed that was kept in the room. From the looks of it, the bowl was stocked with various candy. Most looked a lot like Skittles or M&Ms. Scrunching his lips, Nico picked one up for inspection. Not exactly what he had been expecting to find in a place like this.

The door opened, startling Nico, and Nico found himself staring at a rather young man, probably only a few years older than Percy or Luke. On the bright side, the guy was attractive. Just not Nico's usual type. He was too pretty. Which would sound very odd, since Nico had a crush on Percy. But this boy reminded him of some of the rich kid that walked around the school that he was currently enrolled in. The way the guy dressed made Nico think he went to Yale or Harvard. If Nico had to guess, this guy was not here because of his own money.

And for the first time, Nico didn't really feel as intimidated being in a situation like this. Aside from selling his body, there was one important job that he was here for. Information. If this college kid was allowed up to the top floor or down into these rooms, he had to have some information that Gaea would value.

Perhaps it was just way for Nico to take out all of his bully frustrations from the past, but he wanted to make the guy squirm until he gave Nico all the information that he could.

Smirking, Nico stood up and yanked his shirt over his head. “So, how do you want to do this?”

The fact that the guy seemed rather bored only added to Nico's irritation with the guy. A simple shrug was all he got. “I like it rough, so let's see if I can get my money's worth.”

Nico shoved the guy onto the bed, a dark look inhabiting his dark gaze. “You mean daddy's money?”

The guy fidgeted. “Yeah, I'd prefer he didn't know I was here, especially with a male prostitute.” Nico knew what he technically was, but hearing the words from someone else still stung. “Don't need to get cut off.”

Nico crawled onto the bed, biting down on his lip. With a wag of his brows, he cuffed one of the guy's hands to the railing at the head of the bed. “Your secret's safe with me,” he practically purred against the guy's brown curly locks.

A grin crept across the brunet's lips as he reached over into the bowl and popped a piece of candy into his mouth. Nico's gaze flickered over to the bowl while he slowly worked on getting the young man's pants off. Maybe the rich snob had requested a bowl of candy be put into the room? It would make sense, Nico supposed, since these rooms were more about catering to the desires of clients.

Nico bit down on his lip as he stared at the bowl. “Can...can I have some?”

The brunet's eyebrows rose before he slowly sat up. “Um, yeah, sure. I didn't offer you any, though.”

Nico arched a brow as he reached over and popped two red ones into his mouth and chewed. “Okay,” he mumbled. Rolling his eyes, Nico fastened the guy's other hand into the other cuff. With a huge grin, Nico grabbed a short whip from the side table. “I hope you're ready.”

Nico did not wait for an answer before cracking the leather across the guy's stomach. The young man let out a yelp, but did not ask Nico to stop, so the Lost Boy could only assume that the rich jerk liked it. The only enjoyable part for Nico was getting to inflict pain on someone that could have once bullied a kid like Nico. That was quite satisfying.

“So,” Nico began, deciding to pry a little, “what does daddy dearest do?”

The brunet rolled his blue eyes. Compared to the blue eyes of most of the other Lost Boys, they weren't anything special. In fact, Nico thought they were rather dull compared to the different shades of blue that Connor, Luke, Octavian, Will, Jason, Travis, and Apollo had.

“Not around a whole lot, never was.” Nico wanted to motion for the kid to hurry up, he had no interest in hearing this guy's life story. “Most of the world thinks he's an entrepreneur, but he actually smuggles valuable cargo around the world for the right price.” The brunet smirked up at Nico, raising his knees to bring the Lost Boy closer to him. “In fact, I guess I can thank him for turning me onto this place, as he gets most of his business from the other people here. He let me go up to the bar with him over this past summer, and even up to see a show. But I thought I'd come back and have a little taste of what else you had to offer here.”

Nico smirked and leaned down to nibble on the guy's ear, raking his nails down the young man's chest. This earned him a low moan. Leaning back, Nico had to admire his handiwork on the guy's chest. There was no way this guy was going to be taking his shirt off anytime soon, not with all those red marks on his chest.

Nico had to shake his head, realizing that he was swaying a little. He must have been zoning out.

Clearing his throat, Nico climbed off of the rich asshole. Walking over to where a lit candle was, Nico picked it up. He held it up to the guy. “How about this?” The smirk that Nico got appeared to be his answer. Shrugging, Nico sauntered back over to the bed and bit down on his lip, holding the lit candle over the brunet's chest.

The rich young man hissed and Nico watched as his toned muscles contracted from the sting of the wax. Placing the candle on the bedside table, Nico straddled the brunet's lap, grabbing the back of the guy's hair rather harshly to get the guy to lean up towards Nico. The Lost Boy crashed their lips together, making sure to bite down on the rich snob's lip as he pulled back. The guy moaned and attempted to kiss Nico again, but Nico smirked and leaned back, just out of the guy's reach.

Perhaps it was a little fun to toy with the clients.

As if he was part cat, Nico slid out of his shorts while hovering over his client. The brunet licked his lips at Nico's nude form. This made Nico smirk. Getting information from this one would be too easy.

Nico pressed his nude form against the young man's bare chest. “I'm sure your father must trust you then, since he let you come here to play with the big boys and girls.” Nico grinned at the irritated look he got.

“I'm pretty sure I'm older than you, kid.”

Nico smirked. “Well, I won't call the cops if you won't.”

That shut the guy up. Once again, he raised his knees to situate Nico into his lap before rolling his hips against Nico's ass. While Nico felt no real pleasure from the action, he closed his eyes with a moan. Biting down on his lip, Nico raised a hand to run through his hair. 

Feeling something wet, Nico stopped and pulled his hand away. He was sweating. He looked back at the young man tied to the bed and found that his vision was getting a little fuzzy. Shaking his head, Nico went back to work on getting the guy out of his expensive looking boxers.

“And, um-” Nico had to blink to get his vision to focus. He was starting to not feel so great. A bead of sweat rolled down his nose and dripped onto the guy's chest. “So, do you ever, um, get to meet with any of your father's clients? Would be exciting.” Nico worked on looking sexy, biting down on his lip, though his head was spinning.

“A few,” the brunet mumbled, rolling his hardened member against Nico's butt. “We can discuss that all you want, if that's what gets you in the mood, baby.”

“Um, yeah,” Nico muttered. Nico's eyes widened as he nearly fell off of the bed, barely catching hold of the sheets to gain his balance back. What was wrong with him?

But Nico did not have any time to question it as the brunet requested that he be let go. Doing as he was told, Nico found himself with a collar around his neck and the brunet's length inside of him. But the weird thing was that Nico could not feel any of it. It wasn't that the guy was small down there. No, Nico had seen the guy's penis, and it was, unfortunately, not small like he had hoped it would be. There just was no feeling anywhere on Nico's body.

Even the collar, even though Nico could barely feel it digging into his skin, offered no pain. The room began to spin as Nico's hazy gaze stared up at the red lights above the bed. Even his client was a blur, and Nico was no longer to make out anything that the young man was doing.

Nico's head rolled back, his mouth open. Fear started to overtake him, but his body did not want to cooperate. Instead of pain, Nico's body was flooded with a euphoric sensation, every inch of him feeling as if he was on fire.

And it all kept going, the room spinning faster and faster, until Nico's head rolled to the side and he blacked out.

To say that Nico's dream was weird was a bit of an understatement. From what little he could make out, the dream involved a unicorn that was offering to take him on a ride through a forest made out of bacon and hotdogs. And there was something about a pirate guarding a treasure chest full of bananas that really made no sense to Nico, even while he was dreaming. It wasn't until the sun fell from the sky and landed on top of him that Nico woke up.

And he did so with a scream. He nearly ended up smacking Will in the head, but luckily the blond was quick enough to pull away. As it turned out, the sun from Nico's dream had actually been Will shining a flashlight into his eyes.

Nico looked around him in confusion. He was definitely no longer in the kink rooms. It took him a moment, but he soon realized that he was in his own bed. “What—what happened?” Nico asked groggily.

Will smiled and turned off the flashlight, dropping it into a small medical bag that Nico would often see in the blond's room. It was only then that Nico took notice of the fact that Clarisse and Jason were also in the room. Clarisse stood at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed over her chest, while Jason leaned against the frame of Nico's bedroom door.

The blond Lost Boy that currently sat on the edge of Nico's bed smiled and leaned in, tilting Nico's chin up and holding Nico's eyelids open. “You passed out,” finally came his answer.

To put it mildly, Nico felt like shit, like a building had fallen on top of him. Nico let out a groan and rubbed his face while Will took his other wrist and checked his pulse. “Well,” Will began, “we can only assume you consumed some of the drugs that were in the room.” He gave the smaller boy a weak smile. “Lucky for you, Clarisse was keeping an eye on you from the security room.”

“Asshole didn't even say anything before he left,” Clarisse mumbled.

He had just left Nico there? Nico pulled his legs up to his chest, a frown marring his face. What if he had died? Swallowing the lump currently in his throat, Nico gave Clarisse a nod. “Thank you.”

But the Lost Girl smirked a cocky smirk back at him. “Looks like you broke Percy's cardinal rule. No drugs.”

Will let out a sigh before turning his attention back to Nico. “What happened Nico? You were unresponsive and just laying there when I arrived.”

Nico rubbed his head. He felt weak, barely able to move. His throat hurt and felt raw, like he had thrown up. “I don't know. I remember starting to have sex with the client, but then I just passed out.”

Will gave a slow nod. “Yeah, okay. Um, so, I was afraid this would be the case.” He cleared his throat and felt Nico's head before pressing on. “First off, Luke wanted me to apologize if this was the case, which it is. He sort of forgot to mention that some of the drugs we keep in stock look a lot like candy, and the guy from last night had requested a lot of it.” Will pressed against Nico's chest when the other Lost Boy attempted to get up. “It can also taste like candy. You wouldn't know it was actually a drug until it was taking effect in your system.”

Even though he felt weak, a hint of anger flowed through him. Had this just been another stunt against him, this time by Luke? Nico stumbled to his feet, pushing Will's hands away when the blond moved to catch him. “I'm fine,” he mumbled. He stumbled against, but Jason managed to catch him.

“Don't be mad,” his roommate whispered. “Luke feels bad, so don't be upset with him.”

Luke? Feel bad? Nico scoffed. He wasn't sure feeling bad was actually in the blond's vocabulary.

Will got up and closed his bag. “I promise this isn't like what Apollo did, Luke really did forget. We just don't think about it, and I guess he thought you'd realize what it was. We forget sometimes what it can be like for someone new to go down there without experience.”

Nico took in a deep breath. “I need to wash my face,” the boy muttered before moving past Jason and entering the hall, where he stopped.

Sitting against the wall of the hallway was Luke. The blond looked up with a pained look and all of Nico's anger dissipated. Had the blond been concerned about him enough to come wait until Nico woke up?

“Hi,” Nico whispered.

“Hey,” Luke mumbled back. The blond's brow furrowed as he climbed to his feet. “Listen...I just forgot how easy it can be to not know what that stuff is for someone new. I had planned on showing you everything in those rooms when I took you down there myself, but I guess you got a client before I could get the chance.” The taller Lost Boy nodded, looking anywhere but at Nico's face. “Anyways, I just wanted to say that...” Luke muttered the rest under his breath.

Nico tilted his head to the side. “What?”

“I said, I'm sorry,” Luke mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

A small smile touched at Nico's lips as he took a step towards the blond and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck. Luke blinked in surprise, frozen in place. He pushed Nico back with a scowl, but Nico just continued to smile. “Thanks,” Nico finally replied.

Luke scowled at him and crossed his arms. “Yeah, well, don't get used to it, twerp.”


	40. You're Just a Painful Reminder

School had started back up in full swing, something that Nico was nowhere near ready for. It had already been more than a week since the drug disaster, but he still had a hard time looking at candy the same way. Something Daedalus noticed as he held out a bag of Skittles.

“Something wrong? You look pale.”

Nico shook his head. “I'm fine.” He swallowed a lump in his throat and pushed the bag away. Jason arched a brow at him, his hand paused in the middle of finishing up some last minute homework. “Just a late night.”

Jason went back to his work. “He probably ate something that made him sick.”

Nico tossed the blond a glare. Jason smirked, not looking up, but aware of Nico's action. After Will, Clarisse, and Luke had left that night, Nico had spent some time hunched over the toilet, trying to get any remnants of his drugs out of his system. When Jason had found him, the blond had assured his roommate that Will said he would be fine. But to Nico that did not really matter.

It wasn't about the fact that he would be fine, Nico had consumed drugs. Technically by his own choice, even if he didn't know what they were at the time. The fact remained that Nico could add another thing to his list of things he had disappointed Percy with.

And what if Percy did find out? Would one of the other Lost Kids tell him? Would Kronos? Nico chewed on his lip. How mad would Percy be?

That was if anyone could contact Percy. As far as Nico was aware, only Kronos had spoken to Percy since the green-eyed young man's departure. It sort of made Nico depressed, not that he wasn't already. Why hadn't Percy contacted any of them, or more specifically, Nico?

In the past week, Nico had barely done anything besides work and school. He just didn't have the energy. Even if most of the others weren't openly blaming him for Percy's removal from the hotel, Nico still blamed himself.

Not that Nico would have been able to do anything if he weren't depressed.

Slowly, the Lost Kids had begun to tear themselves apart. There were very few not in a feud over something, and some of the latest fights had been very petty and trivial. So far, Nico had made a pretty detailed list in his head for who was fighting.

Silena was fighting with Beckendorf, which caused Beckendorf to fight with Luke, since that was who Silena went to talk too after her and Beckendorf started not talking. Even though they were living together, Luke and Octavian were currently not on speaking terms, which got very awkward when Nico had to go see either of them for their lessons. And then the more worrisome fights begun. The ones that Nico had hoped would keep it together.

Annabeth and Luke had gotten into another argument, which had ended in a lot of heated words and their refusal to be at practice with each other. Luke had then snapped at Apollo for his childish actions with Leo, which had resulted in Apollo and Luke giving each other black eyes. From there, Leo refused to even breath the same air as Apollo, forcing Rachel to deal with the blond when needed. After Luke and Apollo's spat, Thalia came to Apollo's defense and got mad at Luke, lecturing the blond about minding his own business. Luke found it funny, since Thalia was being a hypocrite. And then, even though they were fighting, Annabeth had gotten angry with Thalia for snapping at Luke. That one had resulted in Thalia sleeping in Zoë's room for two nights, until Zoë got irritated with Thalia about some things that Nico was still not clear on.

Late last week, a fight had broken out between Calypso, Piper, and Drew. That one had woken up their entire floor in the middle of the night. While Calypso and Piper weren't fighting, the two had apparently had enough of Drew's attitude. The very same day, Clarisse had given Beckendorf a very long lecture on being a better boyfriend to Silena, which had nearly resulted in another fight. Then there were three fights that Nico still was unsure how they started, one between Reyna and Octavian, another between Apollo and Butch, and the other between Butch and Will.

And, just over the weekend, Jason had gotten into an argument with Thalia about her abandoning him. While Thalia didn't really argue back, she didn't seem to want to talk to her brother either. And the last fight had been between Will and Luke, and neither had been willing so far to tell Nico why they were arguing, even though he had caught his name being thrown around.

All of that had happened...in a week.

The remaining few that weren't fighting apparently had no desire to make any of it stop. Travis and Connor had said they found it amusing, and Nico had caught them eating popcorn when Clarisse and Butch had nearly gotten into their fight. Ethan said he simply didn't want to get involved. “I finally get to be left alone,” the Lost Boy had said. No one was willing to listen to Rachel, even though she was trying her best to deal with all of them at once. And Juniper was too soft spoken to get anyone to listen to her. Needless to say, things did not look good for their group.

And Kronos? Well, he had actually been fairly quiet in the past week. Nico could only assume he was taking great satisfaction in seeing the Lost Kids tear themselves apart. It was so frustrating and unnecessary that they were all fighting, when the real enemy was just getting to relax and enjoy the show. But what was he going to do? Nico was still new around the place, and was to blame for Percy's absence. Who would listen to him?

To say that Nico had a headache and his patience was near its end was probably an understatement.

Which probably did not help matters when he met Cal and Zethes in the hall later.

To be honest, Nico had just assumed that his problems with them were over. Oh how wrong he was. Cal's strong shoulder made contact with his and sent Nico into the nearest locker. But, unlike the last time this happened, Nico did not just keep his head down. His eyes darkened as he looked up to see Cal and Zethes laughing at him. Jason reached down to help him, but Nico shot up and barreled into Cal.

Zethes stepped in, pulling Nico off of his brother. When Cal cracked his knuckles and tried to punch Nico, Jason stepped in and sent a fist into the brute's stomach. Nico broke free from Zethes and grabbed the asshole by his throat. Zethes's head collided with the floor as Nico straddled him. Pinning the guy's arms down with his legs, Nico sent his fist flying into the jerk's face. Zethes started yelling threats, which Nico ignored. But he couldn't stop either.

His fist made contact with Zethes's nose and Nico heard a crack in the back of his mind. And to make it worse, Zethes spat in Nico's face. Seeing red, Nico drew back and sent his fist flying as hard as he could. In the fog of Nico's mind, he could barely hear Jason calling his name, but it was too dull for him to acknowledge. Nico's eyes took on a terrifyingly dark tone to them as he wrapped a pale hand around Zethes's throat and tightened his grip.

“St-stop!” Zethes wheezed out, struggling against Nico.

“Nico!” Jason called out from behind him.

Nico's cold eyes continued to stare down at Zethes, his lips tilting up into a cold smirk. His nails dug into the skin of Zethes's neck, blood pouring from the guy's mouth. It was here that Nico truly realized just how fragile life really was. Just a little longer, or a snap of the neck, and Zethes's life force would have been gone. It would be so easy to just...

“Nico!” Daedalus's voice yelled, yanking the raven-haired boy off of Zethes.

Nico blinked, startled. He stared down at his hands, which were partially covered in blood. Looking up with wide eyes, Nico stared at Zethes as he coughed and wheezed for breath. It was then that Nico also noted a tooth on the ground beside the bully. Quickly reaching up a hand, Nico inspected his own mouth, quickly finding out that it was not his tooth.

Daedalus spun him around. “Nico, what the hell was that?”

Nico glanced over to Jason, who released Cal. The large bully ran over to his brother. But before anyone could say anything further, two teachers came running down the hall. “What is going on here?” One yelled.

Zethes pointed a shaky hand towards Nico. “He knocked out my tooth and was trying to strangle me!”

Jason held out an arm in front of Nico. “They were harassing him first.”

The two teachers shook their heads and snapped their fingers towards the office. Nico shut his eyes, letting out a breath. Things just got worse.

Jason and Nico both ended up getting suspended for two days, and Nico would be serving detention with Cal and Zethes upon his return. Apparently, the principal was tired of having the two bullies in his office.

He now sat in the passenger seat of Jason's car, not willing to look at his roommate. Jason had yet to speak to him since they left the office, which probably meant there was going to be another fight to add to the list. Nico pursed his lips and looked at his lap. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled.

Jason briefly glanced over at him. He reached over and brushed Nico's bangs up. It took Nico a moment to realize the blond was looking him over for any sign of injury. “You don't have to apologize,” Jason finally said. The blond returned his hand to the steering wheel. “At least you're okay, though I think you went a little overboard.” When Nico didn't answer, he glanced over again. “You okay? I've never seen you get like that before.”

Then Jason hadn't seen him in the backrooms, Nico thought bitterly. Now that everything was over, Nico was scared. Not about what Kronos might do to him, though that was worrisome, but his own actions. He was getting worse, and Nico didn't like it. Was he just going to end up like the rest of them at the hotel? A year ago, Nico probably wouldn't have even thought about raising his fist to get into a fight, and now he had nearly suffocated a guy.

And that was not even the worst part. So what could have been worse than all of that?

He. Had. Enjoyed. It.

It had been so satisfying to see Zethes squirm like that, after all the tormenting that he and his brother had caused Nico. It was deserved, but it was also something that Nico should have never done. Kronos was going to kill him.

When they got back to the hotel, Nico was scared to even get out of the car. Jason shook his head and forced Nico out of the car. The blue-eyed Lost Boy headed for the elevator. “Why don't you just hide if you're so nervous?” He suggested.

That was a great idea!

So Nico did just that. And it was not as easy as it sounded, as two hours in, he started hearing Kronos calling his name in the various places he tried to hide. This was what brought Nico the cabana. While Ganymede was dealing with two girls, Nico ducked behind the counter.

“That will be ten doll-” Ganymede blinked down at him, furrowing his brow. “Dollars.”

The two girls peered over the counter at him. “He's cute.”

Nico chuckled and waved at them. Ganymede shook his head and took the money from the girls, who walked off chuckling to themselves. Ganymede nudged Nico with his foot to get farther under the bar. Nico wasn't sure what was going on, until he heard the last voice he wanted to hear right now.

“Have you seen Nico?” Kronos's eerily calm voice asked.

Nico peered up to get a look at the bartender's face. Ganymede scrunched his lips and shook his head. “Can't say that I have. At least not today. You want me to tell him that you're looking for him?”

“Yes, and send him to my office. I got a call from his school.”

The bartender gave a nod. “Will do, boss.” After a few moments of silence, Ganymede crouched down. “Why is the devil looking for you?”

“I got into a fight,” Nico mumbled.

Ganymede arched a brow and tilted Nico's chin up. “You look fine to me. Who was it with, a bunny?”

Nico scowled and knocked the man's hand away, crawling out from under the bar, but staying on the ground. “No! I got into a fight with those assholes from the last time.” Ganymede gave a surprised nod. “I sort of knocked one's tooth out.” That made the man laugh. “It's not funny! I nearly killed the guy.”

“You? Kill a guy?” Ganymede sat down beside Nico. “Cutie, I'm not sure I could believe that.”

“Well, I did.”

“So what's the big deal?”

“Their dad is a client here,” Nico mumbled.

“Oh.” Ganymede popped his lips once. “Well...I suppose that would be a bad thing. I feel like you may have a lot to worry about, should Kronos tell Percy about how you've been while he's been gone.”

The Lost Boy buried his face in his hands. “Don't remind me,” he groaned. “I just need a place to lay low for a few hours. I guess I'll have to face him during or after work.”

Ganymede gave a nod, chuckling. “Well, I'm about to get off my shift. I can smuggle you out of the hotel, at least for a few hours.”

Nico's eyes widened as he gripped the man's shirt. “Really?” He exclaimed. “I would love you forever.” The man grinned at him. “Not like that!” Nico sighed and shook his head. “There's too much sex going on around here.”

Ganymede stood up, holding up a finger. “There's never too much sex to be had, my dear Nico.” He smiled and finished up his shift, cleaning up the cabana area. After he had the money put away and everything in a safe place, he led Nico into the hotel.

They traveled back to the garage, where Ganymede smuggled Nico into a silver mustang. “Why can't I get a nice car like everyone else?” Nico whined.

The ex-Lost Boy chuckled as he pulled out of his parking spot. “Got to get your license first.”

\---------------------------------

 

When Nico and Ganymede arrived back at the hotel, Nico had his arms full of arcade prizes. As Nico got to learn, Ganymede was very good at the dancing games there. He had also made a teenage girl cry. After he parked, Ganymede looked over at Nico with a smile, spinning the little pinwheel that the boy had stuffed in his arms.

Nico narrowed his eyes and attempted to stuff what he could into a bag they had been given. “Here,” the boy mumbled.

“But I wanted to win your affection.” With a pout, the man batted his eyelashes at the Lost Boy.

Shoving the bag towards the man, Nico climbed out of the car. “There are a lot of days I feel like a sheep amongst wolves in this hotel.”

“Come now, Nico,” Ganymede began as he followed after the boy, bags in hand, “I think we both know that you have your own wolf side to you as well.” Nico shot the man a dirty look. “Just speaking the truth. I mean, I hear you did pretty well with that young man the other night.” The ex-Lost Boy grinned. “You could always tie me up to my bed.”

“Only in your dreams.”

The man's mouth fell open in mock shock. “Who told you?”

Nico shook his head with a sigh. He frowned and glanced over Ganymede's shoulder when he noticed something. Luke was uncovering his motorcycle, tossing the tarp into his car and grabbing his helmet. The raven-haired Lost Boy pursed his lips and came to a stop. He blinked, not looking back to Ganymede. “You go on ahead, I need to talk to someone.”

Ganymede glanced over his shoulders, shaking his head. “You have fun with that,” the man said before heading towards one of the elevators.

Nico made his way over to the blond, who did not look all too happy at the moment. “What's the matter with you?” Nico asked, leaning against one of the concrete pillars that supported the garage. “Did you find out Kronos beat you for the biggest asshole award?”

Luke briefly looked up at Nico before reaching into his car for a second helmet. “Had a fight with Octavian, wanted to get out for a while.” The blond held out the second helmet. “Want to come?”

Nico blinked. “But-” He pulled out his phone to check the time. “It's literally twenty minutes until we're supposed to be upstairs. We need to change, so that we-”

“Not going to work,” Luke grumbled as he threw one leg over the motorcycle and sat down. He arched his eyebrow at Nico. “Want to come or not? Work means facing Kronos.”

“You're going to get in trouble.”

There was a dull look in the blond's eyes as he blinked at the other Lost Boy. “I don't really care right now.” He leaned forward with a smirk. “You really need to learn to live a little, kid.”

“I-”

“Oh, Nico!”

Nico clamped a hand over his mouth at the sound of Kronos's peaceful voice. It was far too calm for his liking, and the young man was somewhere in the garage. Far too close for Nico's liking. He would be alone with the manager, with no one but Luke as a witness. Unless Luke left. Which, judging by the looks of things, the blond was getting ready to do. Nico doubted that Luke wanted to stick around for Kronos to find them. He would probably abandon Nico to be tortured by their boss.

Eyes full of panic, Nico turned back to Luke, who silently held out his spare helmet. That cocky smirk of his was plastered across his stupid face as he waited for Nico to make a decision. Inhaling deeply, Nico cursed under his breath and climbed onto the motorcycle, taking the helmet as he did so.

By this point, Nico can hear Kronos's footsteps over the soft purr of the motorcycle. As Nico fastened the helmet, he wrapped his arms tightly around Luke's waist. “Go!”

Luke didn't need to be told twice. The ground shot out from under them and the two soared towards the exit. Unfortunately, Kronos found them and yelled at them as Luke zoomed onto the exit ramp.

“Hey! Where do you two think you're going?”

Feeling bold, Luke reached back and flipped the young man off before shooting away. Nico shut his eyes as he felt the ground fall out beneath them upon breaking surface. He tried to open his eyes, only to find that they were weaving in and out of traffic. When he heard a horn blowing at them, the brown-eyed Lost Boy tightened his grip on the blond's torso.

“Open your eyes, you fucking pansy!” Luke called back to him.

Nico was not sure he honestly wanted to. The wind was hitting his body very harshly, and there was no telling how fast Luke was going. But when there was the sound of tires squealing and another horn blowing, Nico felt he had to. They had apparently ran a red light.

Nico was ready to snap at Luke to be careful, when the lights of the city caught his eye. The sun had already set and the lights of the city had all come alive. Car lights moved by them in a blur, and the lights on the sidewalks were almost hypnotizing.

They zoomed in between cars and felt adrenaline start to pump through his body. It was all so mesmerizing, the way the lights moved and stopped at the whim of a light. When they finally did hit a red light that Luke decided to stop at, Nico took the opportunity to look up at the buildings. He had seen them plenty of times during his time on the streets, and back then he had merely wanted to be able to be inside one of them. But now, Nico just stared at them in awe, marveling at the way the lights stood out in comparison to the night sky above them.

And then the light turned green and they zoomed between the cars to break out in front of the traffic. Unfortunately, there had also been a police car at the light. Their lights blared behind them and Luke tightened his grip on the handles.

“Um,” Nico frowned, “shouldn't we pull over?”

“Only if you let go.”

Nico was about to question the blond, when the motorcycle shot forward onto the opposite side of the road. Nico screamed as they just barely dodged an oncoming car to turn down an alleyway. The cops did go around, but unfortunately met the two on the other side. This, however, did not deter Luke. The blond bobbed and weaved between cars on either side of the road with ease, nearly causing the police behind them to wreck into several cars.

The light up ahead of them turned red and Luke began to turn the motorcycle to the left. They passed to the center of the light, with the oncoming traffic coming at them from both sides. And, at the very last second, Luke rapidly spun the handles to the right and sent them flying between the two lanes of oncoming cars. The police car squealed to a halt before two cops climbed out and yelled after them. But they were long gone, and Luke didn't even seem concerned about them catching him.

They ended up driving through some older buildings, some that might have even been vacant. The city wasn't as packed and condensed here it seemed, as Nico could see several blocks around them in some directions. And, to Nico's surprise, Luke pulled up to one and stopped. Nico blinked a few times as the other Lost Boy pulled off his helmet and climbed off the motorcycle, after smacking Nico's hands away from him.

“Um, where are we?” Nico asked as he slowly got off the motorcycle. Frowning, the boy removed the helmet. The building they were standing in front of looked like it hadn't been used in a few years. All the lights were off, and some even had the windows knocked out. Luke didn't answer, though, instead walking up to the door and kicking it open.

Nico just stood there for a moment, looking between the door and the street. He wasn't sure if they should just leave their mode of transportation just sitting around, but Luke didn't seem too concerned, so perhaps Nico didn't need to be either. Slowly putting the helmet down, Nico followed quietly after the blond.

The building appeared to be an old apartment building. He found a door open on the second floor and poked his head inside. There was absolutely nothing in the place of interest, save for a dirty mattress that had been stuffed in one of the small closets in the corner. Nico ran a hand through his hair, his eyes finally coming to rest on the blond that had his back to Nico, currently too busy looking out the window to even notice Nico standing there.

One of the windows had been broken. On the floor, close to the closet with the bed, was some old and nearly destroyed magazines and newspapers. Moving closer, Nico kicked at a black spot in front of the closet. It was like a fire had once burned there a long time ago, used so many times that it had left a spot behind that wouldn't come out. And then it hit him, a cold chill running down his spine.

This was where Luke stayed during his time on the streets.

That was the mattress that Luke had probably slept on, and the magazines and newspapers had probably been his attempt to keep warm at night. Nico swallowed a heavy lump in his throat as he returned his eyes to Luke's back. The blond was still being quiet, and was still not looking at Nico.

Nico let out a short breath. “How long...did you have to, you know, stay here?”

Luke turned his head, like he had just realized Nico was still there. “A little over a year and a half,” the older Lost Boy muttered. He let out a breath and fully turned his body to face Nico. “Took most of the money I had just to get out here.” Without warning, the blond moved forward. Nico stumbled back, until he tripped and fell on the old mattress. Luke pinned him down with a frown. “I want to hate you...so bad. I want to hate everything that you are, everything that you represent...everything that I lost.” The blond shook his head. “But I can't get myself to do anything to you without consent. I can't hate you, and I can't bring myself to harm you either.” Sitting back on his haunches, Luke sent his fist into the wall above Nico's head. “I want to hate myself, for feeling so...so weak. I can't even bring myself to do anything to you without consent.”

Nico stared up at the young man with wide eyes. “Consent for what?”

“You're a problem for me,” Luke hissed. Nico swallowed a lump in his throat when he felt one of Luke's hands slide underneath his shirt. “I want—no, I can feel that I want you, but when I look at you, all I see is him.”

Nico felt paralyzed beneath the older Lost Boy. The blond's touch was like fire across his stomach. “I-I thought you didn't like me like that?”

“I don't,” the blond growled. His icy gaze was piercing and full of lust as he slid Nico's shirt up higher. Nico gasped as the blond pressed his knees against Nico's crotch and moved in to bite Nico's neck. Luke moved a hand to lift Nico's hips and reach around to grope the boy's ass. When Nico attempted to lean up, Luke pinned his arms above his head with a growl.

“Luke,” Nico gasped.

To be honest, it was kind of hot, having the blond on top of him like that, with his hand pinning Nico's arms above his head and attacking his neck. And then there was Luke's other hand, which was roaming from his ass, all the way around to the brown-eyed boy's crotch, where it just sort of hovered for a moment. Rolling his hips, Luke elicited a moan from Nico's mouth.

But, just as rapidly as it had begun, it ended. Luke pulled away, and refused to meet Nico's eyes. Nico's breathing was heavy as the boy sat up, his hair disheveled. He looked down in surprise to find that his jeans were partially undone.

“Wh-why did you stop?” Nico panted.

Luke scooted against the wall opposite Nico, pulling his legs up to his chest. “Well, there's my problem, now isn't it? I can't bring myself to touch you, because you remind me of him.”

That was completely understandable, Nico thought sarcastically. Luke made no sense with what he had just said. Nico sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You just said you don't like me.”

Luke gave him a dark look. “I don't. This isn't some romance thing, twerp. I can't bring myself to have feelings for you because of how you are. So, here I am, finding myself stuck with a desire to have my way with you, but being unable to do anything about it.”

Nico opened his mouth, only to blow out a breath. “I really don't understand what you are saying. If you don't like me, why do you want to have your way with me so badly?”

“Because I want to like you,” Luke ground out. He clenched his fists and looked away. “If things were different, if you were different, perhaps I wouldn't feel so conflicted with touching you. I feel like I'd be breaking the one thing I once tried to protect at home.” When the blond looked back, he looked so different. There was no anger in his blue eyes, only the shattered youth that he truly was. “I failed once, I didn't want to fail a second time. It's why I made the deal with Percy, it's why I tried to prevent Apollo's stunt. I don't want to lose my brother again.”

Nico honestly did not know what to say. Some if it was beginning to make sense, but a lot was still uncertain to him. “Luke,” Nico whispered.

“Shut up.” Luke let his shoulders slump. “You know, I wasn't always such an asshole, but now I just don't care. I turned out to be a lousy brother in the end, and I failed in my duty as one. I was a lot happier back then. Not because I had a good mother or father, but because I had Octavian.” Nico watched as the blond chewed on his lip, his eyes staring off to the side. “He smiled a lot more back then. And he always looked for the good in people, even our mother. I never understood it.” The blond shook his head. “I stopped loving my mother at a young age, but Octavian, he just kept telling me that she wasn't as bad as I made her out to be.

“It made me happy, just seeing him be happy. I never understood how someone could be so cheerful, especially since he argued so much with our mother. Our parents...they were both in politics. Father was rarely home. A senator. He is in the Republican party, but our mother...she's on a whole different level,” Luke continued. He picked at his jeans with a dull look in his eyes. “She is basically one of the faces for the Tea Party, and a member of the House of Representatives. She had just gotten in that role right before everything happened.” The blond let out a sigh, briefly glancing up to gauge Nico's reaction to things. “She was a bitch,” Luke whispered, a frown now marring his face.

“I don't understand how that could make you hate your own mother,” Nico whispered. He debated moving closer, but a glare from Luke made him reconsider.

“Because, she let all of her beliefs come before her son's own needs. Her job came first.” The blond practically spat it out with venom, his eyes practically glowing in the low lighting. “As you might imagine, she despised homosexuality and gay marriage.” A faint chuckle escaped Luke's lips as he ran a hand through his hair. “It's funny, I was the favored son back then. She didn't know...about me. Our mother clashed, nearly on a daily basis, with Octavian. He never meant anything by it, just trying to change her opinions, but she severely objected to most of what he had to say. She couldn't—wouldn't see his points.” The blond's knuckles were white as they gripped his pants. “Father gave her permission to force Octavian into sports and more 'manly' activities. Because, well, she didn't want her son to turn out gay.

“I helped him out when I could, made up excuses for why he couldn't attend practice. Octavian just preferred his books to anything sport related. I played sports back then, but I was happy with him doing what made him happy.” Luke shook his head. “Even through all of that, he still smiled and seemed to like our mother. He just couldn't see her as a bad person, didn't want to accept the mental abuse she was putting on him.”

Nico pursed his lips. He had been there, with his own father, at one point in time. “What changed?”

The older Lost Boy let out a sigh. “One day, she came home in a rage. I was not home at this point, so I only know what Octavian told me later. Apparently, someone had seen her son kissing another boy earlier that day, and they had told our mother. Naturally, she assumes it was Octavian. Octavian has never been physically imposing, he was actually quite a bit shorter back then. Around your height.” The blond looked up with sad eyes. “I should have been there, but I wasn't. She cornered him in the kitchen, and yelled at him to confess his sin. I made it home while she was still yelling, and I quickly ran to the kitchen. He was curled up in the corner, crying, so I jerked her away and yelled at her to leave him alone.” The blond looked down again. “She demanded Octavian confess his sins to the Lord, or he would be no son of hers. I didn't understand what they were arguing about, until Octavian cried out that he hadn't done anything with another guy.” At this point, Luke shut his eyes and tightened his grip on his pants. “It was my fault it was happening,” he whispered.

“Luke,” Nico whispered. “It wasn't your fault, you didn't know what would happen. And your mother shouldn't have gotten mad at either of you for something that isn't wrong.”

“She didn't see it that way,” Luke growled. His eyes blazed with anger when he met Nico's gaze. “She was so crazy, so consumed with her religion, that she actually pulled a knife on her youngest son.”

Oh, Nico thought. No. He had the horrible feeling that he knew where this was going. Just looking at Luke's face, Nico knew.

Luke was shaking by this point. He was angry, far angrier that Nico could ever really recall seeing him. “She called him an abomination! Her own son!” The blond Lost Boy slowly reached up, touching at his pale scar. “I jumped in between them. I was scared that she was going to do more than just try to scare him into admitting something he hadn't done. So...I confessed. It was me, I told her. I had kissed the boy. My boyfriend at the time.” Luke chewed on his lip, looking away again, but continued to cover his scar from Nico's gaze. “I told her I was bisexual. She started...she started wailing, her arm flying wildly out in front of her.”

Nico felt a lump in his throat, doing his best to fight back some tears. This was Luke. The Luke he had always known to be an asshole since his arrival at the hotel. The same Luke, who was now telling him that it was his very own mother, the woman that had given birth to him, that had given him that scar. Luke, who had just been trying to be a good brother at the time. It was stories like his, Hazel, and Ethan's that Nico thought hurt the most to hear, because their parents had done awful things to them.

“And, well, she caught me right here,” Luke continued, rubbing at the long, pale scar on his face. “She started yelling, telling me that she wanted me to get out of her sight. And I just sort of stood there for a while, stunned. Perhaps it was hearing her say that, or the fact that she had actually done that, but I hadn't felt the pain of the knife cutting me. It wasn't until I felt the blood dripping down my arm that I reached up and noticed.” Luke swallowed a lump in his throat and clutched at his head. “Octavian tried to clean it for me, but I just shoved him away out of anger. I left the room, ran up and got a few clothes and some cash, and left the house. Smashed my phone against the side of the house before getting into my car.”

It was really hard, by this point, for Nico to hold back his tears. Luke could be an asshole, he had always known him to be one, but Luke had also proven himself to be a very good friend. Sure he wasn't soft and emotional like some of the Lost Kids were when he needed them to be, but Luke was always there when Nico needed him most. He had watched out for Nico, even when the youngest Lost Boy hadn't known it. He knew deep down that Luke and Octavian had a rough past, that was why they never wanted to talk about it, but he had never really connected the dots to how Luke had ended up getting the scar.

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “I-I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“For what?” Luke looked up with a dull look. “Not like you did it.” Nico bit down on his lip to fight back a sob. “Don't cry for me, kid, I'm not worth the tears. I'm not worth anyone's emotions.” He let out a dry chuckle and ran his hand through his hair again. “I'm just a broken little kid, stuck this way for all eternity. Never going to be like I once was, never going to able to be fixed. Incapable of loving anyone.”

“I don't believe that,” Nico whispered.

Luke chuckled again. “Yeah, well, shows how much you know.”

Nico hated hearing Luke talk this way about himself. He might not have been in love with Luke, but he still did believe that he loved the blond. Like a brother, because that was what he was. If Apollo was the brother he had always wanted, Nico liked to think that Luke would have been the brother that he probably deserved. Luke, like the rest of the Lost Kids, was family, and family didn't deserve to be treated like this. Family shouldn't hurt family.

And here, in this new light, Nico felt he saw the Lost Kids for just what they really were. Sure he had revelations about them before, but this one felt more real, more personal. It was just like Luke said, they were bound to be these broken children, possibly for the rest of their lives. And, as Luke stared back at him, Nico's heart hurt because he could see the scared little boy that Luke once was hurting and struggling to hold himself together. And, right then and there, the first tear slid down Nico's cheek.

Nico ducked his head, rubbing at his eyes. Luke scoffed. “Come on, kid, I thought you were tougher than this by now.” But, to Nico's surprise, he felt a movement beside him on the mattress. Looking up, he found the blond sitting next to him, his head lowered and his eyes hidden behind his bangs. “You remind me of him,” Luke whispered. “When I saw you the day you bumped into me outside of Percy's office, I thought, for a moment, that you were him.”

Nico wiped at his face. “You mean Octavian, don't you?”

Luke gave a short nod. “Back when he was happier. I see him every time I look into your eyes. I just see his smiling face looking up at me. And, well, I can't ever go through with doing anything with you because of that.”

“But you have sex with Octavian, don't you?”

Luke looked slightly in pain, cringing. “That's a...long story. It wasn't like that when he first got here. He's different now, and he was the one that made the advance on me.” Luke let out a sigh, running his fingers through his soft, blond hair. “It was just a comfort thing back when he first got here. I let him sleep in my bed every now and then, so that he wouldn't feel alone. However, one night, he just sort of rolled over and put his head on my chest. Not a big deal, right? Yeah, well, when I look over at him, he leans in and kisses me. I ask what he's doing, and he just says that it's normal for us as Lost Kids now. I don't know really what came over me that night, but I let it go further. It still happens, on rare occasions, that we do have sex. I don't know, he's still my brother, but it doesn't bother me anymore. It's not anything romantic, though. I have no desire to 'be' with my brother. But sex is sex.”

“That's very confusing,” Nico mumbled.

“No shit.” Luke sighed and leaned back on his palms. “Look, Octavian and I are sort of just in between the Graces and the Stolls. We don't love each other in that way, but we don't find it sickening to have sex with each other. And, like I said, it's not very often that we do.” The blond fell back on the mattress with a groan. “I feel so fucked up when I think about this, I hate it. Sometimes, when I initiate it, I just want to be a good brother, trying to make up for not being there for him when he needed me.”

Nico pursed his lips. “Why didn't you take him with you?”

Luke flung his hands in the air. “I don't know! I was stupid! I was being dumb and not thinking clearly!” He grunted and fell back on the mattress again, letting out a lout cry of frustration. “I just thought that, since he didn't come to me and say he wanted to go with me, that he wanted to stay at home.” Luke closed his eyes, his entire body slumping. “Maybe I was just angry and thought that, if he liked our mother so much, that he could just stay there with her,” the blond whispered. “I fucked up, and it's my fault that he ended up the way he did. Maybe...maybe he could have still been his normal, happy self if I had taken him with me. And then, sometimes, I wonder if he would have starved if I had taken him with me.”

Nico reached over and squeezed the blond's arm. “It's okay, Luke.”

The blond let out a heavy breath. “It's not, but I've come to accept that I screwed up as an older brother.” He finally looked at Nico again, his eyes no longer carrying their usual fire or anger. “You just remind me so much of him when he was younger.”

Nico bit down on his lip. “Why does this bother Octavian?”

“I think that's a topic better suited for you and Octavian. Just tell him that you know about what happened the day I left home,” Luke whispered, climbing to his feet. Nico watched as the blond dragged his feet towards the broken window. “I never lied when I said I didn't like you romantically, because I don't. Too many old memories seem to be there whenever I look at you. Because of that, you and I could never work out. I can never have more than just physical feelings towards you. I don't love, I can't. Not anymore. I have no desire to 'get you', as mini-blondie puts it whenever he gets mad at me.”

“Wait.” Nico shot to his feet. “That's why you two are fighting?” Nico practically growled. Luke arched a brow at him. “I'm going to fucking kill him.”

Luke rolled his eyes with a smirk. “There you are, brat, I thought you might have regressed on me.” His lips tilted up into its normal, usually irritating, smirk. “Octavian just has some issues to work through. He feels like a shadow now. He's worried that I'm trying to replace him with you.”

“I don't want that,” Nico whispered, shaking his head.

“Good,” Luke scoffed, “because I'm not trying to.” His head fell back with a sigh. Looking back at Nico, he motioned around the old building. “So, what do you think of my awesome home on the streets?”

Nico arched a brow at the blond. “Why did you bring me out here anyways?”

The blond shrugged. “Just wanted to see the place again.” His head quickly looked around the small room. “Not much has changed, but it looks like some people got some of the clothes I had gathered over my time here. That's good, I suppose.”

“Luke,” Nico said softly. The blond turned back to him and blinked. “I'm sorry, for everything that you had to go through. You didn't deserve to be put through that.”

Luke's brow furrowed as he stood there for a moment, just staring at Nico. “Thanks,” he mumbled, his expression softening just a little. He closed his eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. “I just...wanted a second chance. I thought I could make up for being such a shitty brother when it came down to it.”

Nico slowly made his way over to Luke, where he attempted to hug the blond. But his eyes widened as his ass roughly hit the floor when Luke shoved him back.

“What do you think you're doing?” The blond asked, a tone of annoyance in his voice. “What have I said about touching, cuddling, or anything like that, brat?”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “You are the moodiest person I think I've ever met,” he growled.

Luke smirked and nodded towards the door. “Come on, twerp, we'll get something to eat before going back. No sense of going back until we can assume Kronos will be safely on the top floor.” He grinned as they walked out of the old apartment. “Just hide in your room and don't open the door for anyone when you get back, maybe he won't attempt to break down the door.”

Nico shook his head. “I really find myself appreciating Percy in a whole new light now that I've experienced management under Kronos.”

“Well,” Luke said as he climbed onto his motorcycle and lifted his helmet, “I'll give him one thing. He's efficient with business and keeping everyone in line. Doesn't mean it's the best way to go about it, though.”

Nico slowly climbed on behind Luke, looking down at the helmet that was now in his hands. “Luke?”

“Hmm?”

“If I didn't remind you of your brother, would things were different between us?”

Instead of answering, Luke cranked the motorcycle. Nico let out a sigh and put on his helmet before wrapping his arms around Luke's waist and letting himself be carried off into the night.

\---------------------------------------

When they got back, it was half past ten. They quickly boarded the elevator. Nico glanced up at Luke every now and then, though the blond seemed to ignore him. It was not until halfway up that Luke spoke. “Come see me tomorrow, we need to get you more adjusted to this temporary job. You know, unless Percy doesn't come back, then it's either a full-time job, or you get the fuck out of this place.”

Nico let out a long sigh. “Yeah, okay,” he whispered.

When the doors opened, they were greeted by the last person they wanted to see. Kronos stood there, smiling quite calmly at them. He had his hands laced in front of him, a friendly smile if ever there was one plastered on his face. “There you both are, I was getting worried.”

Luke pushed Nico behind him. “I took him out, so blame me, not him.”

Kronos blinked innocently. “Blame?” The young man placed a hand on his chest. “Of course you're not in trouble, Luke. What would ever make you think that?” The way he smiled during all of this made Nico feel extremely uncomfortable. “I completely understand, everyone needs some time to relax every now and then. And, if there's one thing I enjoy, it's offering people some relaxation.” The man let out a breath before smiling down at Nico. “Nico, I'm going to need you to come with me, it seems I need your help with something in the office.”

Nico gulped and glanced up at Luke, who was glaring at Kronos. The manager smiled at the blond, who kept his mouth shut. Kronos slipped his hands into his pockets and boarded the elevator, grabbing Nico's arm to prevent him from leaving and pushing Luke out. Once the doors were closed, a dull and emotionless look overtook the young man's face.

The floor that normally belonged to Percy seemed less welcoming to Nico now that the green-eyed young man was gone. He bit on his lip as he followed behind the dark haired manager in front of him. Kronos was being too quiet now. There was no one in the front part of the office, but Nico could see that the lights were on in Percy's old office. The one that Kronos was now calling his own.

When the door was opened before him, Nico found Zethes and Cal sitting on the couch, with their father, Boreas, sitting in one of the chairs in front of Kronos's desk. Ethan and Clarisse were there as well, standing silently behind the large, wooden desk. Boreas drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, while Cal and Zethes looked absolutely bored. It seemed clear that they did not fully understand what this place was.

Kronos calmly sat down at the desk, his smile once again plastered to his face. He motioned for Nico to take a seat and the two bullies looked up to glare at him. Nico had to bite back a smile as he caught sight of the missing tooth in Zethes's mouth. This only made the platinum blond bully glare at him more.

Kronos reached into the desk and pulled out a thing of cigars. “Care for one?” He asked, politely offering it to Boreas. Nico recognized them as a gift from Atlas.

Boreas smiled and nodded, accepting the offered cigar. “Thank you,” he replied. Kronos's wicked smile only turned more frightening as he leaned forward to light the cigar for the man. How did they not seem concerned about their lives? “Now then, I believe this young lad owes my boys at least an apology. He broke Zethes's nose and knocked out a tooth. And, let's face it, the boy doesn't have much else going for him.”

“Dad!” Zethes whined.

Boreas sighed and motioned for Zethes to be silent. Kronos just looked on in amusement. Nico did not like this, not one bit. “I completely understand,” Kronos sympathized. “Nico was very...violent with your boys.” His eyes grew dark as he sat back in his chair, his smile slipping away. “But, as I hear it, your boys have repetitively harassed my employee here.”

“What's a kid even do at a hotel?” Cal mumbled. Boreas snapped his fingers to shut him up, still not clearly seeing how fucked he probably was.

“How about I propose a deal?” Kronos laced his hands together in front of his face.

The bullies' father arched a brow. “I'm listening.”

“How about...I break a bone on your boys' bodies for each bruise they ever think about leaving on one of my employees again.” Nico sank in his chair as the young man's eyes practically turned to slits. “I have a business to run here, Boreas, and I prefer to have as few hindrances as possible. Do you not find things suitable when you come here? Are you displeased with the service?”

Now Boreas seemed to understand. The cigar slowly began to droop in his mouth. “I-”

“Furthermore, I feel that your comfy life in that big house of yours could easily be changed if my mother wished it.” Kronos sneered at the man. “I do not wish for Percy to return to his hotel, only to find that his,” Kronos gave Nico a look of detestation, “things are damaged.”

At the snap of Kronos's fingers, Ethan and Clarisse walked over and they each grabbed a hand of Cal and Zethes. When the two struggled, they found guns pointed at their heads. Boreas had gone pale, slightly out of his chair, but unwilling to chance moving in to save his sons. Cal and Zethes, with wide eyes, let the two security workers take their hands. This only led to Clarisse and Ethan bending their fingers back to excruciatingly painful positions. Nico covered his mouth as the two screamed, cringing as he heard a bone or two crack.

Kronos put back on his friendly smiled. “Do I make myself clear?”

Boreas quickly nodded his head. “Y-yes, of course. They won't be any more trouble.”

“Good.” Kronos leaned back with a content sigh, snapping his fingers. Clarisse and Ethan released the boys, who rubbed their hands. Nico gulped and looked back to Kronos. “I trust that you can see yourselves out.” The man nodded and got up, motioning for his kids to go to the door. As they were about to leave, Kronos stopped them. “And, Boreas?” The man gulped and turned to face the manager. “I do trust that I won't have the pleasure of enjoying your company in this office again. If I do, I might just decide to break all of their bones at once. I hear the roof is pretty good for helping with that.”

Boreas quickly shut the door and Nico sank in his chair, turning to face the demon in front of him. Kronos smiled back at him. “I'm...sorry,” Nico whispered.

Kronos stood up and walked around the desk. He leaned down and patted Nico on the cheek. “My dear sweet Nico, what could you possibly have to be sorry about? I know that you would only ever be on your best behavior with me.” His lips turned up. “As for them...well, I just love bringing family together when they are having issues.”

The way Kronos said that made Nico's face pale. He covered his mouth as the manager squeezed his shoulder and left the office. Nico couldn't move. He just sat there, frozen. What had he unleashed upon himself?


	41. Family Reunions

The next morning, Nico was rudely woken up when a hand came down and smacked him in the face. Startled, Nico shot up. He was confused, until he remembered he was not alone in bed. Nico turned his head and glared at the sleeping face of Jason, who was mumbling in his sleep. Nico rolled his eyes and laid back down, only for the hand that had grabbed him to pull him up against the blond next to him.

Since they were suspended for a few days, the two didn't have to be up early, but Kronos had also sentenced them to cleaning up the top floor during those days. On the bright side, though, Nico was going to be able to do some studying for some tests he already had coming up.

Nico closed his eyes as he rested his head on his roommate's chest. It had been fairly common for them to sleep in the same bed after the first night that they had, at least once a week. But, so far, nothing physical had gone on between them during those nights. He blew out a breath and cracked an eye open to look up at the blond's sleeping face.

The did need to get up soon, even if they weren't going to school. Or, at least, Nico did. Jason pretty much had the day off, save for cleaning and work later that night. Nico, on the other hand, had to clean, see Octavian, see Luke, try and sort out something to do during lunch and dinner—since the majority of the Lost Kids were no longer speaking to each other—and then finally go to work. Better to get started, he supposed.

Prying himself from the blond's grip, Nico sat up and stretched. The bed shifted behind him and he heard Jason let out a loud yawn. Turning his head, Nico found that his roommate was stretching from where he lay on the bed. “Morning,” the blond mumbled groggily.

“Morning,” Nico mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. On instinct, Nico's eyes roamed down when Jason stood up and stretched again. Jason really did have a nice body. Ever since their talk about them, Nico found himself wondering what it would be like to be with Jason. But that was just pointless thinking. They were both right that they would not work out, not in their current state. But, after Percy's departure, Nico had once or twice considered running away, possibly with Jason.

It had also been the only time he had thought about it. He felt bad, thinking like that with Percy barely having been gone but two weeks. The way Nico looked at it, Jason was what could have been, but was too far gone for anything to come of it.

Jason turned around and blinked at him, noticing the way Nico was staring at him. “Would you prefer I lose my underwear?”

Nico narrowed his eyes and got off the bed. “No!” He frowned and bent over to pick up the clothes he had worn last night. “Well...maybe.” Jason chuckled. He stretched again, giving Nico a lovely view of his lean torso. And there Nico found something that drew his attention, something not very sexy at all. “Jason, what's that?”

Jason simply looked down at the red cut on his hip and shrugged. “I was just feeling stressed,” the blond mumbled.

The pale Lost Boy shook his head as he deposited his clothes into his closet. “You don't need to cut yourself to relieve that.”

“Yeah, well,” Jason began, “that's sort of what I had Percy for.” Nico looked at him curiously. “That's why Percy and I had been having sex. Partly to get me comfortable with it again, and partly to help me relieve stress.” The blond rubbed the back of his neck. “And, well, he's not here right now.”

“Oh.” Nico pursed his lips and frowned. “Um, well, if you need help...”

Jason let out another chuckle. Nico scowled at him. “You're actually offering to have sex with me? I told you it wouldn't be long.” The blond grinned when Nico grew red. “Although, I did call it that it wouldn't be a month before you sucked my dick.”

“Shut up,” Nico mumbled, digging in his closet for some fresh clothes. “I mean, we've already messed around, and I just...sort of feel more comfortable doing it with you than the others.”

Jason blinked and sat down on the bed. “Really? Not even with Luke or Will? I mean, I've seen the way you and Will are around each other-”

“No.” Nico frowned and exited his closet with his clothing selection. “I don't know, I got betrayed by them when I first started stripping, and I guess that has stuck with me a little bit.”

“So, why me?”

“You're not after sex.” Nico sat down beside his roommate and brushed some of his hair out of his face. “You don't really go around trying to get into anyone's pants. And, well, I don't even think I've seen you have sex with any of the others.”

“Once or twice,” Jason mumbled. “Percy asked me to try. I did, and I didn't feel very comfortable with it.”

Nico let out a breath before nodding. “So,” he began, motioning to the door, “shower?”

A sly grin crept onto the blond's lips. “Well now, that is quite the proposition. It's funny, since you were embarrassed the first time I walked in on you while you were showering.” He chuckled when Nico glared at him. The blond stretched and got up. “What about Percy, though?”

Nico looked down at his lap. “I don't know. Just...after something Kronos said-”

“You shouldn't listen to him.”

The youngest Lost Boy shook his head. “I know, but it still bothered me. And, to be honest, we're not even sure if Percy is coming back. None of us have even heard from him since he left.” He frowned and looked up. “But, even if he does, what's it really matter? Percy was trying to get me to sleep with the others anyways, wanting me to get more comfortable. Why would he object? It's like he said before: We're not dating.”

Jason scratched at his cheek, silently staring down at Nico for a moment. “Nico, you're sort of worrying me lately. First the fight, nearly killing Zethes, and now you're saying these things. Don't get me wrong, you might be the only one around here that I'd consider having sex with aside from Percy...I mean, outside of business.” He sighed and placed his hands on his hips. “I just want to make sure you're okay.”

“I'm fine,” Nico mumbled, though he refused to meet his roommate's gaze.

Jason decided to take pity on Nico by letting the topic drop. That was also not the only thing he dropped. Nico's eyes quickly dropped to Jason's ass when the blond turned around and let his underwear drop to the floor. Nico's mouth hung open a little as he stared at the bubble butt of Jason Grace, at least until the blond headed for the door.

“Coming?” Jason called out to him.

Nico shook his head rapidly, clearing his head. Without saying anything, Nico just nodded and took off after the blond, stumbling out of his own underwear on the way.

Nico soon found himself pinned up against the shower wall, the hot water pelting their naked bodies. Nico had to wonder what it looked like from the outside of the shower, with his ass pressed up against the glass. However, they weren't really doing anything sexual.

Yes, Jason had him up against the wall, and Jason was pressed against his body, but the blond was innocently washing Nico's body with his hand and a cloth. Well, perhaps not so innocently, all things considered. Nico let his head fall back against the glass with a moan, letting Jason massage his shoulders. 

The cloth fell to the floor as Jason turned him around and continued to rub the brown-eyed boy's shoulders. Another moan came out when Jason pressed his lips to Nico's back. He slowly worked his way down, running his tongue along Nico's wet back, all the way down his spine. Nico's breath hitched when Jason reached a hand up to squeeze the younger Lost Boy's ass.

Nico let out a gasp when Jason's tongue slid against his entrance. Nico turned around and Jason pinned him to the shower floor, their lengths now pressed together. Nico clung to Jason's back as the blond thrust against his body.

Unfortunately, Jason ended it there. Nico pushed himself up on his elbows, breathing raggedly. “Why did you stop?” The raven-haired Lost Boy asked.

Jason smirked and pushed his wet hair out of his face. “Just making sure you think this through.” He let out a breath and stepped out of the shower. Nico's eyes raked down the blond's back, watching as water droplets trailed down the Lost Boy's spine. “Think it over and make sure you are really okay with this.” He smiled and winked down at the flustered Lost Boy. “I'll see you upstairs after a while.”

Nico collapsed on the shower floor with a groan, not even caring that the water was practically spraying him in the face. “Jerk!” He yelled out.

Not a second later, Jason poked his head back into the bathroom. “If it'll make you feel better, I'll sleep naked tonight.”

That only made Nico groan. That did not help his current situation, now did it? But Nico got to his feet and turned off the water. That was just cruel, he thought to himself. But Jason did have a point. Nico's problems usually came from not thinking things through, which was something he needed to work on. Getting out of the shower, Nico grabbed his towel and used it to dry his hair as he made his way back to his room.

As soon as the door opened and he stepped out into the hall, Nico received a whistle from the direction of Jason's room. Nico spun around and flipped off a grinning Jason before going to his room. Closing the door, Nico sat down on the edge of the bed and dried off his body. He slowly got dressed, but decided to lay there for a moment. He wasn't sure what to do with himself at the moment. It was still early, so about half of the Lost Kids were gone to college for the day, and three of the few left would be upstairs for the lunch shift soon.

As it turned out, Nico was left bored until Jason dragged him upstairs to get their punishment out of the way for the day. “I suppose it's better to get it over with early,” Jason mumbled as they mopped the floor.

Their jobs were to sweep and mop the stage and floors where the customers sat, make sure all the glasses were clean for Dionysus to use that night, make sure the tables were organized and had an even amount of chairs, scrub down all of the tables and then dry them off, and make sure that the dividing wall had been taken away. The last one had seemed strange, since it wasn't a big weekend, or even the weekend, for that matter. But, nevertheless, the two Lost Boys made sure it was done.

“I'm sorry about getting you into trouble,” Nico mumbled as they finished wiping down the tables, their last objective for the day.

Jason let out a sigh, his eyes roaming over to the clock. It was nearing noon, which was good, because Nico was starving. “It's okay,” the blond finally replied. “I mean, that's what friends are for, right?” He shook his head with a smile. “Besides, you're lucky I was there or Cal would have kicked your ass.”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered.

“Never been in many fights, to be honest.” The brown-eyed boy looked up at Jason in surprise. The blond just grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, don't care much for them. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll fight if I have to, but I don't go looking for them. In fact, I could probably count my total number of fights on one hand.”

Nico let out a chuckle. “I can count mine with one finger.” He frowned and bit his lip. “Well, two, if you count the time I punched Apollo.”

“Heard about that.” Jason grinned. He leaned forward to scrub the other side of the table he was working on. “You know, I got in a fight with my father once...that didn't go well.” Nico cocked his head to the side. Jason fidgeted. “He, um...was sort of undressing someone I didn't want him touching.” The blond's blue eyes grew dull as they stared down at the table. “Got sent to the hospital when he hit me and my head hit a brick wall behind me.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “You were close to another employee that worked for your father?”

Jason let out a breath. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Before she ran away and left me there.”

Nico was stunned. It had immediately hit Nico that Jason had been referring to Thalia. Zeus had sexually abused Thalia? He frowned. Perhaps it made sense from a few past conversations he had with the girl a while back. The very few times she had ever spoken of her father. It must have been hard, Nico thought as he watched his roommate, getting molested by your older brother, while having to watch your sister getting treated the same way by your father.

As the two of them were finishing up, Travis and Connor showed up and collected the two younger Lost Boys, dragging them down the game room on the second floor. When Nico asked what they were doing down there, Travis simply said that there was a huge fight going on upstairs between Calypso, Piper, and Drew. Apparently, all of the Lost Kids, save for the three fighting, had abandoned the floor due to the noise. Connor said something about glass breaking.

After an hour of playing, Travis went and picked them up some lunch from the restaurant downstairs. It was kind of nice and relaxing, getting to eat while they tried to beat each other at the arcade games. Though, Nico had to drag Connor away when the brunet made a kid cry after beating him at one of the games for the fifth time in a row. And since it was still early in the day, and not many kids were off vacationing with their families right now, they mostly had the room to themselves.

Which turned out not to be such a good thing when Travis pantsed Nico while he was playing Connor at a dancing game. “That was cheating,” Nico mumbled as he shimmied his hips back into his jeans.

“Aw, have a little fun, Neeks,” Travis grinned.

“Yeah, at least he didn't take your underwear, too,” Connor added.

Travis tapped a finger to his lips. “Very tempting, now that you mention it.”

This continued until Nico decided it was time for him to go see Luke and Octavian. After bidding the twins and Jason farewell, Nico exited the hotel's arcade and pulled his phone out. He began to call Luke, when he looked up and found the very blond he was looking for standing against the edge of the balcony. However, the strange part was that Octavian was with Luke, even though the two were fighting.

They were being very quiet, and neither had seemed to notice Nico standing there yet. Octavian had his lips tightly pursed, while Luke's knuckles were white from where they were squeezing the railing. Whatever was down stairs clearly was not making them happy. A little curious, Nico moved closer and peered over the edge.

Kronos was standing in the middle of the lobby with a woman, who had several men in suits surrounding her. Her blonde hair had a few white streaks in it and was done up in a messy perm. She wore a very nice pantsuit, though. She had small, green eyes, reminding Nico of a mouse or rat. Her smile was that of the standard politician, clearly fake. She reminded Nico a lot of a scarecrow from how thin she was, and her laugh was very unpleasant to his ears.

Nico's brow furrowed as he looked to the two blonds next to him. Was it just him, or did the woman's face look a lot like theirs? She had the same high cheek bones that Octavian had, and her blond hair was the same color of Luke's. Luke even had a similar nose to her, and roughly the same height.

Realization soon dawned on the brown-eyed boy's face.

Because it was their mother.

If it wasn't clear enough, the way the two looked at her was good enough confirmation for Nico that he was right about who she was. Luke sneered down at the woman, who didn't seem to notice them standing above her.

“I was so thrilled when I was informed I got a reservation here,” the woman admitted to Kronos. “I've tried to stay here when I come to Los Angeles on business, but the normal manager usually informs me that they were booked.” She shook her head with a sigh. “I think it only made me want to stay here more, knowing that a hotel as large as this one is capable of being filled.” She smiled at Kronos again. “I've heard nothing but good things about the place.”

Kronos just smiled back at her, though his was far more convincing of being friendly than hers was. Honestly, if Nico was not an employee here, he probably would have thought Kronos to be a saint. “Well, I am so pleased that we could finally have you here.” Mrs. Castellan held her hand out, and Kronos slowly reached out to shake it. “Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you.” Drawing his hand away, the manager rubbed his fingers together, like he was trying to get something off of them. “And feel free to look around the hotel.” He grinned. “Let me know if you find any...concerns around the premises.”

The woman placed a hand on her chest with a smile. “Thank you so much.”

How could she buy Kronos's bullshit? Nico wanted to bang his head against the railing, but Luke reached out and stopped him by pressing a hand against Nico's forehead. Nico paled as Kronos bid her farewell and headed for the stairs. The stairs, not the elevator, like most people would normally do.

As feared, Kronos appeared beside them a few seconds later. He placed his hands on the railing and stared down at Mrs. Castellan with the Lost Boys. Nico noted that he wiped his hand very fiercely with a handkerchief from his pocket.

Kronos smirks after a while, leaning in to Luke's ear and hissed, “Perhaps now you'll learn not to go around making rude gestures at people, eh?” Luke didn't even bother looking at him. Nico bit down on his lip. This was bad. He had never seen Luke so unwilling to rise up to an argument. Smirking to himself, Kronos pulled back and continued to wipe his hand. “You should be thankful, really, that I'm not making either of you have to actually tend to that bitch's needs while she's here.”

Nico stood there, waiting patiently for Luke to make one of his usual retorts, but it never came. Kronos smirked when he saw this. Pocketing his handkerchief, Kronos glanced down at Nico. Nico paled as the manager's lips tilted up into a sinister smile before walking off.

This was not good.

Octavian ended up having to drag both of them up to their suite. Nico sat down on the edge of Octavian's bed, while Octavian yelled at Luke from the older blond's room. But he never heard Luke argue back. When Octavian returned, there was a heavy frown marring his face.

For about five minutes, the room was silent. Nico just sat there, while Octavian paced back and forth, chewing on his thumbnail. Everything was falling apart, Nico could feel it. Kronos didn't care if the Lost Kids fought or tore each other apart, not like Percy did. Kronos just cared that they showed up to work and did their job.

Taking in a deep breath, the slender blond turned towards Nico. “I trust you're not dense enough to not know who that was?”

“Your mother.”

Octavian gave a short nod. “May Castellan, our mother,” he ground out, like it left a bad taste in his mouth. “I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to sue me for stealing money from her when I left home.” He let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair, and sat down next to the other Lost Boy. “Luke...told you about what happened the day he left, didn't he?”

Nico gave a small nod.

Octavian nodded as well. “I could tell. He looked a little upset when he got back, so I could only assume he had gotten into another fight or he had finally had the talk with you.” Octavian no longer looked at Nico, instead staring at the wall. “I guess you can blame me for that, as I did not feel that you needed to know about what happened.”

Honestly, that didn't bother Nico to know that. It was understandable. “It's fine,” he mumbled. “He only told me about how he left. Never really talked about his time on the street, or how he met Percy.” He glanced over at the blond, even though Octavian wasn't looking at him. “And he didn't feel like it was his place to tell me what happened with you.”

Octavian let out a breath, pressing a hand to his face. “Fuck,” the blond hissed. “She's going to be here a while, I just know it.” With a curious look from Nico, Octavian shook his head. “She would usually stay away for a week or so when she went on trips. At least I won't have to worry about running into her upstairs. And I suppose Rachel and Leo will make sure we don't bump into her anywhere else.”

To Nico, it looked like Octavian was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He was not sure he had ever seen the blond so on edge. “Luke's cooling off, so I suppose I'll cover a few a few things before you go to him.” The blond shifted on the bed. “I will say that you've improved, and I'm impressed you're not tripping over your words while talking to the customers. Just don't go fainting on them anymore.”

“I didn't!”

Octavian arched a brow. “Yeah, well, don't go taking drugs either.” Nico shot the blond a dark look. “Just saying.” Chewing on his lip, Octavian glanced over at Nico. “I-” His brow furrowed. “Look, I don't like talking about this, so let's not try bringing it up after today.”

“Okay?” Nico wasn't really sure, but it seemed like Octavian wanted to confess something to him.

Drawing his legs up to his chest, Octavian faced partially away from Nico. “I stayed at home for nearly a year after Luke left. I guess part of me didn't want to just leave her alone. Dad still was rarely home, even with Luke running away. The worst part? Mother said she didn't even want him to come home, not if he was going to be a 'faggot'. I told her once that she shouldn't call him that, ended up getting slapped for it.” The blond's head fell back, his eyes lightly closed. “Since Luke was gone and Dad was always gone, she got to dictate everything in my life. She was very adamant that I toughen up and start acting more like a 'real man'.

“I was nearly forbidden from spending time with any of my female friends. My mother said that if I wanted to spend time with a girl, I should date her. So, she pretty much required that I spend time with only guys.” The blond chuckled coldly and shook his head. “Funny, right? You're afraid your son might turn out gay, so send him to be alone with a guy or two. In all honesty, I had no real interest in guys or girls.”

Nico arched a brow. “At all?”

“Not really,” Octavian mumbled. “I was more career oriented.” He shrugged. “But if I ever complained about any of it, I got hit with a belt, which sometimes included the metal part. I usually was just wanting to stay home and read, but my mother always got angry that I was not doing more 'guy things'.”

Nico shifted on the bed, sitting cross-legged. “So, what finally got you to leave?”

The blond's cold blue eyes flickered up to him. “We ended up getting into an argument one night. I told her that I just wasn't interested in anything she tried to force me. I tried telling her that it wasn't that I was gay, it was just that I wanted to focus on school. She didn't believe me, and I ended up getting several bruises that night.”

Nico could relate to that.

Octavian pushed his back against his headboard. “So, while she was sleeping, I snuck into her study and opened her safe, using a few tricks I picked up from Luke.” He grinned. “Stole a couple hundred dollars before leaving with some of my things. I might have also stolen her car.”

Nico chuckled at that. “Now I can see why she might be upset with you.”

Octavian just shrugged, smirking. “Yeah, well, she's a bitch.” He let out a breath and pulled his legs up to his chest again. “I wanted to find Luke, but I had no idea where he was. I hoped he had come out here, since he always wanted to see Hollywood, but mother would never take us.” The blond began to chew on his lip. “Well, one night, while I was sleeping in a motel room, something woke me up. I ended up finding a gun pointed at my head.”

Nico's eyes went wide. “What?” He practically yelled. When Octavian glared, the boy covered his mouth. “Sorry,” he whispered. The brown-eyed boy frowned. “Did he shoot you?”

“Well, obviously he didn't kill me,” the blond mumbled sarcastically. Reaching up, Octavian rubbed his face. “He ended up taking everything I had, including the keys to the car. And, so, that began my voyage of catching a ride in the back of trucks and trains on my way out here. Glamorous, right?”

“I'd just say that you're lucky that guy didn't shoot you,” Nico mumbled.

The blond shrugged. He was very casual about it. “Not a big deal, it was just money. But, I suppose it would have made getting out here easier, and I could have had a nice place to stay for a little while after getting here. But, instead, I stayed on the streets.” Octavian made a face. “Though, those train cars were pretty dirty.”

It didn't have to be asked, but Nico still felt that he should. “But you never found Luke, did you?” If stories matched up, the answer would be no.

Sure enough, Octavian shook his head. “Not until I got brought here.” The blond chewed on one of his nails. “He was actually the first thing I saw when I woke up here. Percy told me he had stayed by my side the entire time I was passed out, and didn't want to even believe I was actually there.” Octavian pursed his lips. “But that was later, and I spent several months on the streets before I was fortunate enough for Percy to find me. I ended up getting to Los Angeles and found myself lost. I knew how big the city was, but I had still hoped that I would be able to find Luke somewhere. It was a dumb hope, but it was all I really had. My very first night in the city was probably the most memorable.”

Maybe this was good. Nico figured that, maybe, something good had happened for the blond Lost Boy that night. Memorable was good, right?

“I got raped.”

Not so good then.

Octavian ran a hand through his fine locks of hair. “I ended up running into this couple, who seemed to take pity on me. I was pretty thin already, so I suppose I looked pretty pathetic with some dirt added onto my face.” Those icy blue eyes of his glanced up at Nico, who had his lips tightly pursed and gripping his jeans tightly. “The woman seemed nice, but the guy got on my nerves. His laugh was obnoxious, a real sleazeball. But, you know, when you haven't eaten in several days, you begin to see anyone offering you food and a place to sleep as a god among mortals. In all honesty, I was being stupid and not thinking.”

“No,” Nico interrupted. “You're not stupid for trying to survive. I think everyone can attest to how desperate you can get out there. Don't blame yourself for what they did to you.”

Nico got a smirk in return. “You sound like my brother.” He chuckled and let out a sigh. “After we got back to their place, the guy made a comment about the fact that my clothes were 'too nice'.” Those blue eyes grew dull. “They didn't even let me finish eating before they had taped my mouth and hands. I ended up on some dirty mattress. There was some blood on it, so I can only assume I was not the first person off the first victim they had ensnared.”

Nico just sat there, letting Octavian think. There were some stories that he wasn't sure he would ever get over. This was one of them. Perhaps he truly was lucky, mainly to never have encountered these people that had found Octavian.

The blond chewed on his lip, staring absentmindedly into space. “That was my first time. I lost my virginity to some creepy couple, but I'm just thankful that I didn't catch anything from either of them.” A dark look appeared deep within Octavian's blue eyes. “At the same time, too. He penetrated me, while she slid herself onto me.” The blond looked away. “It made me sick, and I got hit because I couldn't get hard for them. She dug her nails into my skin, which took quite some time to heal.”

“How did you...get away?” Nico asked softly.

Octavian let out a breath. “It's not like they kept me. After they were done, they left me in a gutter, bloody and beaten. I tried to go to the hospital, but...well, I didn't have any money. And the free clinic I tried said my clothes were too nice to be some kid living on the streets.” He let out a dry chuckle, his crazed eyes looking up at Nico. “And, just my luck, the gutter I had been tossed in had water in it. I had been unconscious when they tossed me, so there was no telling how long I had actually been laying in that water. Needless to say, I didn't bother trying to go do a rape kit.”

Nico rubbed his arm, suddenly feeling cold. He couldn't help but feel a little responsible for Luke and Octavian's current plight. Not what happened to them before he had arrived at the hotel, but for the fact that their mother was there. If Percy had never left, she wouldn't have been allowed in the hotel. And Nico still blamed himself for Kronos being there in the first place. It was his fault that Kronos was torturing all of them and that the Lost Kids were now tearing themselves apart.

Nico wiped at his face, trying to hide the fact that he wanted to cry. “Why do you even want to go into politics then, if you dislike your parents so much?” He whispered.

Octavian let out a long breath before opening his mouth. “Because, at one point in time, I wanted to prove that not all politicians were corrupt, and that some actually did try to help people.” He looked down, shaking his head. “It was stupid, I was stupid.” A small laugh escaped from the blond's lips. “It was just a dream, and I'm in no shape be looking at a political position.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He debated reaching out for the blond, but remembered what had happened when he tried to hug Luke. “I think you could, if you set your mind to it.”

The blond snorted. “Oh yes, I can see it now. Headlines: Senator leaves life of prostitution behind him.” He rolled his eyes. “Great campaign marketing right there.”

“Percy could cover it up.”

“Because that's not like every other politician,” Octavian mumbled.

Well, he had Nico there.

Letting out a sigh, Octavian got off the bed. “Enough about me, we need to work on you. It is extremely pertinent that you master handling clients. You have been doing fine, and you might could have pulled more info from that snob of a college kid, if you hadn't passed out.”

“Not helping,” Nico mumbled.

The blond shrugged. “Oh well. Perhaps next time you will think about things before you do something stupid.” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Now then, always remember to try and find out their importance first. Then you can start molding your inquiries to fit them better.” He grinned at Nico. “What do you know, something you might be good at.”

Nico frowned. “What's that?”

“Pestering people with questions.”

Nico's shoulders slumped. “Jerk.”

“But you need to also make sure you are watching out for knives to the back.” The blond ruffled his hair. “Since everyone is fighting, it might do you well to check and see if anyone is out to stab you in the back. Since, you know, this is your fault.”

Nico pursed his lips and stared down at his lap. Octavian was right, it was his fault. It was all his fault. He should have just listened and backed off of Percy. Maybe then none of this would have happened. Maybe if he had never come here. Maybe if he had died on the streets instead. Nico wiped at his eyes as a tear slid down his cheek.

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. “You're right, it is all my fault. It's my fault everyone is fighting, and that Percy is not here.” Octavian arched a brow at him. “I'm sorry. Everyone's right to blame me. I was too stupid to listen to everyone, and now Percy is gone. I'm so stupid. I'm not smart, like everyone seems to think. It's my fault. I-”

The full force of Octavian's palm made contact with Nico's cheek. Brown eyes widened as the youngest Lost Boy gawked up at the frowning blond in front of him. Slowly, Nico reached up to caress his red cheek. It stung, a lot.

Octavian stared down at him heatedly. “Stop whining like some teenaged girl, who just got broken up with after two weeks.” The blond huffed and shook his head. “Stop apologizing. Fucking hell, grow some balls, because I sure as hell know you're tougher than that if you nearly broke some dude's neck at school. And defying Kronos by running off with my brother? I know you're not this weak, so start acting like you need to. Stop being scared of yourself.”

Nico just blinked in astonishment. He was still having a hard time wrapping his brain around the fact that he had just been slapped. He wanted to be angry about what Octavian was saying, if it weren't all true.

Shaking his head, Octavian glared down at him. “It was you that said that people make mistakes, and that is what makes them human.” He poked the pale boy's forehead. “That was you that said that, wasn't it? Or am I mistaken?”

Nico blinked, his eyes drifting down to his lap. He stared at his hands, searching them for an answer he knew wasn't there. He was scared. Nico was scared that he was going to turn out like Luke or Apollo. Perhaps Octavian or Jason. The list could go on. But mostly, when he had his hands wrapped around Zethes's throat, he had been scared of turning into Percy or Kronos. He could have killed Zethes, it would have been easy with just a snap of his hands. And that though had terrified him.

Before Nico could answer Octavian, the door swung open. Luke stood in the doorway, glancing between his brother and Nico. Octavian narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”

Luke rolled his eyes. “I need to have some time with him.” He rubbed the back of his neck as Nico slowly got up. “Seeing as how we don't know when Percy will be back, he could find himself back in the kink rooms. And if last time is anything to go by, I need to work with him some more.”

“Yeah,” Octavian mumbled. He leered at Nico, who sheepishly looked away. He was right about Nico, and that was what stung the most.

Nico was weak.

Luke looked at him curiously once they were safely in his room. “What were you two talking about?” The blond inquired.

“Nothing.” Nico shook his head.

The blond continued to stare for a while after that, but Nico refused to meet his gaze. When he saw that he wasn't going to get an answer, Luke let out a sigh. “Fine, whatever, kid.” Slowly, a grin crept onto Luke's lips and Nico narrowed his eyes. What was he up to? Without warning, Luke lunged forward and cuffed Nico to the bed.

Nico let out a sigh, blowing at his bangs. “Really? This again?”

Luke shrugged. Nico's expression slowly turned to surprise as the blond lifted his shirt over his head. And, if that wasn't enough, Luke ripped Nico's shirt in half down the middle.

“Hey!” Nico whined. “I liked that shirt!”

“Tough,” Luke grumbled as he crawled between Nico's legs, spreading them apart. A sly grin was on the blond's lips as he raked his nails down Nico's torso, drawing a hiss from the brown-eyed boy's lips. “Suck it up, you baby, you're going to have to get used to this down there.”

Oh, Nico thought, it was going to be that kind of lesson. His cheeks grew a little red as Luke undid his pants. He couldn't lie and say that he had never wanted something like this to happen, but it did not make it any less awkward. His first time having sex with Luke...and it was going to be because Luke wanted to make him more comfortable with his new line of work. Nico was not sure how he felt about that. But it was not like he could really object, seeing as how his hands were bound above his head.

Once Luke had them both down to their underwear, the blond just sort of hovered over Nico, his fingers looped into the top of the boy's boxers. Nico quirked a brow as he watched Luke just sit there, frowning in silence. Oh. That was right, Luke wouldn't do anything without his permission. Well, he supposed that did leave him in a position of power then.

Nico bent his legs and wrapped them around Luke. The blond looked up, his brow furrowed. “It's fine,” Nico whispered.

Luke looked at him for a moment before he gave a nod. Slowly, the blond pulled Nico's underwear off and tossed the discarded fabric over his shoulder. Nico immediately shut his eyes as Luke attacked his clavicle with fairly harsh bites. Not that Nico was complaining. It was rough, but it felt good. Really good.

Nico's head fell back against the pillow, allowing Luke better access to his neck. During all of this, Luke slid out of his own boxer-briefs and lifted Nico's legs up slightly. Nico let out a moan and wrapped his legs around Luke's waist. It got a little more rough when Luke reached up and forcefully turned Nico's head to the side, delivering a harsh bite to the boy's neck. And when he leaned in to press their lips together, Luke tugged roughly on Nico's bottom lip.

The boy moaned and strained to wrap his arms around the blond, but remembered that he was still cuffed to the bed. Luke pulled back with a grin, and Nico could feel the blond's member pressing against him. It sort of intimidated him with what was about to happen, considering that Luke was above average size and probably would have been the largest he had yet to have inside of him.

Luke slid down Nico's body, biting and sucking along the boy's torso. Nico let out a yelp as the blond delivered a sharp bite to his side. Though, his breath hitched when Luke sucked on a spot on his upper thigh.

Without saying anything, Luke reached up and unlocked one of Nico's arms from the bed. Yanking the boy up, Luke positioned Nico onto his knees before latching the handcuff onto the one that was bound to Nico's other hand. Nico let out a gasp when Luke took a firm grip of his hair and jerked his head back, crashing their lips together.

Nico gasped into Luke's mouth when he felt Luke probe his entrance. When Luke had applied lube to his fingers, Nico had no idea. But, nevertheless, the youngest Lost Boy moaned into Luke's mouth as two fingers slid into him. It was different from his time with Percy, mainly due to the lack of gentleness he was receiving from the blond behind him.

When Nico slid backwards onto Luke's fingers, the blond grinned into their kiss and pulled back, tugging Nico's lip as he did. Shortly after that, Nico felt something much bigger than two fingers press against his entrance. His head dropped, attempting to reach the pillow, but was unable to. Luke bit his shoulder, drawing a gasp from the boy. Nico's eyes grew hazy. It hurt a lot more than his first time with Percy, or really any sexual encounter than Nico had experienced yet. While Percy was a little above average down there, Luke was still bigger and was not as gentle. It hurt, but Nico supposed that was part of the lesson.

Customers weren't going to be gentle down in those rooms.

While Percy had taken his time slowly inserting himself into Nico, Luke had wasted no time pushing himself in to the hilt. Nico wrenched his eyes shut from the pain. His ass felt like it was on fire, or like he was being split in half.

“Don't be such a girl,” Luke growled into his ear. “They aren't going to go easy on you down there. Toughen up.”

Nico just grit his teeth, unable to form a sentence at the moment. Luke did take a little pity on him by not slamming in and out of the boy straight off the bat. Nico's mouth fell open as inch by inch, Luke slid out of him before going back in. Maybe he should have never let this happen. Why did he have to have such a bad habit of getting himself into situations that he wasn't ready for?

Luke delivered a sharp bite to Nico's shoulder before pulling back and gripping the boy's shoulders with his hands. Nico could already feel the sweat forming on his body, and a few of his bangs were already sticking to his forehead. It was at this time that Luke delivered the first hard thrust into him. Nico's mouth fell open in a silent cry. It did hurt, but it had also felt good. He would give Luke one thing: the guy was good at finding a prostate.

Luke's fingers were tightly gripped to Nico's pale shoulders, using them to pull Nico back onto his manhood. He kind of wanted to see Luke's face, but their current position did not allow for it. He could, however, hear the blond let out a few grunts.

The headboard had started to hit the wall by this point, which probably meant that Octavian probably knew what they were doing in Luke's room. Not that it seemed to bother Luke at the moment. The blond just shifted his grip down to Nico's thin waist and slammed himself into Nico. The brown-eyed boy, for his part, had a hard time seeing anything. His vision was slightly blurred. It no longer hurt by this point, but he felt an overwhelming amount of pleasure coursing through his body. He took back what he said earlier, Luke was amazing at hitting the prostate.

Letting out a growl, Luke reached up and dug his fingers into Nico's dark locks of hair. Nico hissed as his head was yanked back and Luke smashed their lips together. There was a sharp pain at the back of his head where Luke was still tugging on his hair. All the while, Luke slid himself in and out of Nico. But they were pressed up against each other now, and Nico could feel how much Luke was sweating. He could feel Luke's stomach muscles tighten against his back, and it only made Nico moan into the blond's mouth.

Using his other hand, Luke gripped Nico's neck and pulled back from their kiss. His normally icy blue eyes were filled with heavy lust and Nico moaned as he felt Luke's hand around his neck. In normal situations, Nico would have been a little more concerned by the fact that someone could have easily broken his neck in this position, but it was kind of hot.

Luke removed his hand from Nico's neck and slid it around the raven-haired boy's stomach, his other hand still gripping Nico's hair. Nico wanted to let his head drop, but Luke's grip prevented him from doing so. Luke growled into his ear and picked up his pace, if that was even possible. Nico could feel his legs start to give out on him, and began to slowly slide down.

Luke bit down on Nico's shoulder and unfastened the cuff that was bound the the headboard. Nico's hands, still chained together, were placed behind his back, where Luke kept them hooked. Nico whined, knowing that he was going to be unable to touch himself. Luke just growled and positioned the boy into his lap. The blond now sat on his haunches, Nico's back still facing him.

Every time Nico's body tried to collapse, Luke would just tug on the handcuffs and force Nico to straighten his body. Using his other hand, Luke worked Nico up and down on his erection. “Move,” Luke growled into the boy's ear.

Nico felt breathless as he worked himself up and down on Luke, who was still thrusting into him. Eventually, Nico's head fell back onto Luke's shoulder. The blond just leaned in and bit down on Nico's neck. Luke's arms wrapped around him, letting go of the handcuffs. Nico moaned as he felt Luke's tongue slid across his sweaty skin.

Luke wrapped a hand around Nico's member and worked on bringing the boy to his release. By this point, Nico was not even able of opening his eyes. He felt drained, and he knew that he would need a nap before going to work. And a shower.

Nico's eyes rolled back into his head as he felt himself nearing climax. Luke's mouth worked around his neck and shoulder, going back and forth between biting, sucking, and licking. Nico's skin felt on fire and the sweat was making it hard for Luke to keep a grip on Nico's body. Finally, Nico opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Luke slowed down as Nico released himself into the blond's hand.

Nico's body fell limp and Luke let him fall onto the bed. He felt Luke reach out and unfasten Nico's hands from the cuffs. Managing to roll his body over, Nico looked up with hazy eyes as Luke reached his hand up and licked some of Nico's see off his hand with a smirk.

It was hard for Nico move, as his body felt like jello. Yanking off his condom, Luke straddled himself over Nico. Nico slowly opened his eyes, finding the blond's erection in his face. He opened his mouth to ask what Luke was doing, but Luke tossed his head back and shot his semen across Nico's face. The youngest Lost Boy lay there for a second, slightly stunned that he had just been hit in the face with Luke's cum. His tongue ran across his lips to get some of it that had partially gotten in his mouth.

Luke blew out a breath and climbed off of Nico, padding over to his closet and coming back with a towel. He tossed it at Nico, who picked it up and wiped Luke's semen off of him. While he was busy doing that, Luke collapsed next to him and placed his hands behind his head.

Nico narrowed his eyes at the smug look on the blond's face. “You can wipe that smirk off your face,” he mumbled.

“And you can go,” Luke grinned. “That will be all for the day. I'm starving and I need a shower, so show yourself out.”

Nico rolled his eyes and tossed the used towel at the blond's face. “You're so full of bullshit right now. I'm not stupid enough to believe you'd think it was just some notch to put on your headboard.”

The blond let out a grunt as he dropped the towel onto the floor. “No, but it's something I can rub in mini-blondie's face.”

Nico made a face as he smelled himself. He smelled like sweat and sex. He reeked. “I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't. I really don't need all the other guys knocking on my door for their turn with me.” His nose wrinkled as he lowered his arm. “I need a shower, but I'll see you at work.” Luke grunted at him as Nico got dressed. The boy frowned as he watched the blond slide under the sheets. “Luke?”

“What, brat?”

Nico slid his shirt over his head. “Thanks,” he mumbled. Luke furrowed his brow. “For talking to me and helping me out. I know it's probably hard on you.”

Luke narrowed his eyes and rolled onto his side, facing away from Nico. “Don't let the door hit you on the way out, twerp.”

Shaking his head with a smile, Nico slid out of Luke's room and made his way to the door. Once in the hall, he stopped at the sound of yelling.

“Let me in, dammit!” Beckendorf yelled, standing in Clarisse's face.

Clarisse just puffed out her chest and knocked the Lost Boy back. “Why don't you make me?” She huffed.

Ethan was standing in the doorway of his and Leo's suite, watching the fight play out in silence. Beckendorf grabbed Clarisse's shirt, but got knocked back again. Nico edged further into the hall, closer to where Ethan was. “Shouldn't we stop them?” He whispered.

Ethan shrugged. “Not my problem, not getting involved.”

The two down the hall glared at each other, but it was clear that Clarisse was not about to budge from the door. Seeing this, Beckendorf's nostrils flared. Clenching his fist, he sent it flying into the wall near the Lost Girl's head. That did nothing more than make Clarisse arch a brow. There was no sign of fear in her eyes as she stepped back and slammed the door in the Lost Boy's face.

Beckendorf banged on the door for a while before he gave up and boarded the first elevator that arrived at their floor. Ethan just shook his head, his arms crossed. “I honestly just wish Percy would come back so we could get some peace and quiet around here. I can't even manage to take a nap without someone yelling up here.”

“Why is Clarisse being so defensive of Silena anyways?”

The Asian gave a lazy shrug. “Silena was the first person to really talk to Clarisse when she arrived, and they hit it off pretty well. Not sure what happened besides that, but the two have always been close.” He sighed. “But Beckendorf should know better. Clarisse doesn't respond well to threats or demands. She never took well to the concept of authority.” He smirked. “She's not even scared of Percy, she just listens to him out of respect. Kronos...well, he's too unpredictable not to be intimidated by.”

Nico arched a brow. “And you?”

“Better to not paint a target on my back,” Ethan mumbled. “I just try to stay out of his way and keep my head down, as you should as well.”

Nico glanced down to Silena and Clarisse's room. “Why does she have such a poor reception to authority?” He glanced back to Ethan. “Problem at home? School?”

“Home,” was all the reply Nico got. The older Lost Boy rubbed his neck, looking Nico up and down. “You smell like sex.” Slowly, the boy grinned. “I see Luke finally had his way with you.”

Nico's cheeks lit up. “I don't know what you're talking about,” the boy mumbled.

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Nico. None of my business anyways.” He chuckled as he stepped back into his room. “But I'd get a shower before any of the others notice.” Nico nodded and Ethan shut the door.

\---------------------------------------

After a long nap and a warm shower, Nico ended up at work for the night. He was just thankful that he was performing and not waiting tables, as he had already spotted Robert, who he felt it best to steer clear of. However, Apollo did end up taking his ex-boyfriend's table. Nico wasn't sure what had happened, but Apollo seemed less hostile towards the other blond. 

Perhaps it was none of his business, but it did not sit well with Nico. Robert had tossed Apollo aside like trash. Regardless of if the blond had gotten Percy to find Apollo and taken him in, Robert was still a jerk in Nico's book.

As far as he could tell, their music selection was set to be loud all night long, which made it very hard to hear anything, even backstage. Quite often, he would have to yell for anyone to hear him, unless they were directly in front of him.

But after one performance, Nico decided to go find something to drink. The number had left him drained, and he was still recovering from his time with Luke earlier that day. Nico winced as he rubbed his lower back. After he woke up from his nap, he stood up and discovered this sharp pain and nearly fell back onto his bed. Having to move around so much definitely was not helping him.

On his way to the bar room, Will waved over to him with his usual adorable smile. Nico scrunched his lips as he stared at the blond. He still wasn't sure if he was ready to talk to Will just yet, so he glared at the blond. Will blinked in mild surprise.

And, right before Nico pushed into the bar room, Will reached him and jerked the boy around to face him. The blond looked sad, and normally Nico probably would have melted seeing the blond pout, but this was different. He did not belong to Will, he did not belong to anyone!

“Um,” Will began, scratching his cheek, “did I do something wrong?” It was such an innocent question, and Will's appearance only reminded Nico of a small child that was asking their parent for a cookie.

It didn't soften Nico's resolve, though. “You know what you did,” the brown-eyed boy hissed and jerked his arm away before storming into the bar room, letting the door hit the blond in the face.

As usual, Nico got the normal passive torment from Dionysus. “Well now, someone seems grouchy this evening.” He continued to smile as Nico glared at him. “On, no, please, don't get upset with me, Nico. I wouldn't you to go and break my neck. What would our beloved Percy think then?”

The Lost Boy sighed and opened the small refrigerator they kept in the room. “I wouldn't kill you, even if it is tempting.” The boy gave the man a dull look. “I'd be too afraid you'd haunt me for the rest of my life.”

“Your sarcasm is always so refreshing.” The man gave the boy his trademark creepy smile, like he knew something Nico didn't. “Isn't it just wonderful that you got off the hook for skipping work last night? Luke was so brave, taking all the punishment like that.” The man sat down with a smirk. “I mean, taking the punishment of enduring his mother for several days, just so you could not have to endure whatever sick, twisted torture Kronos could come up with. It's almost...poetic. Such a shame that Octavian gets punished as well.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Don't even act like you feel bad.”

“Why, Nico, of course I am capable of feeling remorse.” He shook his head with a sigh. “I just feel so awful that you took some of those drugs I supplied to your dear client. Such a shame, really.”

“Always a pleasure talking to you,” Nico muttered as he exited the room.

It seemed like Nico wasn't going to get a break either. Halfway back to the backstage area, Nico was pulled to the side by Persephone. The woman smiled at him as she touched his hair. “Oh, you look so cute tonight, Nico,” she practically sang to him.

Nico looked down at himself. His attire was primarily black, with lots of tears in the fabric to expose a lot of his skin. He also had some black paint on his face for his next performance. He just rubbed the back of his neck. “Thank you.”

She smiled and reached up to touch her cheeks. “I would so request some personal time with you later tonight, but my new friend is with me tonight.” She cleared her throat. “And, well, he's a very nice man. But I thought he might enjoy seeing one of the shows. Though, to be honest, I was surprised Kronos let me bring him so easily.”

Nico slowly nodded his head, keeping his smile on. “Well, enjoy your night with your friend.” He motioned over his shoulder. “I've got to get ready for the next performance, but if you change your mind about later, let Leo or Rachel know.”

He fought the urge to cringe as he walked away. While he still was not keen on the idea of having sex with women so freely, much less suggesting it, he knew it was what he had to do. And considering how much he might have pissed Kronos off with everything that had happened the day before, Nico needed to do the best he could at his job right now.

Nico chanced a glance over to where Robert sat. Apollo wasn't there currently, but Nico wanted to keep an eye on the blond. He just didn't understand how Apollo could practically go running back into Robert's arms. It wasn't like Robert was just going to sweep him away and they'd live happily ever after.

He nearly yelped when Thalia grabbed him. “Nico, there you are.” She looked over her shoulder somewhere. “Look, you need to get...”

Nico leaned in. The music had started up again, making it impossible to hear what the Lost Girl was saying. She looked concerned, so the boy just nodded his head. “Okay!” He yelled, hoping that she had heard him. She still clung to his hand, but Nico just laughed and went on his way.

When Nico looked back over to Robert's table, he found Leo standing there. Neither of them looked happy. Changing course, Nico made his way over. Leo looked like he might be on the verge of slapping the man, but he never did. Instead, he practically spat something in Robert's face before he spun around and walked off.

Nico came to a stop near Robert's table. The blond smiled up at him. “Well, you don't look as agitated as everyone else around here. I'll take that as a good sign.”

Nico's eyes followed where Leo went. “What was that about?” He yelled over the music.

The blond just shook his head. “Couldn't say, childish stuff probably.” He dropped some cash on the table before getting up. “Tell Apollo that I'm sorry I couldn't stay, perhaps next time.” He winked as he moved past Nico. “Or perhaps you and I can work something out.”

Nico frowned and spun around to glare at the man's back. He was a jerk. Not just a jerk, a sleazeball. Apollo deserved better than this guy. Nico's dark eyes flickered over to where Apollo was staring between him and Robert curiously. The blond tilted his head to the side, silently asking what had just happened. Nico just shrugged.

The next performance was, technically, Nico's performance, though he had talked several of the others into performing with him. He felt it fit better, as did Apollo. So, Nico found himself in the middle of the stage, waiting for the music and lights to turn on, with several of the others surrounding him.

The instrumental opening to Simon Curtis's “Pit of Vipers” began to play the the Lost Kids on stage slowly began to weave their arms around like a snake. The lights were kept relatively dark, save for a red light over them. The way Nico had to move made him feel like some rag doll or puppet, if he were being honest with himself. He had to jerk his body a lot at certain intervals, sort of like the Oracle in the 300 movie.

The Lost Kids around him put their hands on Nico, slowly sliding them across the boy's body. Apollo had set up cans of paint near the edges of the stage, so when they had all dipped their hands in paint before the song had started. Different colors of paint was left behind wherever they touched the youngest Lost Boy.

It was odd, though, because he noticed Apollo trying to flag him down. The blond was mouthing something and pointing off to the side, but Nico was unable to find anything strange. The floor was too dark to see any of the people at the tables anyways.

Eventually, Butch blocked Nico's view of the blond. Some of the fabric was torn from Nico's body. Nico was lifted up by Butch, and then the others reached up to pass the boy along in the air. During all of this, Nico made sure to move his arms and legs in the air like a snake slithering along the ground. His eyes widened a little when Luke nearly dropped him.

When he was put down, Luke tried to say something to him, but it was far too loud to make out what it was. However, while it was dark on the floor, Nico did notice a man standing up at one of the tables. He heard a woman yell something, and it sounded very strangely like Persephone. Nico frowned and stopped moving when he thought he heard his name being yelled, followed by a loud cry of “What?”

The boy's brown eyes widened as the dark figure that had been standing up made its way towards the stage, very quickly, Nico might add. The other Lost Kids had stopped moving by this point, and Butch and Luke moved to the edge of the stage to block the man from attempting to climb up to them. However, this put the man just barely in enough light for Nico to recognize who it was. The blood drained from his face, a chill ran across every inch of his body.

It was his father.

Apollo had moved forward with Thalia to drag the man back and prevented him from getting on the stage. Luke and Butch had jumped off the stage to help restrain the furious man. His father was angry, far angrier than the night Nico had came out to him. His teeth were clenched as he glared heatedly up at Nico.

The girls on stage sort of surrounded Nico, acting as a partial shield as Clarisse and Ethan came running in. Kronos appeared on stage and announced that everything was under control as Hades was dragged off. But when the manager turned to look at Nico, the boy knew that he had not gotten off of a punishment. While Kronos sneered at him, there was a look of absolute pleasure in his eyes, and Nico knew that this was why he had approved Persephone's guest so easily.

Speaking of the woman, she looked devastated. Nico quickly jumped off of the stage, and she immediately grabbed his wrist. “That was your father?” She cried out to him.

“Um.” Nico chewed on his lips. “It's a long story, but sort of, yeah.”

The woman's face paled as she fell back against her chair. Without saying anything further, she lifted the drink she had to her lips and downed the entire glass. But, before Nico could say anything else, Kronos grabbed by the scruff of his neck and dragged him after his father.

Nico's heart was pounding in his chest as they neared the elevator. His father was on his knees, his hands bound behind his back. But as soon as he noticed Nico, his eyes were renewed with hatred. Nico felt sick as he was pushed inside. Kronos pulled out his card and slid it into the slot. Instead of pushing the button to the lobby or his office, though, Kronos hit the button to the roof.

“So this is what my son has become,” Hades began. He spat at Nico's feet. “A whore. Just look at you, covered in all that paint and barely wearing anything.” Nico wrapped his arms around himself. “You look disgusting.”

The doors opened, and Clarisse and Ethan dragged the man onto his feet. After they had Hades walking on the roof, Kronos stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against. He smiled at Nico as he fiddled with a ring on his finger. It was very similar to the one Percy wore, though his had a gold stone in it.

Nico slowly stepped out of the elevator, the air instantly making him feel dizzy. Hades was still yelling at him.

“You're a whore! A sick whore. What is this place anyways?” He asked, jerking his head between the two Lost Kids holding him. He sneered at Nico as he caught sight of the boy again. “You should have just died on the streets, would have been more respectable than this.”

It stung, hearing his father say these things. He had heard some rough things from his father the night he had yet, but nothing this extreme. He wrapped his arms around himself. “You're the one that tossed me out,” he mumbled.

Hades growled. “You show up to your mother's funeral a whore,” the man spat out. Kronos seemed to be entertained, twisting the ring on his finger. “You disrespectful, abomination of a son.” He spat at Nico's feet again. “How many people have you let violate you?”

Kronos nodded towards the side of the building. Nico's heart skipped a beat. No, Kronos wouldn't do that, would he? He watched in horror as Ethan wrapped some rope around Hades's leg. Clarisse smirked as she twisted a crank and lifted the man off the ground.

But all sympathy was thrown over the edge by what Hades said next. “If only your mother could see you now, you whore.”

Something snapped in Nico right then. Rearing his hand back, he sent his fist flying into his father's jaw. The man dangled there, just barely at level with Nico's face, and blinked in surprise. Nico's dark gaze pierced the man. “You're the reason I ended up here, you tossed me out on the streets! And how dare you even speak to me about my mother, when you're off fucking the woman that was married to the man that hit Mom!”

Hades's eyes flashed with anger. “You disgusting, little-” Something dawned on his father's face as he furrowed his brow. “Who told you that she was married to the man that hit your mother?”

Nico pursed his lips. Oh no, he thought. What if his father found out Bianca knew Nico was here? What if he told her what Nico was? He swallowed a lump in his throat.

“Answer me!” Hades yelled. “Nico di-”

He never finished that sentence. Nico looked up to find Kronos pointing a gun directly at his father's face. “Your voice is starting to annoy me,” the young man hissed.

Nico had never seen his father afraid of anything, but a gun pointed at his face quickly shut him up. He was very quiet, silently watching the gun as he spun back and forth in the air. Clarisse shifted the small harness that was tied to Hades, dangling the man over the edge of the building.

Kronos lightly waved the gun in the man's face. “Mr. di Angelo, I don't particularly care for my business to be interrupted in such a manner. Your son belongs to the hotel now, and I expect our clients to not break anything that is in the hotel.” He tilted his head to the side. “I could care less what you feel like calling your son, just don't interrupt one of his performances. It's bad for business.”

With his lips tilted up into a disturbing smirk, Kronos pulled a knife out of his pocket. Nico's eyes went wide as he flipped the blade out. But, instead of jabbing it into Hades, Kronos offered it to Nico. The Lost Boy looked down at it like it might burn him if he touched it. When Kronos saw this, he shoved the blade in Nico's hand with a scowl.

“Here's your options, Nico,” Kronos said in an icy voice. “You're going to use that knife. You're either going to stab your father or cut the rope that is holding him up.” Nico looked up at the young man with surprise. Kronos's lips tilted back up into a grin. “Pick.”

Nico looked down at the knife again. He briefly looked to his father, who was glaring at him. The gun was still pointed at him, so it was not like Hades was about to say anything harsh to him again. Gulping, Nico shook his head. “I...can't.”

“Can't isn't an option.” Kronos pulled the gun away from Hades's face and slipped it back into its holster. He slowly walked behind Nico. “Just do it,” he whispered in Nico's ear like a snake. He gripped Nico's face and forced the boy to look at his father. “Just look at him, so vulnerable. He's done nothing but torment you, and think about how little he must have cared about your poor mother. You're just going to forgive him? It would just be so easy to cut that rope.”

Nico found it hard to breathe as he looked between his father and the knife. His father was an asshole, but he didn't deserve to die, Nico reminded himself. If he died, who would take care of Bianca? He didn't want her to end up at the hotel as well. Nico didn't want that for her, she deserved so much better.

She could always live with Daedalus, a dark voice in the back of Nico's mind reminded him. Minerva would take care of her. She didn't need their poor excuse for a father.

Nico's nearly black eyes flickered up to his father's face in a cold stare. His ears picked up on the noise of the straining rope and he glanced at it. It strained against his father's weight. Just a small cut would be all that was needed to send his father to the ground below. Just one.

“Do it,” Kronos hissed into Nico's ear.

Nico shut his eyes. “Shut up!” He yelled. His fist tightened around the hilt of the knife. When he looked at his father again, Nico saw the fear that was there. Good, Nico thought, let him be afraid. He looked back to the rope.

“Do it,” Kronos said, more loudly than the last. “Just one cut, that's all it would take. Do it, Nico. You know you want to. This is what you wanted. Think about all the suffering he has caused you. He never cared about your mother or you. He probably doesn't even care about your sister.” The manager gripped Nico's shoulder. “You're only giving him what he deserves.”

Nico was unable to breath. He shut his eyes tight and clenched the knife tight in his hand. Letting out a yell, the boy swung his arm out towards his father's leg.

Hades let out a howl of pain as the dagger was embedded into his leg. Nico glared in anger at his father, twisting the knife roughly. He gritted his teeth as he slowly pulled the blade down half an inch. “Stay out of my life,” he growled at the man.

Kronos smirked and snapped his fingers. Clarisse swung Hades's body back over the roof and lowered him, where Ethan untied the man. Kronos inspected his nails. “I trust that you can see yourself out peacefully,” he said to Hades. When the man began to limp away, the manager turned his attention to Clarisse and Ethan. “See him out, won't you?” The took a few steps before Kronos added, “And make sure he takes the stairs.”

Nico still held the knife in his hand. He gave it a dull look before dropping it to the ground. He felt numb. He wasn't exactly angry anymore, but he didn't really feel scared about what he had just done. His dull eyes blinked at the bloody blade on the rooftop.

Kronos reached out and ran his fingers underneath Nico's chin. With a grin, he tilted the boy's face up. “That's better.” Leaning in, the manager's smile fell away. “If your father ever becomes a problem for me again, I'll make you put that knife in his heart.”

Nico smacked the young man's hand away. “Leave me alone. I didn't need your help.”

Kronos's dull eyes burned into Nico. “You think I was helping you?” He chuckled coldly. “My dear Nico, I don't help people. You think I cared about those bullies? They can call you whatever name they want, as long as you are presentable to work.” He nodded to where Hades had gone. “And your father? That man is insufferable. I don't understand why you didn't just run away before he tossed you out. He doesn't belong here.” He gripped Nico's jaw roughly. “But if he ever causes a problem for me again, I expect you to kill him. People should deal with their own problems, not rely on someone else to do it for them.” Sneering at Nico, Kronos hit him with the back of his hand. “If you haven't learned your lesson from this, feel free to let me know. Do your job, or get back on the streets.”

Nico glared up at Kronos, wiping at his lip. “Maybe I should let Percy decide that.” Nico pressed his thumb to his lip before pulling it back. Blood. “You're only here temporarily, Percy is still in charge here. And maybe I should just tell him how you've been treating all of us. I don't think he'd appreciate you letting my father or Mrs. Castellan come to the hotel.” Nico smirked when Kronos turned his back to him. “Or what about what you just made me do?” Nico shook his head. “Or maybe even forcing us all into the kink rooms.”

There was a heavy silence between the two of them. Nico's chest was still heaving as he stared at the manager's back. But all of his resolve crumbled when he heard Kronos laugh. The young man turned around, laughing. It was so cold, so heartless. It sent shivers down Nico's spine.

“You could do that, sure.” Kronos stepped closer to Nico and pulled out a thumb drive from his pocket. “But I could also send Percy this footage from the night you took those drugs. I feel like he would be very interested to see it.” Nico's face paled. “It would be so...unfortunate if Percy were to get it, don't you think?” He stared down at Nico like a snake about to strike its prey. “How disappointed would Percy be that his favorite toy broke one of his rules?” His icy smile returned as he leaned in towards Nico. “Go ahead, tell him. See if it works out in your favor.”

Kronos's laughter filled the night sky in a way that caused Nico to cringe. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe as Kronos turned around and walked off, leaving him alone on the roof.


	42. Nico Has A Thing For Blonds

Nico was woken up even earlier than he normally would during a school day. He groaned and knocked the hand away that was trying to shake him. “What?” He mumbled, rolling onto his stomach. He just wanted to sleep. Tomorrow was his last day of being suspended from school, and all he really wanted to do was relax as much as possible. Last night had been extremely stressful.

But it seemed it just wasn't meant to be. Once again, Nico felt himself being shaken awake. He cracked an eye open to find Jason frowning down at him. “You need to wake up,” the blond said softly.

Rubbing his eyes, Nico glanced towards the window. It was still dark, the sun barely up. Why was he expected to be up at this hour? Nico didn't even wake up this early to go to school. Sitting up, the covers fell off of the raven-haired boy. “What's going on?”

Jason's expression remained solemn. “You need to get down to the lobby.” That didn't sound very appeasing to Nico. “Your sister is here, and you need to calm her down before Kronos wakes up and finds her here.”

A heavy lump quickly formed in Nico's throat. Oh no, he thought. His father had told Bianca, hadn't he? He rubbed his arms as goosebumps slowly formed on his skin there. Pursing his lips, Nico practically fell out of bed. Jason helped him up and Nico quickly slipped on a shirt and some cotton shorts. Not even bothering with his shoes, Nico grabbed his wallet and made a dash for the door.

His pulse went into overtime as he took the elevator down to the lobby. It was still quiet on the Lost Kids' floor, as most were still asleep. Nico wanted someone to need an elevator, causing his ride down to take longer. He wasn't sure he was ready to have this conversation with his sister just yet, if it did indeed turn out to be because of what his father found out. But there was no way it couldn't be, Nico just knew it.

And he was right.

Bianca was heavily pacing the lobby when he arrived. Nico's face went pale as she spotted him and made a straight line for him. This was bad. She looked angry, just like she had the night their father had kicked Nico out. He couldn't help but flinch when she stopped a foot away from him.

She let out a long breath, covering her face with her hands. “Nico,” Bianca said softly, “please tell me it isn't true?”

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “I—what do you mean?”

His sister took a firm grip on his chin, tilting Nico's face up to look at her. “Nico, this isn't a joke.” Her eyes burned into him with an intense fire. Whether it was directed at him or not, Nico couldn't say. “Are. You. Stripping?”

It took Nico a moment to even process the question in his head. This was the last conversation he wanted to have with his sister, but it was also the one he feared would be inevitable. “I...” Nico closed his eyes and nodded.

Bianca buried her face in her hands and turned away from her brother. “Nico, why? How could you not tell me?” She turned around, her face red. “You are underage, Nico!”

“Shh!”

“Don't shush me.” Bianca smacked his hand away when he tried to grab her. “You're my brother, and too young to be doing something like this. You don't need to do this! Why haven't you told me?”

“Because, I knew you'd get mad,” Nico whispered.

“Of course I would!” Bianca shook her head. “You could have stayed with Daedalus! And Percy...” Her eyes narrowed. “He better be thankful that he's not here.” She pursed her lips as she looked Nico over. “I can't believe he would do something like this.”

“I-” Nico wasn't sure he could handle telling his sister that it had been his decision. At least not yet. “Bianca, can we please go somewhere else to talk?”

“Why?” She practically yelled.

Nico flinched. “Because, I don't want either of us to get in trouble,” he whispered. Bianca didn't budge. “Please.”

Letting out a sigh, Bianca nodded. Nico took her to the second floor's gym, where the guy's used to practice with him. It was quiet for a long time, and Nico paced around. He didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to tell her? When Nico turned to face Bianca again, he found tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Nico, this isn't you. This isn't what you need to be doing. You're smart, you have potential, you don't have to go around selling your body. We can figure something out for you.”

“Bianca, I'm fine,” Nico whispered, rubbing his arm.

“No, you're not. This isn't okay, Nico. Stop making it out to be something normal.” Her brow furrowed as she looked at him. “I just...I don't even know what to think right now. To think that I've been blind to this the whole time.” She let out a breath, grabbing her brother's wrist. “Come on, we're going to go upstairs and get your things.”

Nico didn't budge when she tried to leave with him. She looked back at him in confusion. The Lost Boy quietly shook his head, his lips tilted down. “No,” he whispered. He finally looked up with a firm stare. “I'm not going.”

“Nico,” Bianca began, but Nico cut her off.

“I'm not going, Bianca.” He pulled his arm away from his sister. “I'm fine, really. I know I could have probably asked Daedalus to let me stay with him, but I didn't.” Swallowing a lump in his throat, Nico shook his head. “This was my own decision, my mistake.”

Bianca stood there, frozen. “You...you chose to do this?” Her lips parted in shock. “Nico, why?” When he didn't answer, she shook her head. “It doesn't matter. You don't have to live with your mistakes, Nico. We can still get you out of here.”

Looking down, Nico balled up his fists. “I don't want to go.”

Bianca shook her head. “I just want to take care of you. You don't have to do this.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

Nico's lips tilted down, refusing to look up at his sister. “I...can't go.” He bit down on his lip. “This place is a mess right now. I don't want to abandon the others. They helped and took care of me when I needed it. Sure it's not ideal, and they've done some things to hurt me, but the others here have sort of become a family to me.”

Bianca reached out and touched his shoulder. “And what about me?”

The Lost Boy couldn't help but smile at her. “You'll always be my sister, B. But I just can't abandon them right now.”

His sister let out a long sigh, shaking her head. “I don't like the thought of you resorting to this kind of thing in order to survive.” Her shoulders slumped. “What happened to my little brother that wouldn't even let mom take a picture of him without his shirt?”

A soft chuckle escaped the brown-eyed boy's lips. “I guess I'm just...changing.” His gaze softened and he hugged her. “I'm fine, Bianca, really.”

“I'm just...disappointed.” That stung. Yet again, Nico felt like that was all he was good at. But Bianca hugged him tighter. “But that doesn't change the fact that I still love you.” She leaned in, wiped her face, and whispered in her brother's ear. “If you ever change your mind, I'll be here to come and get you.”

Nico gave a small nod as she pulled away. “I know you would.” He squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

A few more tears slid down the girl's cheek as she ran her fingers through her little brother's hair. “I just want to protect you, but you're growing up. I suppose it's time for me to let you make your own decisions now, regardless of how I feel about them.” She blew out a breath. “Just...I don't think I should be around the others right now, especially not Percy. This is...a lot to take in, and I don't think I'll be willing to look him in the eye without punching him for a while.”

Nico gave a nod. “I understand.”

Bianca grabbed his shoulders. “Just do me one favor,” she said. Nico quirked a brow at her. “Daedalus told me you have the option to graduate early. The deadline for that is not far off, so please go through with it. Graduate early and pick a good school with the money Percy gave you. You can leave all of this behind you and move on with your life.”

Closing his eyes, Nico nodded. “Okay,” he whispered.

The two siblings sat in the room talking for nearly an hour after that. As much as Nico hated it, he did lie to her on a few things, like when he told her that he had never gotten fully naked on stage. Or that there was any prostitution involved. There was no way Bianca would have let him stay if she knew that, regardless of how much Nico would have argued. Eventually, though, Bianca had to leave for school. She didn't say anything when he told her that he was going back to bed, which probably meant that Daedalus had told her about the fight.

When Bianca finally left, Nico dragged his feet back to the elevators and took the first one that arrived back up to his floor. He let out a yawn on the way up. He had a lunch shift today, since he wasn't able to go to school today, so Nico knew that he wouldn't be able to get much more sleep if he went back to bed. Didn't mean he wouldn't get what he could, though.

But as he got back to his room and went to lay down on his bed, Nico frowned at a strangely familiar noise. It had been a long time since he had heard it, but the Lost Boy recognized it as the sound of a Skype call. Quirking a brow, Nico slowly crawled off his bed and walked over to where he normally left his laptop. He must have forgotten to close it the last time he had used it. Which wasn't very often, if Nico was being honest with himself. There were some days he even questioned why he had gotten it.

Nico moved his finger across the touchpad, which lit up the screen. And, for a moment, Nico's heart stopped. It was from Percy. Grabbing his laptop, Nico sat down on his bed and accepted the call via video chat.

The screen of Nico's laptop was taken over by a lot of blue. It took Nico a moment to realize it was the curtains of a canopy bed. But more importantly, there was Percy's face. The young man sat back after adjusting something and smiled at Nico.

“Hi,” Percy said.

Nico's shoulders relaxed. “Hey,” he breathed out.

“I'm not waking you up, am I?”

Shaking his head, Nico smiled. “No, I've been up.”

Percy slowly nodded. “Okay.” His eyes flickered up. “I heard you got in a fight, wanted to make sure you were okay.” He chuckled. “I didn't believe it when Kronos told me, but I guess you did come out on top of the fight.” A faint grin spread out across Percy's lips as he shifted slightly. “Should I be worried about this new violent streak you have?”

Nico looked down, paling slightly. Had Kronos told him about the incident last night? “N-no. I was just-”

Percy chuckled. “Relax, Nico. I'm happy that you defended yourself.” He tilted his head to the side. “I was going to have a talk with Boreas when I got back, but Kronos assured me that he had the situation under control.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. He let out a breath. “So, how are you?”

While Percy did smile back at him, Nico could see the dark circles under his eyes. Percy looked exhausted. “I'm fine, just been busy.” It didn't do much to ease Nico's nerves. “Gaea's just had me busy, which is why I haven't had time to call anyone before now.” He smiled, which melted all of Nico's fears away. “But I just wanted to check up on you, especially after the fight.”

Nico let out a breath, nodding. “Do you...know when you'll be back?”

“No,” Percy mumbled. He gave the boy a lopsided smile. “Are you okay, though?”

Nico nodded, not really meeting Percy's gaze. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he muttered.

The smile slowly slipped off of Percy's lips and the young man tilted his head to the side. “Are you sure?” He frowned. “Did something happen?”

He tried not to, but Nico found himself chewing on his lip. “No,” he lied. “I'm fine, I promise.” Percy wasn't convinced, he could tell. “You know, it's just that some of the others are fighting a little. It's nothing to worry about, though.”

“Oh.” Percy blinked. “I hadn't heard. But it's not severe?”

Nico forced himself to smile, shaking his head. “No, we're fine. They'll sort it out.”

Percy looked over the the camera and Nico heard a door open. There was another voice, but Nico couldn't quite make it out. It did sound vaguely like Athena, though. Whatever it was about, Percy nodded. “Okay, just give me a minute.” The door closed and Percy turned his attention back to the Lost Boy on the computer. “I have to go in a second.”

Nico gave a small nod, trying to hold his smile in place. “I understand. I-we miss you.”

There was a brief silence, where Percy just sat there. But then he pursed his lips and offered the boy a lopsided smile. “I'll be back as soon as I can.” He let out a breath. “I'll talk to you later, Nico.”

“Bye,” Nico whispered.

When the call ended, Nico's smile disappeared. That had been more painful than he thought it would have been. It already hurt enough, not having Percy here. If Percy could just come back, the hotel could go back to normal and everything would be fine. But it didn't seem like that was going to happen anytime soon.

\-----------------------------------------

It was inevitable, Nico knew that, but it still did not make him feel any better at being in the kink rooms again. The entire floor gave him a very claustrophobic vibe, and it was not easy to see much of anything in the rooms. Mainly due to the colored lights, which made him have to squint in order to see anything distinctly.

When he had arrived, there had been a pair of black, leather underwear on the bed. Not the best way to enter a room, he thought. But Nico still put them on and waited. Looking down at himself, Nico had to wonder what would happen if Nico from a year ago walked in right then and saw him like this. There was no way he would have sat anywhere in just some leather underwear, regardless of if he was alone or not. But here he was, and it was happening.

The door opened and Nico turned his head to get his first look at his client.

Nico's eyes widened. Oh dear god, she was an Amazon. She reminded him of an older Clarisse, just not as scary. He paled as she just looked at him and pointed at the leather rack in the room. “There. Now,” she ordered in a thick Russian accent.

The color seemed to drain from Nico's face as he stood up. This woman was going to break him in half. As she strapped him to the thing, Nico had to wonder just what was going to happen. He wouldn't really be surprised if she got undressed and Nico found that she had a penis. Wouldn't surprise him at all.

Lucky for him, or perhaps unlucky as she did have a vagina, Nico watched her get into a leather suit and grab a whipping cane from the table. As she looked back at him with a grin, Nico felt sick. But he was now bound, so there was nowhere for him to go. Not that he probably could get away. If he tried, Nico could only imagine that she'd lift him up and carry him back into the room like some Barbarian.

“Let's see how red we can make that flesh of yours.”

Nico wanted to cringe, but his restraints didn't allow for it. Lucky for him, Leo had informed him that there wasn't really anything that he had to worry about as far as information gathering. He found himself very thankful for that now, since the woman might rip his head off for asking too many questions.

The Lost Boy gritted his teeth as the thin, black cane cracked against his stomach. How did people enjoy this? Sure Nico had enjoyed it rough with Luke, but this was just unpleasant. There was no pleasure for him in this. Another strike, this time to his chest. From there, she struck him across the back and on his legs. If she expected anything from him as far as sex was concerned, Nico hated to tell her that she wasn't gonna get it.

His body was far too sore by the tenth strike to get anything up, even with a pill. It was at this point that she ripped the back of his underwear and struck him across the ass. Letting out a hiss, Nico's body attempted to draw away from the woman the best it could. It didn't get very far, and the woman didn't seem very happy with.

“Stay still,” she growled, striking him across his butt again. Nico pursed his lips and nodded his consent. Anything to make her stop faster.

Nico did learn one thing while in the room: the woman seemed to feel superior to men. It was just a hunch, though.

“Tell me who is better,” she commanded as she struck Nico on the stomach again.

“You!” Nico yelped.

“That's right.” She pointed the cane in Nico's face, narrowing her eyes. “They told me I couldn't compete with the men, but I show them. I put them all to shame.”

Nico didn't like being this close to the scary woman. If she didn't break him, Nico was afraid she might try to have sex with him. He honestly didn't know which was worse. But by this point, Nico was fighting back tears.

“Bah,” she scoffed and put the cane down. “You puny boy, just like all other men.”

Nico's body was practically limp as he watched her change back into her clothes. He attempted to raise a questioning brow, but the Lost Boy honestly didn't have the energy. His entire body felt like it was on fire. Right before she left, the woman untied Nico's arms, where he fell to the floor.

The boy groaned as the straps around his legs caught while falling. She just scoffed at him again and left the room. Nico struggled to push himself up and he looked at the door. Was that it? He looked around for a second. Was she trying to trick him, or something? After thirty seconds had passed, Nico quickly untied his legs and got out of the underwear.

Slipping back into his clothes, Nico let out a hiss. Moving hurt, as did the feel of his clothes against his body. From what he could make out, his body was also severely covered in red marks. Whimpering slightly, Nico opened the door and slipped into the hall.

Clarisse looked up from where she sat behind a small desk, a bowl of popcorn in her lap. Some action movie was on the small TV she had with her, though the volume was turned down. “Have a good time?” She said with a grin.

Nico didn't have the energy to even glare at her. “My body hurts.” Nico practically collapsed on the desk. “But I don't understand, why did she just leave like that?”

Clarisse gave a shrug. “Just the way some customers are. We got some weirdos around here, let me tell you.”

The Lost Boy let out a hiss, his hand shooting down to his stomach. “What am I supposed to do about all these marks? What if they bruise?”

She arched a brow and stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth. “Have Will look at them.”

Nico gave a lazy nod. “Okay.” He tried to leave, but his body wouldn't cooperate.

“But he's seeing a client upstairs, so you'll just have to wait. Try his room. I think Apollo already left the top floor.”

“Will do,” Nico whispered, rubbing his neck.

As he dragged his feet towards the elevator, the doors opened and Chris stepped out. He stopped when he noticed Nico. “You look like you just came from a five hour run.” The young man tilted his head to the side when he noticed Nico limping. “Customer must have been good,” he chuckled.

“Didn't even have sex,” Nico groaned.

“He just got whipped,” Clarisse said casually.

Nico let out a hiss as Chris lifted up his shirt for inspection. The brunet let out a low whistle. “I'd get that looked at.” Nico nodded. The young man smiled and patted him on the head, which was the only place really safe to touch Nico. “Have a good night, Nico.”

“Thanks,” Nico muttered as he boarded the elevator.

As the doors closed, Nico's eyes flickered up to watch Chris sit down beside Clarisse, tossing an arm around her. He smiled a little as the elevator began to go up. At least there was still some happiness around here. Still, the Lost Kids as a whole did not look good. Nico wasn't sure what was going to happen to them. It didn't seem like Percy was going to be back anytime soon, so were they just going to tear each other apart. Was no one going to stop it?

Arriving on their floor, Nico walked down to Apollo's door and knocked. It took a few seconds, but the blond eventually opened the door with a green bottle in his hand. “You look like shit,” the blond greeted him.

Nico mustered up a glare before slipping past the older Lost Boy. “I need to see Will. I just got through with a client that wanted to whip me.”

“Damn.” Apollo motioned to the couch, which was when Nico noticed that Calypso was also there. The girl smiled over at the two of them. “He should be back soon, if you don't mind waiting.”

Nico nodded and sat down beside the Lost Girl. Apollo grabbed a few more bottles from the kitchen before sitting down on the other side of Nico and leaned against the arm of the couch. Without saying anything to the other Lost Boy, the blond pulled Nico to lean against his chest. Nico was about to complain, but then Apollo began to massage his shoulders. Who was he to complain then?

Calypso picked up one of the bottles that Apollo had gotten from the kitchen and uncapped it. Nico silently watched the girl as she raised the bottle to her lips and took a long swig. Nico was about to fall asleep, when Apollo finally spoke.

“So, how goes the war?”

Calypso rolled her eyes and took another drink. “Drew is like a child. I mean, she doesn't even realize when she's being offensive.”

Nico stretched out his legs, letting his head fall onto the blond's shoulder. Apollo's hand came up and began to massage the boy's hair. “How's Piper doing?”

The Lost Girl let out a breath. “I think she's too angry to feel upset right now.”

“What happened anyways?” Nico mumbled.

Calypso gave him a warm smile, reaching over to run her fingers through his hair. “It was just something Drew said to Piper about her father. I was already irritated with Drew, so I told her that she was probably too insecure to let people see her without makeup.”

More petty quarreling. From what Nico had gathered, this was the case for most of the fights between the Lost Kids. Only a few actually had severe and understandable events that had initiated them. As Nico was not wanting to get into his own argument, he decided to keep his opinions to himself. “I mean, is that true?”

Calypso gave him a curious look. She sighed and shrugged. “Possibly. More than likely.”

Apollo deposited his empty bottle on the table in front of them before grabbing another. Before uncapping, though, the blond held it out to Nico. “Want one?”

Nico stared at the bottle being held in front of his face. His last drinking experience had not turned out well at all, and he really didn't want to disappoint Percy again. But he couldn't lie, the bottle did sound appealing. The others used it to take their minds off things, so why couldn't Nico?

It was then that something dawned on him. Percy's order had never been to not drink, had it? No, Percy had only told him not to develop a drinking problem. And there it was, laying out in front of him. Dionysus was right about one thing, Percy really did have hidden meanings. It was never that Percy wanted Nico to refrain from drinking alcohol, but rather that he didn't want Nico to become an alcoholic.

Nico briefly wondered if Percy knew everything about his father. Did Percy know that Hades used to have a drinking problem? Nico scoffed. Used to. He said it like the man had done it so long ago, yet the man had been drinking a few times during the week that Nico had finally came out to him.

And why would Percy consider drinking wrong anyways? Nico shook his head. He felt stupid for not realizing this sooner. Percy would never tell him to refrain from drinking, as it wasn't something Percy viewed as wrong. Because it wasn't wrong. Nico had never really believed it was wrong himself, but perhaps he just didn't want to turn out like his father. But as long as it didn't become an issue, Nico didn't see why he couldn't drink every now and then.

Without saying anything, Nico slowly reached out and accepted the green bottle from Apollo. It surprised the blond at first, but he eventually smiled and grabbed another bottle for himself. Nico raised his bottle to his lips. The taste was a little stout, and burned a little. Nico briefly made a face before taking another drink.

He had no intention on getting drunk, but it did help the boy take his mind off things for a little while. And that was really all he could ask for. The hotel had felt so hectic ever since Percy left, and it was nice to just escape from it all for a few moments.

“How is it?” Calypso asked after a few drinks.

“Not bad.” Nico tilted his head back to look at the blond behind him. “What's in it?”

Apollo grinned and slid an arm around Nico's waist. “Some vodka and fruit. Good, yeah?”

Nico nodded and tilted the bottle back again. He sipped at it mostly. It did scare him a little, but mostly because Nico didn't want to turn out like his father. But at the same time, something like that shouldn't keep him from doing something. He just needed to remind himself that he was nothing like his father.

After taking another sip, Nico looked up at Apollo. “Can I ask your opinion on something?”

The blond blinked down at him. “What's up, buddy?”

Nico let out a breath. “Is this fighting going to keep going? Don't you think it's getting out of hand? You, Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia should put a stop to it all.”

Apollo pursed his lips and took another drink. “I don't know what to tell you there,” the blond whispered. “I don't have answer for that, Nico. Probably whenever one of us can grow up enough to get everyone to put their differences aside.”

“Not a very easy task,” Calypso mumbled.

The blond nodded in agreement. “On the bright side, at least the blame isn't being directed at you, Nico.” Nico glared at him. Apollo let out a chuckle. “I'm just being honest. Now it seems other things are bringing out everyone's issues.”

“If we don't kill each other before that happens.”

The Lost Boy knocked his bottle together with Calypso's. “True enough.” He let out a sigh. “I mean, the only other possibility that I can see is that Percy comes back.”

Yeah, because that was going to happen soon, Nico thought bitterly. Nico shook his head with another sip of his drink. His eyes drifted up when there was a noise at the door. The faint click of a keycard unlocking the door was heard right before the handle turned.

Will stepped inside, arching an eyebrow at the three on the couch when he noticed them. “Are we having a party?”

“Something like that,” Apollo mumbled, finishing off his drink.

Will smirked at seeing the bottle in Nico's hand. “Having another go at the whole drinking experience, eh?”

Nico's lips tilted down. “Rough day,” the youngest Lost Boy muttered.

Will chuckled and walked over to the couch. He bent over and plucked the bottle out of Nico's hands before taking a small sip. Nico glared up at him as the blond handed the bottle back to him. Nico would have complained about the whole thing, but Will looked exhausted. He also had a contagious yawn that slowly spread from person to person in the suite.

Catching Nico's gaze, Will nodded towards his room. “Can we talk for a minute?”

Nico quietly nodded and deposited his bottle on the table. Apollo shot Will a grin as the blond disappeared down the hall, which earned him the bird in response. Calypso smiled and waved at Nico before the boy could follow after the younger blond.

Once inside Will's room, the blond shut the door. Nico's eyes flickered down when the blond wasted no time in ridding himself of his shirt and shorts. The blond briefly disappeared into his closet before returning dressed in a sleeveless green shirt and white cotton shorts. Will plopped down on the bed, though he did not look at Nico. Letting out a sigh, Will ran a hand through his hair.

“Are you mad at me?”

Nico leaned back, resting on his elbows. He tilted his head to the side to meet the blond's gaze. “I talked with Luke.” Will pursed his lips. Nico let out a sigh. “Why are you fighting with him over me? You shouldn't be jealous.”

“I can't help it,” Will muttered. Nico watched as the tan blond picked at his sheets. “I just thought that...with Percy gone...maybe I stood a chance.” Will let his head fall back with a groan. “That sounds horrible, like I'm glad he's gone. I'm not. I just...didn't feel like I stood a chance with him around.” He let out a chuckle. “And, I mean, it's Percy. I can't feel jealous of Percy, he's always looked after me.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well you shouldn't feel jealous of Luke either. Nothing is going on between the two of us.” The boy's cheeks lit up at the memory of the previous day. “Well, nothing serious. Nothing romantic.”

The blond's brow furrowed. “Did you...?” He trailed off. Nico was quiet, but his blush gave him away. Will's shoulders slumped. “Oh. I just want a chance, Nico. That's all I'm asking for.” The blond Lost Boy's gaze softened and his lips formed into a pout. “Just give me a chance, at least until Percy comes back. If you still want Percy by then, I'll back off.”

Why was it that Nico's love life seemed to be insane ever since he arrived at the hotel? Back when he was still at home, Nico never really got attention from guys. And now he was having a hard time keeping up with all of them.

Letting out a breath, Nico collapsed on the bed beside the blond. Will smiled over at him and pulled the raven-haired boy closer. Nico didn't struggle, instead sliding his arm around Will's back. The blond's arms engulfed him, pulling the small boy into the firm chest in front of him. Nico let out a sigh. He liked Will, he did, but there was just something that nagged at him from the back of his mind.

It wasn't Percy, Nico knew that much. Well, perhaps part of it was because of Percy, but there was something else. Nico just couldn't put his finger on it.

Still, Will made him feel warm and safe, and it felt easier than with Percy. The green-eyed young man was something far from obtainable, something that there was no way to get unless one worked for it. Will just came naturally. It was nice, almost peaceful.

Nico hummed a little as Will's fingers slid under his shirt and traced across Nico's soft, pale back. The blond chuckled when Nico let out a groan. “Your back is tense.”

“No shit,” Nico mumbled into the warm chest in front of him.

“Do you want a massage?”

Like he would turn that down? Nico wasted no time complying. He rolled onto his stomach, while Will sat down on his butt. Nico's shirt was tugged over his head. Will leaned forward and chuckled in Nico's ear, but Nico found himself too distracted by what was now pressing against his ass. Will hummed lightly as his hands began to work on the smaller boy's shoulders. A long moan escaped the youngest Lost Boy's lips as the blond worked his way down Nico's back.

“I see you were in the kink rooms tonight,” Will whispered. Nico gave a small nod. The blond jumped off his back. Nico frowned and tilted his head to locate the blond, who was pulling out some lotion. He smiled at Nico briefly before going to the door. “I'll be right back.”

Nico could hear the sink running from the bathroom. Then there were footsteps, though Will didn't come back to the room. Judging by the sounds of it, Will had gone to the living room, since Nico could hear Apollo and Calypso talking to Will. After that, the blond finally returned with a wet washcloth and a bowl of ice.

Nico quirked his head. “What's all this for?”

Will slid onto the bed, depositing everything he had gotten next to Nico. “Well,” the blond began, “the lotion has some epsom salts in it to help you relax. Then I got this warm washcloth to help improve the circulation, while the ice is to help reduce swelling and visibility.” The cloth was pressed to Nico's back. “These need to heal as fast as possible.”

Nico's body felt like jelly as Will went through his routine. He started with Nico's back. First, the blond pressed the warm cloth to each bruise that Nico had acquired from the insane woman from earlier. From there, Will applied the lotion and massaged it into Nico's back. It was a little rough, but Nico supposed that was from the salts that the blond had said was mixed into it.

Will then instructed Nico to roll onto his back, so that the blond could take care of the boy's chest. After that was done, Will grinned. He placed a kiss on Nico's stomach, slipping the boy out of his shorts. Nico just blinked up at him, not really certain if he wanted it to stop or not. Will reached out and took an ice cube from the bowl beside Nico's head.

Nico shivered as the ice was trailed down his stomach. Will grinned up at him, following the cold with his warm kisses. Nico eventually had to roll onto his stomach again, so that Will could take care of his back. The ice sent shivers all throughout his skin, while the warmth of Will's mouth sent euphoric explosions all throughout Nico's entire being. He didn't even notice that Will was sliding his boxer-briefs off until he felt one of the blond's hand slide along his bare ass.

Not that he stopped the blond after realizing it.

Will picked up another ice cube and grinned down at Nico again. Nico's eyes fluttered closed as the ice was trailed down Nico's spine. And then lower. It kept going until the blond slid it along the crack of Nico's ass. Will's tongue followed after it, licking at the wet trail the ice had left behind.

Will laid down on Nico's back, though he made sure to keep most of his weight off of the bruised boy's back. Nico rolled his head to the side and Will captured his lips with his own. Nico rolled over and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck, while Will slid his hands along the raven-haired boy's sides.

Nico's hands mindlessly worked on getting the blond's shorts off, while Will rid himself of his shirt. Nico broke their kiss to get a look at the body that lay in front of him. And he was not disappointed. Will was lean, but he was also one of the Lost Boys with the least muscle. Not that Nico minded, he didn't really care for too much muscle. In truth, Will's body reminded Nico a lot of Percy's body with its lean and swimmer-like structure.

The next thing Nico knew, Will was on top of him. Small kisses were placed along the brown-eyed boy's neck as the blond wrapped Nico's legs around his waist. Part of Nico's mind screamed for him to stop it before it went too far, the other part told the first part to shut up and let it happen.

Take a guess at which part won the argument.

One of Nico's hands tangled in Will's hair, his other hand trailed fingers down the blond's lean torso. Will pulled back with a small smile. “Can you get a condom and some lube from my nightstand?”

Nico quirked a brow, but complied. He rolled onto his stomach and slid up the bed a little to reach the drawer. As his fingers made contact with a condom, Nico's eyes snapped open with a gasp. Will had taken the opportunity to spread Nico's cheeks apart and press his tongue against the boy's entrance. With a chuckle, Will pulled back and groped the brown-eyed boy's ass.

“You have a really nice ass.”

Nico rolled his eyes and grabbed the bottle of lube. “Here.”

He went to roll back over, but Will held him in place and pressed his tongue against Nico's entrance again. Nico's fingers tightened in the sheets as Will prepared him with his tongue. During this time, Will reached out and grabbed the bottle of lube from where it laid on the bed. Snapping the bottle open, Will applied some of the clear gel to his fingertips. Pulling back, Will pressed a brief kiss to Nico's lower back.

Nico was rolled onto his back, where Will inserted the first finger. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol in his system, but Nico didn't really feel any pain as Will stretched him out. He wasn't drunk, not even tipsy, but he did feel a slight buzz.

Will kissed him again. “Do you want to stop? I'll understand, since you had a client earlier.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “She and I never did anything,” the boy panted. “And you're one to talk, you literally just got back from your own client.”

The way Will grinned at him made Nico melt a little. “Yeah, but I actually want to have it with you. Besides, I'm still young.” Nico arched a brow at him. “Okay, and I didn't actually get off with her.”

Nico chuckled as they kissed again. “Well, maybe we should fix that.”

“I think I like this change.”

After applying a second finger and managing to find Nico's prostate, Will slid on the condom and spread Nico's legs. There was a dull ache that coursed through Nico's lower half as Will slid into Nico. The brown-eyed boy opened his mouth in a moan, which Will used as an opportunity to slide his tongue into the younger boy's mouth.

Nico's fingers gripped the blond's hair as the other Lost Boy finished sheathing himself. A moan escaped Nico's lips with the first real thrust. “You okay?” Will whispered when Nico clung tightly to the blond's back. Nico gave a small nod. Smiling, Will leaned down and kissed the boy's forehead.

Out of all the sexual encounters Nico had experienced so far, Will definitely touched him the most. But it didn't feel as calculated as with Percy. Will was beyond affectionate with his caresses, but something was different. Every touch from Percy could set a fire within Nico's body. Every little touch and motion with Percy always had an affect on the boy. It was like Percy knew what Nico wanted, while Will was just being overall caring. And neither of them were as rough as Luke. In fact, quite the opposite was the case with Will.

Nico smiled up at the blond. “You can go faster.”

Will kissed his chest. “I don't want to hurt you.”

Wrapping his legs tighter around the blond, Nico pulled Will's hips forward. The blond's head fell against Nico's chest in a moan. “I'm not made of glass, Will,” Nico panted.

Will's fingers dug into Nico's hips as the blond thrust forward before pulling back out. During all of this, Will ran a hand along Nico's inner thigh, slowly moving to wrap a hand around Nico's member. Reaching up, Nico placed his hand on the back of the blond's neck and pulled him down for a long kiss.

The slightly older Lost Boy remained at an agonizingly slow pace, though. Nico's head fell back with a mix of a groan and moan. It was beyond frustrating that Will wouldn't go faster, but at the same time, it felt incredible. In a lot of ways, it was what Nico had been seeking all this time. He knew that Will could probably care for him and look after him, it reflected through all of the blond's affection towards the raven-haired boy. But that didn't stop the nagging in the back of Nico's mind.

Though, the constant kisses he received with each thrust was pretty nice. Running his fingers into the back of Nico's hair, Will finally picked up the pace a little. Not much, but it was better than nothing. Nico found it hard to keep his eyes open. Not because it hurt or anything, but because Will stared at him the whole time. It wasn't a bad thing, it just made Nico feel self-conscious. Those blue eyes stared down at him with such intensity.

Will finally lifted Nico's legs onto his shoulders and leaned directly over the boy underneath him. Nico's mouth fell open in a quiet moan as the blond's erection made direct contact with his prostate. Will grinned before leaning down for another kiss. Nico moaned into the older boy's mouth as the blond wrapped a hand around his member and began to stroke him.

With another hit to Nico's prostate, Nico's mouth fell open and Will slid his tongue in. The blond's free hand wrapped underneath Nico's lower back, using it to pull Nico onto his cock. Nico's eyes scrunched closed as he kissed the blond back vigorously. And, with a final thrust, Nico's head fell back as he reached his climax. At the same time that the door opened.

“Hey, do either of you want-” Apollo froze as Nico let out a moan and shot his essence on his stomach. Will pressed his hands on either side of Nico, panting heavily. He tossed his head to the side to glare at his roommate. “Um, never mind.”

Will dropped beside Nico as the door shut, chuckling lightly. Nico let out a breath, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't like it was the first time someone had walked in on him during sex. He supposed it was just karma getting back at him for walking in on everyone else. Will chuckled and let out a breath before reaching over the edge of the bed to grab a towel.

Nico reached up for it, but Will batted his hand away. The blond kissed Nico as he wiped the pale boy's stomach clean. After he was done, Will pulled off the used condom and tossed it in the trash. With a groan, the blond fell back on the bed and draped an arm across the raven-haired boy's chest. Nico smiled as he slid his fingers along Will's arm.

“I feel like I could sleep for a few days,” the blond mumbled into Nico's shoulder. Nico smiled and rolled his head to the side. The blond laid on his stomach, his cheek pressed firmly into the mattress and one arm wrapped around Nico. This also gave Nico a spectacular view of his friend's ass. A perfect ten, by the way. Nico had yet to find a swimmer or surfer that didn't have a nice butt.

Nico rolled over, so that part of his chest lay across Will's back. His fingertips slowly trailed their way across the blond's smooth back. Will hummed in contentment.

“You're welcome to sleep here.”

Nico smiled. “That sounds really tempting, you have no idea.” He let out a sigh. “But it's just been a really long day, and I kind of want some time to myself to do some thinking.”

Will gave a slow nod before rolling onto his back and enveloping Nico into a hug. “Well, if you need me, don't hesitate to call.”

Nico dropped his head onto the older Lost Boy's chest. “Thanks. And I mean that for being there and what just happened.”

Will chuckled. “It was my pleasure. I'm just happy to get a chance.”

“I just don't want to lead you on. I don't want to end up hurting someone.”

“I know,” Will whispered. He ran his fingers through Nico's dark locks. “I'm a big boy, though.” Grinning, the blond's hands came down onto Nico's ass and squeezed. “I guess you should get going then.”

Nico sighed before getting onto his knees. Will smirked as his cerulean eyes trailed down the pale boy's body. Just a few months ago, Nico would have found himself extremely uncomfortable at being so exposed, but it didn't really bother him at all right now. He quickly leaned down for a brief kiss.

After getting dressed, Nico exited Will's room. Calypso was already gone, but Apollo sat on the couch with a sheet of paper. Nico quirked a brow. “Whatcha doing?”

The blond looked up. “Just writing some music.” He shook his head. “Nothing really important.” A sly grin appeared. “So, you two finally did the deed.”

“I suppose so,” Nico whispered. The boy shook his head. “Now only you and Octavian can't say you've been with me.”

Apollo winked at him. “Let's keep in mind that I was the first to get you out of your clothes. Besides, you told me that you'd let me know when you were willing to try having sex with people other than Percy.”

Nico gave a nod. “I did say that.” He shook his head with a smirk. “We'll see. I just...” his smile slowly faded away, “need to do some thinking. A lot on my mind.” He bit down on his lip. “Have you ever felt like you were losing yourself?”

Apollo tilted his head to the side, setting the paper in his lap aside. “Everything okay there, Nico?” The blond's lips tilted down. “We've kind of been getting worried about you, what with your new behavior lately.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. He let out a sigh. “Maybe I'm just meant to turn out like everyone else.”

The young man on the couch stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think that's still your decision to make, dude.”

“Am I a horrible person?” Nico's hand clung tightly to his shirt, unwilling to look up from the floor. “I'm a little scared of what I'm becoming. What if I turn out just like my father?”

Nico's eyes widened as a pair of arms enveloped him. “Nico, I don't think you are capable of turning into your father.” The blond's tan hand griped the back of the boy's black hair. “No matter what you become, I wouldn't think any less of you. You're a good kid, Nico, and you have a good heart deep down.” He leaned back, tilting Nico's chin up. “I think that counts for something. If it's any consolation, I don't think you're too far gone to turn around if you chose.”

Nico stared up at the blond with wide. “You think so?”

A small smile crept across the blond's lips. “I do. I think you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, or perhaps stronger than you realize.” Rubbing Nico's back, Apollo let the boy go and walked him to the door. “Just...whatever path you choose, don't come to hate yourself. I think that's the worst thing you can do. Fall that far and...well, you'll end up like Percy.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. He brushed some of his hair out of his face before he stepped out the door. Turning around, he offered Apollo a weak smile. “Thank you.”

Apollo gave a nod. “Take care of yourself, Nico, and get some sleep.”

With that, Apollo shut the door. Nico took in a deep breath before walk towards his door. As he took out his keycard, the elevator dinged. Quirking his head to the side, Nico stopped in the hallway.

Butch walked around the corner. “Hi,” Nico greeted him.

The older Lost Boy stopped and blinked at Nico. “What are you still doing up, shortie?”

Nico blinked. “I could ask you the same question. It's like...” Nico pulled out his phone, “nearly four. You okay?”

“Yeah,” the muscular Lost Boy muttered. He sighed and turned to face Nico. “Just been doing some thinking, trying to clear my head. Went for a walk outside.”

Nico gave a small nod. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” Nico slipped his card back into his pocket. “Is it about all the fighting?”

A sigh escaped Butch's lips. “Partly. Part of it is my mother. I still feel so awkward around her. I don't know what to say to her half of the time.”

Nico ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I'm sure she's happy just getting to spend time with you.” A sad look overtook Nico's dark eyes. “I just wish I could have something like that with my mother now, even if it was strained.”

“I'm sorry,” Butch muttered.

Nico shook his head. “You don't have to apologize. It wasn't my fault, I know that. There wasn't anything I could have done. If I had told her, there was a chance she would have come looking for me. Or worse, she might have told my father.” Letting out a sigh, Nico looked up at the muscular Lost Boy. “I think you should keep at it. You might come to regret it if you don't.”

Butch frowned at the younger boy. “Nico, are you okay?”

Nico chuckled, though he kept his eyes hidden from the other Lost Boy. “Yeah, totally fine,” he lied. He pursed his lips tightly, willing himself not to cry. The smile remained in place on Nico's lips. “Trust me. I wasn't willing to even try with my mother.”

“Your father didn't need to find out,” Butch rationalized.

“But it's all okay now.” Nico smiled, his eyes still hidden. He clapped Butch on the arm before he faced his back to the taller Lost Boy. “My biggest regret is that I let her go to her grave, believing that her son might have been dead.”

A hand came to rest on Nico's shoulder. “I think your mother would understand, Nico. Don't beat yourself up over it.”

Nico finally looked up at Butch. His face was a mask, the smile eerily masking the feelings behind it. “Don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine,” he tried to reassure the young man.

“Yeah,” Butch whispered. His brow furrowed as he observed Nico's face. “If I didn't know better, I'd believe you. Nico, you don't need to keep all of this bottled up, man. It's not good for you.”

Nico slowly nodded, pulling his key back out and sliding it into its slot. “Yeah, because all of you are just experts at not doing that.”

Butch frowned as Nico opened his door. “I think you're in the worst argument out of all of us, Nico.” The brown-eyed boy frowned and turned his head to stare at Butch. “You might not have killed your father, but you're killing yourself. Beating yourself up is the worst fight to get in, because no one is going to criticize you as harshly as you will yourself.”

Butch disappeared into his suite, leaving Nico alone in the hallway. The raven-haired boy frowned and wrapped an arm around himself as he slipped into his own suite. Reaching up, Nico touched at his face. He felt cold and empty. Everything had fallen apart.


	43. A Birthday You Will Never Forget

“You're a man now. You've grown up on me. Next thing I know, I'm going to be bailing you out of jail for being drunk in public.”

Nico felt his eye twitch as he pried himself from Bianca's grasp. “I'm only seventeen, B.”

Patting him on the head, the boy's sister handed him her present. Nico smiled as he untied the green ribbon. As soon as he recognized what it was, Nico's cheeks flared up. From the box, Nico pulled out a small figurine.

Nico gave his sister an odd look. “This is Mythomagic, Bianca.”

The girl nodded with a giant smile. “It was the only one you never got, remember?”

Jason peered over Nico's shoulder with a raised brow. “What is it?”

“A figurine of Hades,” Nico mumbled. He sighed and scrunched his lips. He liked it, it was thoughtful. But it just made him think of his father. Nico would never understand how his grandparents could name their child after a Greek god. They were Italian, not Greek! Not wanting to disappoint his sister, the boy smiled. “Thank you.”

“Oh.” Bianca dug in her jeans. “Here, I brought you this, too.”

Nico's breath stilled. He could recognize that ring anywhere. The ring was made of pure silver, with a skull on the very top and two rubies for eyes. It used to belong to his grandfather before the man had died. It had since been with their father. Nico looked up with wide eyes. “What are you doing giving it to me? Dad would kill me if he knew I had it?”

Bianca scoffed. “Grandad always wanted you to have it, Dad was just too stubborn to ever give it to you.”

The raven-haired Lost Boy took in a deep breath before he slipped the ring on. He had always loved his grandparents, they weren't anything like his father. Back when they were still alive, Hades took them to Italy once a year to visit. But that had been back before they had died when Nico was like ten.

When Nico looked up, he found that Bianca was giving him an odd look. He blinked. “What?”

His sister frowned. “Are you limping?”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up. He shot Jason a glare when he heard the blond snort behind him. Bianca gave the boy a curious look, but Jason quickly looked away, whistling. As Nico continued to glare, a faint blush dusted over the blond's cheeks. “I wouldn't know how that could have happened,” Nico ground out, still glaring at the blond.

Earlier that morning, Jason had given Nico his present. That present happened to be birthday sex. Twice. Once in the bed, then Jason snuck into the shower with Nico. When Nico had questioned why Jason had done it after they were done, the blond had replied that everyone should get laid on their birthday. When Nico doubted him, the blond admitted that he was a little horny, but didn't want to go to the others to help relieve it. And so began Nico and Jason's awkward friendship.

Daedalus clapped Nico on the back with a grin. “Your brother applied for graduation today.”

Bianca shot her younger brother a knowing look, along with an appreciative smile. “Did he? Well, that's good to hear.” She slung an arm around him. “Now you just need to find yourself a university.”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered.

“But, you know, that other option is still open.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He chose to ignore the confused look from Daedalus. “I'm fine, I swear.”

Nico shot his roommate a look that screamed: help me! The blond chuckled and pulled out his keys. “Well, we need to get back. I think we're gonna throw a small party for your brother before work.”

This was the first Nico had heard of this, but at least Bianca agreed to let him go. She managed in one last hug before Nico could slide into Jason's car. Jason arched a brow at the box containing the figurine in Nico's lap.

“Dork,” he muttered.

Nico shot him a glare. “Jock.”

The blond wagged his brows. “You weren't complaining about it this morning.”

Nico rolled his eyes as Jason drove out of the parking lot. His gaze fell out the window, his lips tilting down. It had been about a week since Bianca had found out that Nico stripped, and he was already worried that she was going to keep persisting that Nico leave the hotel. Deep down, though, Nico knew that he probably should. Should was the key word. But Nico already had a history of bad decisions, so why should he change for this?

No sense in breaking tradition.

Jason tossed his roommate a brief glance. “What was that back there?”

“What?” Nico turned his head to face the blond. “Oh.” Nico let out a sigh. “My father told Bianca that I'm stripping. She wants me to leave the hotel and stay with Daedalus until I graduate.”

Those electric blue eyes shot back over briefly. “So why don't you?” He offered Nico a shrug. “It's not like it'd be bad, you'd be with Daedalus. Minerva would take care of you, she's a good woman.”

Nico's eyes were locked on his ring, twisting it on his finger. “Why don't you leave?” He mumbled.

A chuckle escaped the blond's lips. “And where would I go? Sure I could stay with Daedalus until graduation, but what then? I'm not as smart as you, Nico.”

The boy's eyes grew dull. “You make better decisions than me.”

“That's because there's a difference between street smart and book smart. You make better grades than me. Hell, Daedalus says you make better grades than your sister.” He grinned over at his roommate. “You might make poor decisions, but you're good with school. You could probably get into any school you wanted. I think the only people smarter than you at the hotel would be Rachel, Octavian, and Annabeth.” He nudged the pale boy. “Stop selling yourself short, man.”

Nico carelessly shook his head. “Doesn't really matter. Several of the others go to college. Any of them could find a future out of here as well.”

“But they don't,” Jason muttered. He sighed and cast Nico a brief glance. “From what I've heard from the others, there has never been a Lost Kid to leave Gaea's web once they are in it. I mean, look around. Ganymede, Dionysus, and Circe are still in the hotel. Aphrodite has her boutique in the city. We have a bank that caters to our needs, probably because someone in there has worked for Gaea in the past.

“Where do you think all of the Lost Kids go after they reach thirty? Annabeth, Luke, my sister, and Apollo weren't the first Lost Kids, they're just the oldest ones still working here. Thalia told me that one that left last year went on to become a manager up in Canada.” The blond shrugged. “They don't have the stripping and illegal business operations, but this is what happens to Lost Kids at some point.”

The car was silent for an awkward moment before Nico cracked a grin. “Maybe we should just run away together,” the brown-eyed boy joked. Jason arched a brow. “Yeah, just live on the road, just the two of us. We can get fake names and everything. Maybe grow a mustache.”

Jason snorted. “Can you even grow facial hair?”

“Shut up!”

The blond laughed. “And why exactly would we need fake names?”

Tapping his finger to his lips, Nico thought about it for a moment. “Maybe kill Kronos.” Jason frowned at him. “Not like anyone would miss him. The world would thank us.”

Jason sighed. “You don't mean that.”

“No,” Nico sighed, “but I'm pretty sure the thought has crossed most people's minds.” Jason grunted in agreement. “I don't know, I'm not sure I can see myself out of the hotel anymore.”

“But you don't want this life. I know you don't.”

The boy's lips tilted down. “Maybe not, but I don't want to leave. I think I'd miss everyone too much.”

As they neared the hotel, Jason reached over and squeezed Nico's hand. “You realize that we could probably still see you, right?”

Nico's dull eyes met with Jason's blue ones. “Do you really believe that? We don't exactly get much free time at the hotel, aside from the occasional weekend off.” He snorted. “And I doubt Percy or Kronos would let me come upstairs if I left.”

Jason didn't answer, and Nico didn't bother to let the conversation continue. It felt pointless. If he could leave, why couldn't they? Not like it really mattered at the moment, since Kronos wasn't letting them run off. He even kept them pretty restricted during their weekends off. And with Leo's theory that Kronos was going to implant them with microchips, nobody was really willing to chance anything. Nico, however, thought Leo was being an idiot.

When they got back to the hotel, Rachel stopped Nico from going into the conference room. Instead, she directed him to Kronos's office, who apparently wanted to have a word with Nico. Great, Nico thought, it was bound to be the best birthday present he could imagine. Not.

Nico took in a deep breath before he knocked. “Come in,” Kronos called from the other side of the door. Letting out a short breath, Nico stepped inside. Kronos didn't bother looking up from what he was doing. “Yes, celebrations and all that.” Kronos let out a breath before he dropped his pen and sat back in his chair. “As custom, you're getting the night off from dealing with clients.”

Nico felt a wave of relief flood through him at the mere sound of those words. But he did his best to contain his excitement, least Kronos decide to ruin it all for him. “Thank you, sir.”

The manager rolled his eyes and rested his elbow on the desk, propping his chin on it. “Don't get too excited, you're still expected to perform.” Nico gave a quick nod. Kronos leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. “And here I am without a present for you. I suppose the ordeal with your father can be enough of a gift.”

There was a twitch from Nico's lips. “You mean the thing you forced me to do?”

The annoying smirk appeared on the manager's lips as he observed Nico. “I made you? Did I now?” His grin grew, showing off his teeth. “I didn't make you do anything, it was your choice to stab your father.”

Nico's eyes narrowed. “You told me I had to,” he growled. “You told me to stab him or kill him. I'm not going to be a murderer, so I chose to stab him. What other choice did I have?”

Kronos shrugged. “I never saw you try to put down the knife and walk away.” Nico felt frozen. A faint chuckle escaped the manager's lips. “You never even tried to see what would happen if you didn't try either.”

“You said I didn't have a choice,” Nico whispered.

The manager tutted under his breath. “Now that just isn't true, Nico. After all, didn't my brother always give you a choice?” He grinned again, lacing his hands together in front of his face. “How could you possibly know, if you didn't try?” With a roll of his eyes, Kronos pointed a pale finger across the desk at Nico. “You expected me to just throw you over the side of the building for not cooperating? I'm a good brother, thank you very much. I don't break my brother's toys.” Those dark eyes shined in amusement. “How is it my fault that you didn't even bother trying? Now, who is really to blame here?”

Nico clenched his fists. “You're sick.”

A laugh so cold that it sent shivers all throughout Nico's body came from Kronos. His eyes were like daggers, just waiting to be thrust into the boy's throat. “Now, Nico, you really shouldn't go around blaming others for your own problems.” Finally, the young man stood up and walked around to sit on the desk. “But if anything, you should be thanking me, Nico.” The young man frowned, almost passing for sympathetic. It made Nico sick by how scary believable it was. “I allowed you to stand up to your father, and you repay me with this hate? I'm hurt, Nico.”

Taking a step back, Nico narrowed his eyes. “What, you did it to help me?” He scoffed. “I don't believe you have a sympathetic bone in your body. You're a monster.”

He half expected the young man to hit him, but it never happened. Instead, Kronos smirked. “You know, Nico, if this wasn't your first job, I might be harder on you. Hasn't anyone ever told you not to talk like that to your boss?” His hand shot out so fast that Nico couldn't even react. It gripped him by the jaw, pulling him closer. “Unless it's my mother or Percy, I don't help people. Why would I waste my time?” He brought Nico closer, until they were mere inches apart. “But, at least this way, you aren't so pathetic. You need to grow a backbone, you ungrateful little brat, and embrace who you are.”

“And who is that?” Nico practically spat out.

The young man's lips tilted up. “Surely you see what you're becoming. Just embrace it, Nico.” Letting go of Nico's jaw, Kronos fixed some of Nico's hair with a smile. “This is power we're talking about, Nico. Everyone likes power. All you have to do is let go of that conscious of yours, it really just gets in the way. You might think it's wrong, but think about all the possibilities. Nobody would ever bother you again. Your bullies, even your father. They'd all leave you alone forever. You can even dictate their lot in life.”

With a frown, Nico smacked Kronos's hand away. “I'm not like you,” he whispered. He took a step back, reaching for the door. “I don't want to hurt people like you do.”

The grin didn't fade as Nico opened the door. “You mean like Percy?” Nico froze. “Your dear, sweet Percy. If I'm a monster, what does that make him?” Kronos grinned as the color drained from Nico's face. “What, you thought it didn't get to me about what you told him?” He chuckled. “You're so pathetic.” The manager slowly shook his head with a wicked smirk. “You think he hesitates when he kills? You think he didn't enjoy killing his brother? How about how he seized power, not even caring how it effected the person that was selected to take over this hotel before him? You know, your sweet Percy.”

Nothing came out of Nico's mouth. He didn't know what to say. With a gulp, Nico shut the door. Leaning against it, the boy realized he was shaking. He hated being around Kronos, the young man always had a terrible way of getting under Nico's skin. If Percy knew what everyone liked, Kronos knew their vulnerabilities.

Nico quickly made his way out of the office and opened the door to the conference room. “Surprise!” Everyone yelled as the boy stepped inside.

Nico managed a smile as some confetti fell onto his head. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

With the exception of Drew, Octavian, and Zoë, all of the Lost Kids were there. Nico never really expected everyone to be there, since it was before working and three of the Lost Kids had to work the lunch shift at the bar. After his talk with Kronos, though, Nico found it hard to be in a good mood. He already knew what he was going to be wishing for.

“Happy Birthday, Nico,” Juniper said to him, smiling as she placed a chocolate birthday cake on the large table, right next to his pile of presents.

After Leo lit the candles—because he demanded to do it himself—Nico got to blow out the candles. He leaned in and closed his eyes before blowing out each one. “So, what did you wish for?” Leo asked eagerly.

Piper smacked the boy upside the head. “If he told, it wouldn't come true.”

Nico chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “I don't think it takes a mind reader to know what I wished for.” The others all nodded in a silent understanding. It was nice to have them all together, though Nico could practically feel the tension in the room. Everyone that was fighting stood away from each other, which meant that practically everyone was standing at least three feet from the next Lost Kid.

Due to all the conflict, the room was deathly quiet after the cake was distributed. Nico found himself sitting on the edge of the table with Hazel and Juniper. The Stolls sat a few chairs away, but everyone else practically kept to themselves, save for the small groups that weren't fighting. Surprisingly, though, Nico didn't find himself disappointed. In all honesty, he had expected it to go something like this, since nobody had made up yet.

But the cake was delicious.

Halfway through his cake, a blue box was dropped in Nico's lap. He blinked at it for a moment before he looked up. Luke stared down at him with a blank expression. Slowly, Nico opened the box. He practically choked when he pulled out a Nintendo DS, which contained several games underneath it. With wide eyes, Nico looked up at the blond.

The youngest Lost Boy got up to hug the blond, but Luke held out a hand. “Don't go sentimental on me, brat, it's just a present. Maybe now you'll have something to do, rather than bother me all day.”

Nico just smiled and gave the blond a small nod. There was a flicker of happiness in the blond's eyes, relief that Nico had actually liked the present. But after Luke walked off, Nico shook his head. Luke really didn't need to spend that kind of money on him. Something simple was fine.

Will was next. The boy held out a small box, which made Nico's heart stopped. It looked like it came from a jewelry store. Sure enough, it was jewelry. A silver necklace laid within. Two angel wings that hung down, practically forming a heart. Nico looked up in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

Will grinned sheepishly. “Your last name means 'of angels', right?”

“Something like that,” Nico chuckled. Will moved forward and fastened it around Nico's neck. The younger Lost Boy held it out to look at. “Thanks.” When he looked up, the blond leaned in and pecked Nico on the cheek.

The gifts that Nico received were a pretty wide array of different things, ranging from different sizes to different prices. Thalia had gotten him a pair of brass knuckles to defend himself with, just in case Nico had anymore trouble at school. Annabeth had bought him a bound copy of all of Edgar Allan Poe's work. The most embarrassing had been from the twins: an actual dildo. When Nico had said it just meant that he'd just be less likely to have sex with any of them, Will punched Travis in the arm. Jason had purchased the two of them tickets to Disneyland, which the blond said they'd go see on their next day off.

He found himself surprised when Clarisse handed him a small box at the end of the party. Most of the others had left, and the few that remained were cleaning up. Clarisse was probably one of the least likely people he had been expecting to get a present from, Drew having achieved the most unlikely. It wasn't really that much, just a gift certificate to the mall, but it was still nice. Honestly, Nico probably would have been fine without any form of celebration.

He smiled up at the girl. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, don't mention it.” The girl frowned down at him. “Bring back memories from home?”

“Ah.” Nico scrunched his lips. “Not really.” He let out a dry chuckle. “My dad didn't really bother too much with presents...you know, since I was just a disappointment to him. My mother and Bianca were the ones that gave out presents. And, well, I wasn't really popular at my old school, so I didn't really have any friends. Saved some money as far as parties went, though.”

The Lost Girl grunted. “Sounds like my school.”

“Must have been hard,” Nico sighed.

Clarisse gave a shrug. “Got left alone, punched anyone that tried to bother me.” A grin spread across the girl's lips. “Not that my mother liked it very much, but screw her.” She kicked the tip of her boot at the leg of Nico's chair. “Most of us find holiday and birthdays more enjoyable here, compared to our old lives.”

Nico shrugged. “It could have been better if everyone wasn't fighting.”

“Eh, screw that. It's good to get let people know how you're feeling.” She grinned wickedly and swiped her thumb across her nose. “You know what my mother gave me for my seventeenth birthday? Nico shook his head. “Kicked me out of the house.” Clarisse grunted. “Not that I was planning on staying, the woman was unreasonable.”

Nico put the gift card with the rest of his presents. He slowly turned his head back to Clarisse with a frown. “Your mother kicked you out? With nothing?”

“Yeah, well, my dad was the only person that could keep us from tearing each others' throats out.”

“Oh.” Nico's brow furrowed. “Didn't Percy say you act like your father? Did he know your father?”

Clarisse's lips tilted down. “No.” Her hands dug into her pockets. “My dad was in the army, died two years before I got kicked out.” The girl gave a casual shrug. “She eventually remarried, didn't like the guy. Kept getting in fights and talking back in class, so my mother and I started fighting.” The Lost Girl chuckled. “That's when my step-dad decided that he wanted to try his hand at parenting. So he hit me. And, well, I hit back. Ended up breaking his arm.”

Nico's mouth fell open a little. “Y-you broke his arm?”

“Not that my mother caught the part where he hit me first, but she did see me snap his arm.” The Lost Girl shrugged. “Kicked me out. Never really looked back after that. Didn't even try to bother having Percy look into either of them. As far as I'm concerned, they're dead to me.”

Judging from what he already knew of Clarisse, Nico wasn't all that surprised by this turn of events. But it did feel unfair to him that Clarisse got kicked out over a misunderstanding. He didn't feel as sad about it, though. But perhaps that was due to Clarisse's lack of emotion when she had told the story. It didn't really seem to have bothered her, unlike with everyone else. Even Luke had endured a hard time reliving his past with Nico. If anything made him feel bad for her, it was how little Clarisse seemed to care.

Eventually, Nico tried to take his presents upstairs, though he was quickly stopped by Rachel. “Don't worry about that, Nico, I'll have them taken up to your room,” she assured the boy. Turning with a grin, she snapped her fingers at Luke. “Hey, you want to help me drop these off?”

The blond, who had been wiping down the table, narrowed his eyes. “I'd rather swallow dirt.”

Rachel smiled sweetly. “I'm sure that can be arranged.”

Luke sighed and shook his head. “Fine, whatever.”

Rachel smiled and grabbed a handful of boxes before heading out the door. Luke grunted and walked over to take a few more. “So, Luke,” Nico began, “what would you want for your birthday?”

The blond stared at him for a moment before picking up three boxes. “That all depends.”

“On what?”

“Are you going to be around for another year?” Luke asked. Nico blinked at him. “My birthday was at the beginning of the month.”

Nico gaped at the blond. “What? How come we didn't have a party? Nobody said anything!”

Luke just shrugged as Nico held the door open for him. “I guess we were just distracted with other things.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Why what happened?”

Luke let out a breath. “It was the day Percy left the hotel.”

“Oh.” Nico felt his blood run cold. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“Don't worry about it,” Luke mumbled as he boarded an elevator.

Nico groaned and hit his head against the wall. That had to of been the worst birthday ever! He needed to make it up to Luke. The blond had been a good friend to him, even if he didn't like to admit it, so Nico needed to fix Luke's lack of a proper birthday. He practically jumped out of his skin when a hand came down onto his shoulder.

Apollo chuckled at him. “Did someone get put in timeout?” He chuckled. Nico shot him a glare. Apollo slung an arm around the younger boy, pulling him onto the elevator. “Come on, Ganymede said he got you a little something.”

Nico frowned. “Apollo, why didn't we do anything for Luke's birthday?”

The blond sighed. “We tried. Annabeth tried to convince him, but Luke was in a pretty bad mood that day.” He shook his head. “The guy insisted that we not do anything.”

Except, Nico never made it to Ganymede.

The two Lost Boys made it to the cabana area, sure, but Nico found someone else there. Mrs. Castellan sat at a table between where Nico stood and the actual cabana. Deep down, Nico knew it would probably be best to just ignore her, but something in him wouldn't let him do that. Without even knowing the woman, Nico felt anger towards her. This would be one of her last days at the hotel, and something in Nico felt compelled to talk to her.

“You go ahead,” Nico whispered to Apollo. His eyes never left the woman. “I'll be over in just a second.”

Apollo frowned, following the boy's gaze. “Nico, I don't think-”

The brown-eyed boy finally looked up and smiled. “I'll be fine, I promise. I won't say anything stupid.”

Apollo stared at him for a long time before he nodded. The blond left the boy standing there to go over to the cabana. Taking a deep breath, Nico took the first step towards the woman. From the way she dressed, Nico would have never imagined her to be so crazy. Nico stood by her table a moment, going unnoticed by the woman.

Eventually, Nico put on one of his fake smiles. “Excuse me,” the boy began. Mrs. Castellan looked up at him. “Are you Mrs. Castellan?”

The woman shifted in her seat, so that she now faced Nico. “I am. What can I do for you?”

Nico's smile never faltered. He rubbed his arm shyly. “I'm just a big supporter of your work, and I just wanted to come over here and thank you.” There was a smile on the boy's face, but his eyes were full of venom.

Mrs. Castellan wiped her hands on a napkin before reaching a hand out to shake. Nico smiled brightly as he shook it. “It's so refreshing to see our youth supporting the cause.” She let out a sigh as she draped an arm across the back of her chair. “I tell you, it seems like more and more these days, our youth are turning towards this ungodly lifestyle.”

Nico quickly nodded. “I completely agree,” he lied. Placing his hands behind his back, Nico smiled again. “Do you have an children yourself, ma'am?” This was why Nico wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know what she told people about her two sons.

There was a long silence, where the woman seemed to be thinking about something. Her lips formed a thin line as she reached for her glass of water and raised it to her lips. “I used to, but they are no longer with us.” She shook her head sadly. “There was an accident, claimed both of my sons' lives.”

Her entire demeanor made Nico want to throttle the woman. She was lying, like it didn't even matter. She didn't have the courage to tell people she had driven her own children away? Did nobody know that her own craziness had caused her own children to run away? Nico's nails dug into his arm from behind his back. He felt a deep desire to tell the woman that he knew her children. Or perhaps that Luke was good in bed. That would have surely been a sight to see on her face.

But Nico knew that he couldn't do that. He wouldn't let the woman know that her children was somewhere in the hotel. So, instead, Nico just smiled synthetically. “I'm sorry for you loss then.” He shook her hand a final time. “Well, I just wanted to come over and say hello, I'll let you get back to what you were doing.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Castellan said. “Keep up the good fight of spreading the cause.”

“Will do,” Nico mumbled, his smile faltering once he had his back to her.

By the time Nico got to the cabana, Apollo and Ganymede were already in the middle of a conversation. The ex-Lost Boy leaned against the counter, a slightly annoyed look in his eyes. Apollo frowned back at the man. “You need to let this go. How can you not see that you have something better waiting for you right in front of your face?” Nico came to a quick stop at Ganymede's words.

Apollo looked away, still frowning. “Because it's stupid and pointless.” He straightened on the stool with a sigh.

Ganymede rolled his eyes as Nico sat down beside Apollo. The youngest Lost Boy blinked. “What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” both of them quickly stated.

\-------------------------------

All Nico wanted to do was go back to his room and sleep. The rest of the night had been exhausting, but at least he didn't have to worry about dealing with a customer tonight. However, it seemed that Nico was to be subjected to being alone with Dionysus for a short amount of time.

Like most nights, the few Lost Kids that were lucky enough not to go deal with customers helped clean up the top floor. Nico helped out by taking the dirty glasses to the bar room. Unfortunately, this gave Dionysus a brief window to speak with Nico. Like clockwork, the man didn't fail to disappoint.

“And how was your birthday, Nico?” The man asked as Nico was about halfway towards the door.

Nico came to a stop with a sigh. “It was okay, just like any other day.” The boy turned around, regarding the man carefully. “Why?”

“Well then, that's good to hear.” The man kept his back to Nico, too busy washing glasses and plates in the sink. “Nasty business with your father, eh? To think, it was Persephone that your father was seeing this whole time.” The man's lips tilted up. “Who could have ever seen that coming?”

Nico crossed his arms. “You. But, then again, I'm not surprised. You love seeing everyone squirm, it's why you get along with Kronos.” The boy narrowed his dark eyes. “I can't wait until Percy is back. Because dealing with you and Kronos at the same time is quite the headache.”

At the mention of the green-eyed young man's name, Dionysus's lips tilted down. “Yes, your little golden boy. Everything is always better with him around, isn't it?” Scoffing, Dionysus picked up a drink he was still drinking and swallowed the contents of the glass. “He's nothing to worship. It's disgusting how he can just charm anyone with just a smile. 'Oh, he's such a hero.'” The man scoffed. “It was sickening to listen to people talk about him when he first arrived here.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What's your problem with Percy? He lets you run your little business here and puts up with you. Yet you dislike him.” The Lost Boy's lips tilted down. “I doubt he's even done anything to you.”

The man pointed a finger at Nico. “You see, that's where you're wrong. He stole everything from me.”

There was a perplexed look on Nico's face as the man turned back to washing the dishes. “I don't see-”

Nico fell silent as Dionysus's back straightened. Without saying anything, the man bent over and pulled out a neatly wrapped box from beside the chair he usually sat in. “I almost forgot,” the man said with his normal smile, “this is for you.”

Frowning down at the box, Nico turned it over. “You got me a present?”

The corner of Dionysus's lips tilted up. “Don't be silly, Nico.” The boy blinked up at him. “It's from a customer, of course.”

Slowly, the color drained from Nico's face as he stood there, frozen. A chill crept across his body, slowly rising from his feet. “O-oh,” Nico stuttered. He gulped and slowly backed towards the door. “Um, thank you for...giving it to me,” the brown-eyed boy whispered.

The man only grinned back at him. “Always a pleasure, Nico.”

Nico was gone from the room a second later. His pulse was racing as he stared down at the box. This was the last thing he had been hoping for. Ever since the incident with Silena, Nico had hoped this day would never come. Not paying attention to where he was going, Nico tripped down the stairs.

Letting out yelp, Nico went flying through the air. The next thing he hit was hard, but not the ground. Pale hands tightened around his shoulders, straightening him out. Icy blue eyes stared down at him in annoyance. “Why don't you watch where you are going, twerp?”

Nico sighed in relief, simply thankful that his feet were once again touching the floor. He nodded his head. Luke's eyes flickered down to the box in Nico's hand. “Um, thanks,” the raven-haired boy mumbled.

Luke rubbed his jaw. “Where'd you get that?” Icy blue eyes flickered back up. “I thought everyone already gave you their presents?”

“Um...” Nico looked between the present and Luke. “A customer, apparently.”

Luke seemed to understand, probably from the look of terror in Nico's eyes. “It's nothing to worry about.” His brow furrowed. “Just keep someone posted if a client starts acting funny around you.”

Nico nodded. “I ran into your mother earlier,” the boy confessed. Luke instantly frowned. “Did you know she tells people you and Octavian are dead?”

Luke snorted and gave a nod. “I'm aware.” He rubbed the back of his neck as the two started down the stairs. “It was actually on the news. That woman should be on Broadway with all those tears she was able to put out.”

“How could they just say something like that?”

The blond shrugged. “Don't really care. As long as she stays away from me and Octavian, I'm happy.”

Luke ended up stopping to talk with Ethan at the podiums, while Nico went on to the elevators. Lucky for him, the twins had just boarded one and he managed to catch a ride with them. He was also aware that they were staring at him. Connor grinned from where he had his head on Travis's shoulder.

“You know, Nico,” the shorter brunet began. His blue eyes sparkled over at the raven-haired boy. “Our offer for teaching you about threesomes still stands.”

Travis wrapped an arm around his brother, pulling Connor closer. He grinned at Nico from where he perched his chin on Connor's shoulder. “We can give you the hands on method.”

Nico rolled his eyes and snorted. “I bet you would.” Travis just grinned and nuzzled his brother's neck. “I just don't understand why you two just sort of have sex with others? I mean, aside from customers.”

Connor shrugged. “Sex and romance aren't the same.” He patted his brother's cheek. “I love my brother. I love the others as well, just not like I love Travis.” At this, the older twin leaned in and pecked Connor on the lips. “But that's not to say some day we might decide otherwise. We're young, we want to enjoy our youth.”

“Then why did you two fight before?”

Travis hummed quietly. “That was a different matter. More of a misunderstanding, really.” He hugged his brother tighter. “But there are days where we decide that we don't want the other having sex with someone else. It doesn't usually bother us when this happens, though. It's just sex, after all.” He smiled over at Nico. “You just have to remember to keep the person you care about in mind. That's especially true for when threesomes come into play.”

Nico gave a slow nod as the elevator came to a stop. “As long as you two are happy, I guess.”

The twins bid Nico goodnight and headed down to the end of the hall. Nico slipped into his suite. Jason's door was open. The blond sat on his bed with his laptop, headphones in his ears. He looked up when he noticed Nico, tossing the pale boy a smile and a wave. Nico smiled back before going into his own room.

Turning around, Nico froze.

There, on his bed, sat a large box with an envelope on top of it. The box itself was green, while a deep blue ribbon sat on top. Nico frowned and stepped closer, putting the mystery customer's present down. He slowly reached out and removed the envelope from the top. His fingers closed around a small card attached to the box. His name was on the top portion, while the name at the bottom made Nico's heart stop.

It was from Percy.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico untied the ribbon and opened the lid. His heart shot into his throat. It was a jacket. An aviator's jacket, to be precise. Nico reached inside and pulled it out. It was still in good condition, and also looked like an authentic World War II aviator jacket. But it didn't make sense. Why would Percy give him a jacket from a war? He frowned and tilted his head to the side.

Then it hit him. It was the jacket that Percy had mentioned in one of their conversations, the jacket that had belonged to Percy's actual grandfather. Nico's throat tightened. Why was Percy giving this to him? None of it made any sense. Nevertheless, though, Nico felt a pain inside his chest. His fingers tightened around the jacket, wishing that Percy was there to give it to him, instead of having it delivered by someone else. He really missed Percy.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico sat the jacket aside. His eyes fell upon the envelope before picking it up. The Lost Boy frowned as he heard Jason's feet move down the hall. The door to their suite opened, and then there was silence. With a sigh, Nico unsealed the envelope and pulled out a letter. It was also from Percy, but what it said only hurt all the more.

Nico,

I hope that this found its way to you okay. I instructed Rachel to bring it to you if Leo forgot.

I write this, knowing full well what I'm about to go down the hall and talk to you about in that conference room. I just wanted to make sure I remembered to put together your present, so you would have it after I'm gone.

Ever since earlier today, my mind has been racing. But it made me realize how much I didn't want something bad to happen to you. I'm not sure what's going to happen while I'm in Germany, but I'm glad that you are still in one piece. I don't know when I'll be back, or even if I will be coming back, but I want you to know that none of this is your fault.

I hope you like your present. And, also, I might have realized something in that moment after pushing you out of the way. You were right.

-Percy

A wet spot formed on the letter, just above Percy's name. Nico reached a hand up, only to realize that he was crying. For some reason, it hurt more reading the letter, than it had talking to Percy over Skype. Percy had actually taken the time to write him a letter before their meeting that night? But the last thing in the letter, it didn't make any sense.

Nico flipped the letter over, hoping that there was more, but there wasn't. What did it mean? He was right? Right about what? Another tear fell from Nico's cheek. He sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling the jacket into his lap. Nico's fingers tightened around Percy's letter, clinging to it like it was keeping him from dying. His eyes scanned across each word that Percy had written several more times before he heard the shouting.

Frowning, Nico looked up. There was a commotion from the hallway, but he couldn't make anything out. But there was definitely shouting. He slowly got up, putting the aviator jacket back on the bed. His eyes widened when something broke. Nico opened his door and stepped into his suite, where he found the front door open.

Wiping his eyes, Nico headed for the door. It sounded like their entire floor was out there, and all of them were fighting. Which was completely accurate. Once Nico was in the hallway, he found ever single Lost Kid standing in the hall, some still in their work clothes and others in their pajamas.

A picture had gotten knocked off of the wall, which was what Nico had heard break. It had also barely missed Ethan, who was on the ground in a pile of broken glass. Nico covered his ears. It was so loud. Everyone was yelling and in each others' faces. No longer was anyone excluded either, as the twins, Juniper, Ethan, and even Hazel had somehow gotten dragged into it all.

“Why don't you actually grow some balls and get involved,” Clarisse sneered down at Ethan.

Luke threw a punch at Apollo, barely catching the other blond in the jaw. “You can't fucking bruise him!” Leo yelled at Luke. “He has to be able to work.”

Luke sneered. “Yeah, I'm sure that's why you care.”

“You fucking whore!” Piper yelled, probably directed at Drew.

Nico shut his eyes, his hands clinging to his head. Everyone kept yelling, and it all started to jumble together. Why did they have to fight? This wasn't solving anything. If anything, it just made it all worse.

“Don't fucking touch him!”

“Bitch!”

“Gonna cut my throat, like she cut your mother's?”

Nico's eyes snapped open at that one. He zoned in on Zoë, who had directed her comment at Annabeth. The blonde glared back at the other Lost Girl with a burning hatred. “Well it's not my fault that you kicked my roommate out of your room because you can't accept the other half of her!”

Nico let out a sigh as the situation continued to dissolved. He felt so helpless, nobody was even paying him any attention. Perhaps that was a good thing, though, since he really didn't want to fight with anyone. But this needed to stop, it had to.

“What do you even know?”

“Why don't you go cry to your mommie while she's here?”

And then, “Shut up!”

The entire hall fell silent. Nico slowly opened his eyes, only to find everyone staring at him in shock. He blinked a few times before he realized it had been him that had said it. His cheeks darkened slightly. This was bad. Several of the others were even glaring at him.

“What did you just say?” Clarisse growled.

Nico's throat felt dry. “Um,” began Nico. He closed his mouth, pursing his lips. Panic filled his eyes as he stared back at the others. His hands tightened, which was when he realized what he was still holding. Percy's letter. Taking in a deep breath, Nico relaxed. “We need to stop fighting.”

Luke looked at him dully. “Just stay out of it, brat.” Octavian gave him a shove, which caused Luke to glare at his brother.

The boy's eyes darkened. “No!” He shouted. Nico rubbed the back of his neck at the dark look he got from Luke. “It's just that...no one is really helping the situation. We need to calm down.” His fingers tightened around the letter. “Don't you guys see? This is what Kronos wants.” He shook his head. “You guys said it yourselves on the day Percy left, but it's like you forgot. We need each other if we're going to survive the rest of our time with him. We're stronger together, we can have support. Fighting isn't the answer. Letting our differences and arguments cause this much conflict within our ranks just gives Kronos satisfaction. He's the real enemy here, not each other.”

Nobody said anything. Nico bit down on his lip. He just waited for someone to drag him into the middle of their turmoil. They weren't going to listen to him. Why would they? He had done nothing but screw up, so why would anyone want to take his advice? Nico looked down. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

“We should-” began Apollo.

Luke nodded. “Cool off.” The blond reached up and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes locking with Nico's. “Everyone go back to your rooms, take the night to cool off.”

There was a lot of mumbling, but everyone slowly did as they were told. On his way to his room, Apollo shot Nico a small smile and nod. Eventually, Nico was left alone in the hall with his roommate. The blond nodded towards their suite. Nico gave a nod and followed Jason inside.

“This has been a really exhausting day,” Nico muttered as he shut the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All caught up now! But that means you guys have to wait for chapters like everyone else now! Mwhahaha. I guess I'd put updates on a two week basis? Depends on things. Anyways, I'm going to start uploading other stuff on here now, so you guys can feel free to check those out as well.


	44. Fallen Too Far?

“You can't avoid the subject forever.”

“Twerp, if you don't stop bringing this up, you're going to get tied to my bed again.”

Nico smirked as he followed Luke down the hall after their daily practice session. A week had gone by since Nico's birthday, and the boy was relieved that everything now seemed normal again. Well, as much as could pass for normal at the Lotus Hotel. At least the fighting had stopped.

Luke spun around outside the door to the manager's office. He narrowed his icy blue eyes at Nico. “How many times do I have to tell you not to worry about it?”

Nico huffed and crossed his arms. “Would it kill you to let someone do something nice for you?” Luke just shrugged. “Jason and I are going to Disneyland tomorrow, do you want to join?”

A flicker of irritation went through Luke's eyes before he rolled them. “I'm not going to some park for kids.”

The brown-eyed boy scoffed as the blond reached for the doorknob. “Did you even have a childhood?”

Luke just grunted as they entered the office. Rachel and Leo were there, as usual, but it seemed that Kronos had currently stepped out. Not that Nico minded. Annabeth was also there, sitting on the edge of Rachel's desk. Luke walked over and dropped a folder that he had been carrying onto Leo's desk.

“Yay, more work,” Leo grumbled.

Nico poked at some of the paperwork. “What is all of this for?”

“Our busiest holiday is Valentine's Day, go figure.” The Latino boy worked to type something in on his computer. “Lots of paperwork to get rooms and stuff like that organized. Regular couples come pouring in to get our holiday specials on rooms.”

Rachel nodded casually. “Which means we have to section off about two or three floors for redecorating for the theme.” She let out a sigh and flipped the page of a document in her hands. “Which means that a lot of you will be working different places, including the cabana. But, lucky for you and Jason, you two have school.”

Annabeth chuckled at the smirk from Nico. “Don't get too excited, you'll still be given work once you're back. Plus the hotel's special on the holiday lasts all weekend, so you will probably end up working that Saturday or Sunday.”

“Or both,” Leo added.

“Joy,” Nico grumbled. He nodded towards the documents Luke had dropped off. “So what's all that for then?”

Luke sat down in an empty chair. “I was just picking it up for Leo. It's from the twins.” He placed his hands behind his head. “Just some requests by customers, plus a few new client requests for access to the top floor.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “What do the twins have to do with that?”

Leo grinned at him. “Remember when we told you that the twins sort of scope out new clients and all that?” The Lost Boy asked. Nico nodded. “Well that's just what this is.” Leo held up a page from one of the documents Luke had given him. “Let's say that one of the clients has a strange request to have one of you come to their room at night. It's the job of the twins to evaluate the safety of the request. We obviously don't want to send you to the room of some lunatic that might try smuggling you out of the hotel and keep you locked in their basement.”

“Speaking of possible lunatics,” Rachel said. “What did that client get you for your birthday?”

Nico simply shrugged. “Don't know, never opened it.” He sat down next to Luke. “I stuffed it in the back of my closet.”

Annabeth ran a hand through her golden curls. “Well, I wouldn't be too worried, it's just a present.” She held up a finger. “But just keep in mind that presents are where the obsessions start.”

Rachel tossed a finished folder to the side of her desk as the door opened again. Reyna popped in with two more folders in her hand. The red-haired girl let out a groan and slumped in her chair. Reyna chuckled and handed it over to the other Lost Girl.

“That should be the last of it,” said Reyna. She crossed her arms. “Everything should be there from Aphrodite, Ganymede, Circe, Chiron, and Dionysus.”

“Yeah.” Rachel let out a groan and rubbed her temples. “Hazel just brought up the files from the kitchen, Esperanza, and the gym. Why is there so much work?”

Nico blinked. “Where's Kronos?”

“Dealing with some other stuff,” Leo grumbled.

Rachel let out a breath. “Well, the good news is that, if you guys stick around, we might can talk to Percy.” The room seemed to perk up at the name. “I've got to call the German branch about some things, so maybe he'll be around.”

The room quieted down as Rachel dialed the phone. She put it on speaker as it started to ring. Nico pursed his lips and sat on the edge of his seat. Aside from the conversation with Nico, Percy had been pretty absent from their lives. Other than Nico, he had only called the office once or twice to check in with Rachel and Leo. His excuse was always the same, though: he was busy.

The phone picked up on the sixth ring. “Hello?” Came Athena's voice. The room let out an audible groan. The woman on the phone let out a sigh. “Nice to hear from all of you, too.”

“Sorry.” Rachel scanned over something on her computer. “So, I just wanted to let you know that the files that Gaea requested should be emailed over by tonight, and we'll fax you over a hard copy first thing in the morning.” The Lost Girl leaned back in her chair. “There were a few concerns, but I'm sure Gaea will find them herself.”

“Good, good.” If Athena's voice was anything to go by, she was just as exhausted as Rachel and Leo sounded. “Is there anything else?”

“Is Percy around?” Leo asked.

“Sorry, not at the moment,” the European branch manager replied. “He probably isn't going to have any free time today. He's a little tied up in his room at the moment. I believe he's with our newest Lost Boy.”

Rachel tilted her head to the side. “You got a new one?”

“Not too long ago.” The sound of shuffling paper could be heard from Athena's end. “He's a natural, I must say. Quite the charmer, and already popular with a lot of the guests.”

Nico frowned, his brow furrowed. So Percy was too busy having sex with the new Lost Boy at the German hotel to come talk to them? What else could he be doing in his bedroom with a Lost Kid? It had to make Nico wonder if that was what Percy had been doing the whole time. Was that what Percy meant by “busy”?

In all honesty, Nico had been hoping for the best after his present from Percy. If he was right about something, Nico could only hope it concerned Percy's feelings for him. But now Nico just found himself irritated with the green-eyed young man. But, really, what was Nico expecting? Even if, by some miracle, Percy did like him back, nothing would change between them.

And that was even if Percy ever came back.

“All right,” Rachel sighed. “Well, when he gets done, tell him we called and that we miss him.”

“I will. I'll call back if we have any questions about your files.”

“Okay.” Rachel groaned as she hung up the phone. “That boy is impossible to get a hold of when he's in Germany.”

“Always?” Nico asked.

Annabeth nodded. “Whenever Percy visits Gaea, he gets distracted and forgets to call most of the time.” The blonde Lost Girl shrugged. “But I suppose I can understand. I mean, while he's here, he has all this work, but he can just relax while he's in Germany.”

“Yeah.” Nico let out a sigh and stood to his feet. “Well, I think I'm going to get something to eat and get ready for work.” The others waved at Nico, but the boy just lazily nodded his head. He knew that he shouldn't let what Athena said bother him, but it did. Why did things have to be this way? It felt like the universe was just out to keep him and Percy apart. That was if Percy really did like him back.

“Nico.”

Nico stopped at the elevator when he heard Reyna's voice. He turned around and quirked a brow at her. “What's up?”

The Lost Girl seemed a little irritated, it caught Nico off-guard. “Why are you getting upset?”

“What are you-”

“Back there.” She frowned at him. “You're upset at the possibility of Percy having sex while in Germany. Don't forget that it's standard over here. I was starting to think that you were past the concept of romance and sex being the same thing.”

“I am.” Nico narrowed his eyes. “I'm not mad.”

“Yes, you are.” The Lost Girl blocked the elevator when Nico tried to board it. “You're being a hypocrite. Why are you getting mad at Percy, when you're doing the exact same thing? Luke, Percy, Will, and even Jason; are you just going to string them along?”

Nico opened his mouth to fire back a retort, but nothing came to mind. She was right, so right. He was mad at Percy having sex while he was away, but Nico was doing the exact same thing. Nico's eyes slowly fell to his feet. “You're right,” he whispered. The Lost Boy shook his head. “I don't know what I want anymore. I don't even know what I'm doing.”

Reyna sighed and shook her head. “Well, if you do manage to snag one of the boys, try not to cheat on them. Sex is one thing, but you can't really go around and have it with others if you're expecting your partner to give you a committed relationship.”

“It doesn't really matter with Percy.” The raven-haired boy let out a breath. “He's just a hopeless dream.”

Reyna quirked a brow. “I love you, Nico, but you are kind of dumb when it comes to street smarts. Percy loves us all, but he's never put himself in danger before. Not to mention that you're the only one that he's called, aside from Rachel and Leo, which was primarily about business.”

“So, you want me to stop having sex with the rest of them, and just hope for the best with Percy?”

“Didn't say that.” The Lost Girl crossed her arms. “Sex is fine, Nico, just don't get irritated if Percy does the same thing you're doing. It doesn't bother me that you're doing it. What bothers me is that you're getting irritated when Percy does it. Not to mention that you don't even know for sure that he is having sex.”

Nico scoffed. “What else would he be doing?”

Reyna tilted her head to the side. “You're talking about the same Percy that has never propositioned any of us for sex, but only does it to conduct business with us. What makes you think he would go around doing it when there was no business involved?”

The elevator dinged behind Nico. The Lost Boy heard the doors open behind him and Reyna's body stiffened. A chill ran across Nico's body. He didn't even need to turn around to know who was standing behind him.

“Are you two going to stand around, crowding my hall all day?”

Nico gulped and turned around to face their current manager. Kronos frowned down at him. For the past week, Kronos had been less prominent in the Lost Kids' lives. While Nico wasn't sure if Kronos knew that he was the one that got the others to stop fighting, but Nico had made it his goal to avoid the manager at all costs. He didn't want to be near Kronos, just in case the young man figured out who took away his favorite source of entertainment.

“One of you is bad enough to being staring at.” Kronos narrowed his eyes at Reyna. “Why don't you make yourself scarce?”

Reyna eyed the two of them before putting her arm on Nico's shoulder. “We'll just be going-”

“No.” Kronos smiled sweetly at the two of them. “You go, he stays.”

Nico gave a silent nod. Reyna pursed her lips and boarded the elevator, leaving Nico alone with the lion. As soon as the doors shut, Kronos smirked down at Nico. Nico let out a sigh. “What do you want?”

The manager's lips only twitched. “Now, Nico, that's no way to speak to your superior. And I mean that in more ways than just the job.” Smiling, Kronos placed his hands behind his back and slowly paced around Nico. “So, as I hear it, your friends have set aside their differences and returned to their warm and fuzzy family nature.” He leaned over Nico's shoulder and whispered in the boy's ear. “You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?”

“Of course not.” Nico's eyes were dull as they stared at the wall in front of him. “I'm just pathetic little toy that Percy can play with.” He turned and blinked at the young man. “That's what you said, wasn't it?”

That didn't seem to bother Kronos at tall. In fact, he looked even more like a snake than normal. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and dusted them off. “Don't sell yourself so short, Nico. You're quite the valuable little toy. Well, to my brother. Which is why I'm just concerned about your well-being.”

Nico brushed the young man's hands away. “Please, you don't care about me. You don't care about anyone, aside from Gaea and Percy.”

Kronos shrugged and inspected his nails. “Well, I suppose you've got me there.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at Nico's head. “However, I did alleviate your bullying problem for you.” The young man's lips tilted up. “But, then again, I do detest damaged merchandise.”

“And that's where you and Percy differ.”

“Please.” Kronos rolled his eyes. “This again? I just find it amusing at how you try to defend him, but call me a monster.”

“You are a monster,” Nico hissed.

“If I'm a monster, what is Percy?”

“A good person.” Nico clenched his fists. “At least he tries to help people.”

“Uh-huh.” Kronos chuckled. “And how many people before you do you think he tried to convince to leave?” Kronos leaned in and lowered his voice. “I'm afraid the number isn't high. Actually, it's more singular than anything else.”

Nico slowly let out a brother. “For someone that claims to love Percy, you sure do put him down.”

Kronos's eyes practically turned to slits as he shoved Nico up against the wall. “Don't ever try to insinuate I don't care for my brother.” Clearing his throat, Kronos took a step back. “I just find it amusing that you can't accept that Percy and I are the same. You don't think he probably knows I've put you all to work in those kink rooms? You'd be lying to yourself if you thought he didn't.” Smiling, Kronos straightened out Nico's shirt. “In fact, he probably thinks you have encountered drugs while you were down there. Not that I told him. Or do you think he didn't know Persephone had started to see your father after your mother died? But he didn't tell you, did he?”

“You don't know that.” Nico glared up at the young man.

“Don't I?” Kronos said slowly. “Funny, since he had it on file. Or what about the part where he wanted to have Ethan and Clarisse bring your father to the hotel, so that he could...discuss the fact that it would be in Hades's best interests to never bother you again. Without your knowledge, of course. But, as you know, other circumstances came up before then.” Kronos smirked. “But, make no mistake, Percy was going to beat your father until he was nearly dead, all without your knowledge. Don't worry, though, because I let him know your father would no longer be an issue.”

Nico bit his tongue. He wanted to punch Kronos, even though he knew it was a bad idea. His teeth were clenched as he stared down at the floor. Percy was nothing like Kronos. Percy didn't go around saying things like this to the Lost Kids.

Kronos smiled and held up his hands. “Sore spot, eh?” He shook his head. “So sorry, truly I am.” The young man's dark eyes flickered with amusement. “What about your present, though? You think he gave you those checks out of the kindness of his heart? Not what he told me. According to him, he wanted you to leave the hotel. It was his way of trying to entice you to leave.” The young man rolled his eyes. “He wanted to protect that little innocence of yours.” Nico glared as Kronos snapped his fingers. “Oh, but how could I forget your classes. Have you not figured out that he wanted you to graduate early all along? Again, he wanted you to leave. He wanted you away from him, out of his sight.” Kronos leaned in with a grin when Nico glared down at the floor. “He told you how disgusted you make him feel just at the sight of you, didn't he?”

Nico slammed his hand against the elevator call button behind his back. He needed to get away from Kronos. He glared coldly up at the young man as the elevator arrived. “I need to go get ready for work.”

Kronos smirked and slid his hands into his pockets. He leaned in and brushed some of Nico's hair away from his ear, whispering, “Don't ever get involved in situations that don't concern you again, little dove.”

Nico shuddered and slid backwards into the elevator. He rapidly pushed the button for his floor until the doors shut, removing the sight of a satisfied Kronos from his gaze. Nico let out a breath and relaxed against the wall as he rode to his floor. He didn't know how much longer he could take being around Kronos. As the days passed, living with Daedalus seemed more and more appealing.

When he got back to his suite, Nico found Jason lounging on the couch. “Hello there, sunshine,” the blond greeted him.

Nico scowled at him as he took a seat on the couch as well. “Fuck you.”

“If you insist.” Jason stuck out his tongue and flipped the channel. He quirked a brow at the other Lost Boy. “What's wrong with you?”

“As if you even had to ask.”

Jason nodded in understanding. “Kronos tormenting your soul?”

Nico let out a sigh. “The devil should hire him to run hell.” Nico leaned his head back with a small groan. The aviator jacket sat on the back of the couch, right where he had left it after school. Ever since he got the present, Nico had made certain that Kronos would never catch him wearing it. He wasn't sure if the young man knew who the jacket had belonged to, but Nico didn't want to chance it. If Kronos saw him in it, there was no telling what he would do to Nico. Better safe than sorry.

The blond stretched his arms over his head. “So, are you read to journey on our Disney adventures tomorrow?”

Nico managed a smile as he rubbed his neck. “You have no idea. It'll feel so good to be away from here for a day.”

\-----------------------------------

Nico's dark eyes watched the blond man in front of him as he undressed. Nico just sat on the edge of the bed in his underwear, uncertain of how he felt about this. Out of all of his past clients, this one already felt very awkward. More so than most. Perhaps it was because this client used to date one of his friends. Perhaps because this client was Robert.

The blond smiled at him. “Excited?”

“You have no idea,” Nico mumbled, arching a brow.

Robert's green eyes shined down at him in the low lighting. “You'll have to try better than that, if you're going to convince me that you are.” Nico just stared up at him. Robert shrugged off his shirt. “But that really won't be necessary.”

“I don't get you,” Nico confessed. He tilted his head to the side, running his eyes over the blond's firm chest. He would give Apollo one thing, he had good taste in men—at least as far as appearances were concerned. “You've been so friendly with Apollo lately, so why request time with me?”

Robert shrugged, stepping out of his pants. “I will admit that you've interested me since we first met. Something about you just reminds me of the old Apollo.”

As if Nico hadn't heard that from plenty of different people concerning various people he knew at the hotel. “So why not just go for the real thing? Unless you just like them young, which makes me concerned.”

The blond chuckled. “Funny.” He stretched his arms over his head. “Well, Apollo was still in high school when we first started dated, and I was a sophomore at my university. I suppose it's not the worst political scandal out there, but I'm sure it could do some damage to my career.”

“Would it?” Nico smiled innocently up at the man.

Robert chuckled and shook his head. “Really, Nico, you're going to have to do better than that. I already know what you're after in here. Apollo and I agreed a long time ago that he would be compliant with my time with him, as long as I willingly gave up some information.” His smile truly stood out in the dark room, though Nico noted just how fake it looked. A true politician's smile. “No need for acting.”

“You're one to talk then, if we're being honest.” Nico leaned back on the bed, spreading his legs slightly. He bit down on his lip as he stared up at the blond from behind his bangs. “Politicians don't really have a habit of being anything but fake.”

“I suppose that's true.” Nico frowned as the man crawled on top of him. “So, how about this arrangement? You and I do what I paid for, and then I'll tell you something as we're getting dressed.” The urge to cringe screamed through Nico's body as he felt Robert's hand slide across his body. “Deal?”

“Whatever you want,” Nico practically purred.

Nico dipped his head to the side as Robert kissed along his neck, all the while sliding his hand underneath Nico's underwear. Robert was attractive and he seemed pretty good with this sort of thing—from what Nico had merely seen so far—but Nico was already not enjoying himself. On the bright side, though, Robert was probably one of the youngest clients he had endured, and one of the most attractive.

The blond hiked Nico's legs onto his shoulders and yanked off the Lost Boy's underwear. Nico smirked and traced his big toe down the blond's chest, stopping once his foot rested against the bulge in Robert's boxers. At least Robert was something to look at, Nico thought. Most of the customers at the Lotus were in their late thirties or above. And the few that were still in their thirties were very, very few. Robert on the other hand was still new to politics, still in his late twenties. It made Nico wonder how much Gaea had this guy by the balls, considering how much of a voice Nico heard Robert had in the political world.

Nico's mouth felt numb as Robert shoved his tongue into the boy's mouth. The boy chuckled a little as Robert pressed up against Nico. To be honest, Nico had not been pleased about this turn of events, and neither had Apollo. And what Robert didn't know was that Nico had drank a few shots before coming to the room. Not that many, though, as Nico was still trying to figure out how much alcohol he could handle.

It also helped to take Nico's mind off of the slight pain that shot through his body as Robert slid the first finger in. Nico was pulled into Robert's lap as the blond worked on stretching Nico out. The Lost Boy wrapped his arms around the blond's neck and moaned into his ear.

Nico could say one thing for Robert, though. He could last a lot longer than his other clients. Nico figured that the men that came by were too sexually repressed, or didn't get any at home, so they didn't last long. And the women were just left unsatisfied by their husbands. Either way, Robert lasted a whole lot longer than the other customers. Not including foreplay, Robert had lasted nearly forty minutes after penetrating Nico.

The blond smirked a little as Nico released a breath, running a hand through his hair. “So, as promised, I owe you some information.” He worked on buttoning his shirt as Nico sat up and grabbed his underwear. “Gaea wants to look into that judge that she had Percy get appointed the year before last. He's doing some deals under the tables that probably don't benefit the woman that put him there.” He winked down at Nico, slipping on his shoes. “Just a fair warning.”

“Thanks,” Nico breathed out. The Lost Boy leaned his head back. Out of all his times with clients, this one might have actually been enjoyable. Not that he would admit it. While it was good, it had left Nico with a weird feeling. Sort of like his first night. Perhaps it was because he felt like he was sort of betraying Apollo.

Robert pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket and offered Nico one. The boy shook his head. “Suit yourself.” The blond smirked down at him before heading to the door. “It's been a pleasure, Nico, we'll have to do it again. But, if you'll excuse me, I like to have a smoke after good sex.”

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes as the door shut. Though, he had barely gotten his shirt on by the time that it opened again. He didn't even have to look up to know it was Apollo. “Sup?” The brown-eyed boy asked.

“So, how did it go?”

Nico let out a sigh. “Not too bad. I'll give you one thing, you can pick a man that's good in bed.”

Apollo let out a small chuckle. “Well, he was good at that. Still a jerk.”

“Yet you've been talking to him lately.”

“Yeah.” Apollo wrapped his arms around himself as Nico slid into his shorts. “We're still a little complicated.”

Nico frowned and stood up. “You're not going to buy his bullshit if he tries to keep you on the side, like most politicians would, are you?” Apollo was rather quiet, staring at his feet. Nico narrowed his eyes. “Apollo?”

The blond let out a sigh. “You want to go down to my room? I could use a drink.” Nico didn't budge. “We can talk down there, come on.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but followed after the blond. While the sex had been good, it had left Nico with a figuratively bad taste in his mouth. If Robert had not been involved with Apollo in the past, if didn't know Robert was a dick, then Nico might have not been bothered by it all. But he was that guy, which made Nico feel a little unclean.

Apollo's suite was vacant when they arrived, or at least Will had already passed out. Either way, the two found a quiet suite when they arrived. Apollo wasted no time in getting two glasses and a bottle of Jack Daniel's before heading to his room, Nico hot on his heels.

The blond flipped on his TV and plopped down on the bed. “So, you enjoyed it?”

Nico shrugged and laid down on the bed. “I mean, not as good as I've had with Luke, Jason, Will, or Percy, but still good.”

Apollo poured himself a drink. “Much more enjoyable back when he was younger, if I'm being honest. Letting him take out the stress of the workload from his university was amazing.” Nico smirked as the blond downed his drink. “And he had a desk in his room that he liked to bend me over. It was pretty good.”

Nico took the other glass and Apollo poured him some. “How young did you look back then?” He chuckled. “Robert talked like you looked kind of like me.”

“Not pale, no. But I guess I've always had a youthful face and sort of soft features, like you.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “I do not!”

The blond chuckled and winked at him. “It's cute, plus it'll get you plenty of attention.” Apollo downed another shot. “Especially with the closet cases that don't want to accept they like men yet.”

“Not helping,” Nico muttered. The boy let out a sigh and took another sip of his drink.

“Was he at least nice enough to get you off?”

“Yeah, but I was just kind of wanting it to be over,” Nico admitted. He shrugged at the odd look Apollo gave him. “It just...felt weird. I guess it was because I knew who he was. I never really imagined myself sleeping with my friend's ex.”

Apollo let a grin slide across his lips. “And you expected to be taking your clothes off for money when you thought out your life?”

“You know what I mean.”

Apollo held up the bottle and Nico let the blond pour him some more. “So, would you have had sex with him if you'd had a choice? I mean, looking back on it, knowing that it was good.”

Nico eyed his drink for a moment. “Probably not.” Nico downed his drink and placed a hand behind his head, leaning back against the blond's headboard. “I just...wasn't comfortable with it. Don't know, I think I'd have been more comfortable with one of you.”

“Like me?” The blond Lost Boy grinned at him.

Nico knew his friend was teasing, but he still shrugged. “Probably, yeah.”

Apollo downed a good bit of the bottle, making a face afterward. “Well, I probably am better in bed than him.” Nico snorted at that. “The student has now surpassed the teacher, or so it would seem.”

“You know, I find it funny that you used to try so hard to get into my pants, but you haven't tried for a long time.” He grinned over at the blond. “I'd almost be offended.” Nico downed more of his drink. “To be honest, I had a pretty big crush on you when I first got here.” Apollo smirked. “I probably would have let you had your way with me, if you had kept trying.”

Apollo winked at him. “Is that an invitation, my dear Nico?” The blond purred. Nico eyed his empty glass with a shrug. The older Lost Boy chuckled and poured him some more. “Well, that is entirely up to you. Sex is still sex, but I'm content with not getting in your pants. I need to be a respectable big brother, after all.”

Nico rolled his eyes and tossed his glass back. “Please.” He let out a sigh and glanced over at the blond. “Don't make yourself sound like the respectable citizen.”

Apollo actually laughed at that. It was nice to see the blond smile. Nico always thought Apollo had a beautiful smile. “But, of course, there's the factor of my roommate,” Apollo brought up.

“I thought sex was just sex?”

“I didn't say it would stop me, if you wanted it.” Apollo rolled onto his back, twisting the cap back on the bottle. Nico wasn't sure about Apollo, but he was contently buzzed. “Do you want to have sex with me?”

Nico blinked several times. He smirked, probably from the alcohol. “Well, I did tell you that I'd let you, if I were to ever start having sex with the other Lost Kids.”

“And you have.”

“I have,” Nico nodded. He rubbed his face. Without meaning to, he dropped his head on Apollo's chest. The blond wrapped his arms around Nico's waist, and Nico let his fingers trail under the older Lost Boy's shirt. “I mean, it probably wouldn't hurt anything. And you are hot, and I do like to keep my promises.”

Apollo chuckled at him. “We don't have to if you don't want to, Nico.”

Nico just hummed and tilted his head up to look at the blond. Without saying anything, Nico leaned in. Apollo reached up and cupped Nico's face, running his tongue along Nico's lips. With a moan, Nico opened his mouth to allow the blond entrance.

The next thing Nico knew, Apollo was on top of him. Nico spread his legs a little to allow the blond to position himself in between them. Pulling back from the kiss and opening his eyes, Nico was greeted by the truly angelic sight that was Apollo. Nico reached up and ran a hand through the golden curls above him.

Nico's shirt was off before he could even blink. Apollo leaned down and trailed kissed down Nico's chest, stopping to dip his tongue in Nico's bellybutton. Apollo was a lot warmer than most that Nico came in contact with, like a fraction of the sun's heat rested underneath the blond's skin. It didn't leave a tingling sensation like Percy normally did, but it was still very warm.

Nico raised the blond's shirt up, giving Apollo the hint that he wanted the shirt gone. The blond complied by leaning back and yanking it over his head, tossing it behind him. The raven-haired boy's fingers instantly reached up to touch Apollo's chest. Apollo really did have a nice body. While he didn't want to date Apollo, or really have the romantic crush anymore, Nico would admit that he saw Apollo as the most attractive guy at the hotel, aside from Percy. It was like Apollo had literally been crafted to perfection.

And, as Apollo got out of the rest of his clothes, Nico could attest to the fact that the blond's body was capable of making any mouth water. Apollo was healthy with a natural glow to his body, but not the muscular stature that even Luke carried. He had the lean body that gave him enough strength to hold his own in a fight, but all of that dancing had left the curly haired Lost Boy with a slim stature.

Though, while Nico preferred his position on bottom, he could admit that he found himself admiring his friend's ass when the blond turned around. As biased as Nico probably was towards Percy, even Nico could admit Apollo's ass took the cake.

Apollo sealed their lips together when he climbed back onto the bed. He hooked his fingers in the hem of Nico's underwear, slowly rolling them down until they were off the boy's hips. With a grin, the blond tossed them over his shoulder and pressed himself against Nico's nude body.

Nico's brain barely had time to process what was happening before the blond shifted down to take Nico's erection in his mouth. Make that another thing Apollo excelled at. While he did not beat Percy, Apollo gave incredible head. But perhaps comparing people to Percy was unfair, since the young man had been raised to be the best at this sort of thing. Either way, Nico rolled his head back with a loud moan, his fingers digging into the blond's mass of curls.

Apollo pulled off of Nico's erection with an audible pop. Reaching over to his nightstand, Apollo pulled out a condom and a tube of lube. Opening the bottle, Apollo gripped the brown-eyed boy's manhood again and returned to his earlier activity. Nico bucked his hips up when Apollo's nose made contact with his crotch. And then the cold feeling of Apollo's finger appeared at Nico's entrance as the blond slid in the first finger.

“Guess you don't need to stretch me out that much,” Nico joked.

Without taking his mouth off of Nico's erection, Apollo winked at him. Then he licked it from the base to the tip. “You might consider doing this after your time with clients.”

“Why is that?”

Apollo licked the shaft again. “Because, let's face it, clients don't usually satisfy us, and we have our own needs. Besides comfort and fun, one of the reasons we have sex with each other is to satisfy our needs. Because, we're in there to satisfy clients, and they're usually not that good. Which means we are left needing to be taken care of ourselves.”

Nico's fingers dug into the sheets as a second finger entered him. “I suppose that's true,” he gasped.

When the blond's fingers brushed against his prostate, Nico bucked his hips again. Taking that as his cue to get to the real stuff, Apollo gave the tip of Nico's cock a final lick before opening the condom. Once it was on his own shaft, Apollo positioned himself at Nico's entrance and raised the boy's legs over his shoulders. Nico let out a long moan as he felt the blond's shaft slide into him.

Since he had just had sex an hour before that, it wasn't painful. Which was sort of a relief for Nico, seeing as how he was able to move straight into the pleasure portion of the bottom's sexual experience. Which was why Nico did not complain when Apollo immediately began to slide back out of him, only to slide forward again a moment later. Nico's legs were pointed straight at the ceiling, while the boy on the bed enjoyed the sight of Apollo's muscles tightening. The blond sat up straight on his knees, holding Nico's legs in place, all the while thrusting in and out of the shorter boy.

At first, the pace was on the verge of being agonizingly slow, but still hitting all the right spots. But Apollo slowly worked his way into a faster pace, eventually putting both of Nico's legs onto one of his shoulders and slamming forward into Nico. When Nico reached up to touch at the blond, Apollo leaned in and pressed his lips to the side of Nico's hand.

It kind of made Nico's heart melt.

Apollo was adorably romantic, there was no denying it. In that moment, Nico wished things could have just stayed the way they were before the incident with Apollo all those months ago. He wondered what it would have been like if things had gone differently between them. But there was no way that would have happened, and Nico realized it was for the best.

Apollo finally leaned down and pressed a kiss to Nico's forehead. He adjusted Nico's legs, so that one was on each shoulder, both hovering over Nico's head. The raven-haired boy's hands were pinned on either side of his head, Apollo giving them a squeeze as he intertwined their fingers. All the while, Apollo had sealed their lips together in a very passionate kiss. Nico opened his mouth to allow the blond entrance as the blond's erection brushed against his prostate.

One of Nico's hands was brought up to Apollo's lips, where the blond proceeded to trail kisses along Nico's wrist before running his tongue against the sensitive skin.

From there, Apollo pulled Nico into his lap, sitting back on his haunches. The blond took a firm grip of Nico's waist and thrust into the boy. Nico's nails raked across the blond's sweaty chest, while Apollo reached up to brush the wet bangs from Nico's eyes. The brown-eyed boy wrapped his legs tightly around Apollo's waist and clung to the tan back. One of Apollo's hands reached down to stroke Nico's erection.

Apollo kissed along Nico's neck, slowly working his way up until their lips met. Nico's fingers tangled into the blond's curls as he was brought down onto the cock inside of him. He moaned into the blond's mouth as Apollo hit his prostate at the same time that he squeezed Nico's erection.

Nico's climax hit him out of nowhere. Apollo just managed to hit his spot just right and then Nico saw white. He moaned loudly as Apollo placed him back on the bed, kissing Nico softly. With another thrust, Apollo moaned back and released himself.

The two took a moment to catch their breaths before Apollo rolled off of Nico and collapsed on the bed beside him. With a groan, Apollo reached down and removed the condom, tying it up before tossing it in the trash. Apollo rested a hand on his chest, wiping at the sweat that was there a little. To say that Apollo looked good after sex was an understatement. It should have bordered on illegal.

The blond's chest glistened and his curls were matted to his head, while his penis lay limp against his lower abdomen. And the way Apollo placed his arm above his head only made Nico think even more that the blond should have been a model.

But the moment was brought to an end when Apollo got out of bed. Not that Nico complained, since he got to watch Apollo's ass as the blond walked out of the room. Upon his return, Apollo held two bottles of water in his hands. He offered one to Nico with a smile.

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled, sitting up to fetch his underwear. After they were on, Nico sat down next to the blond, who merely covered himself with the sheets of his bed. Nico took a long swig of water. “Well, I guess you are better in bed than your ex.”

Apollo chuckled. “Thanks.” He let his head fall against the headboard. “I'm so tired, though.”

“Same.” Nico took another drink. “So, do you want to talk about what I said earlier? About you and Robert, I mean.”

A sigh escaped Apollo's lips. “I don't know.” For a second, Nico thought the blond meant that he didn't know if he wanted to talk about it, but that didn't seem to be the case when the blond continued. “I guess first loves are hard to get over. You know, back then, I was so stupid. I actually thought Robert and I would last forever. A hopeless dream, I suppose.”

“It doesn't have to be.”

Apollo let out a soft chuckle. “Not with him, as much as part of me still wants him.” The blond shook his head. “No, Robert hurt me too much. But, at the same time, I just want to go back to the way things were.” The blond looked up from his water bottle to frown at Nico. “Is that weird of me to say?”

“I don't think so,” Nico admitted. “But Robert wasn't who I meant.”

Apollo smirked at him. “Do you want me?” Nico narrowed his eyes, which made Apollo slump in the bed. “Look, I screwed up with Leo a long time ago, and I was dumb enough not to fix things after it happened. That bridge got burned a long time ago.”

Nico didn't seem convinced. “I doubt that.”

“Look, I'm not healthy, Nico.” The blond motioned to himself. “Luke and I aren't so different. Perhaps not in the ways you might think, because we are different, but I don't think I'm capable of sustaining a healthy relationship anymore.”

A frown formed on Nico's lips. “You can't think that. It's not true, because you're still a sweet guy.” He nudged the other Lost Boy's shoulder. “I think things could work out if you just tried.”

Apollo sighed as he stared at his bottle of water. “I don't know,” he muttered. “Leo gets mad if I even mention that night.”

“What happened anyways?”

There was a pained look in Apollo's eyes. Was it that bad? Letting out a breath, Apollo glanced up at the TV. Nico had honestly forgotten that it was still on. “Where do I even begin? I sort of used Leo as a distraction from both Robert and Percy when the kid first arrived. I flirted him, perhaps not so differently than I flirted with you originally. At first, he just wanted to kiss, even though I tried to get more out of him. I spent time around him, mostly to try and convince him to come back to my room.”

“But?”

The blond flinched. “Well, I sort of...started to like the kid. I don't know, he was quirky and upbeat, and I liked it. But I suppose it's now my fault that he's angrier than when he first arrived. I mean, he used to joke a lot more, but now he's...” Apollo motioned a little at the air. “Well, you've seen him. That's my fault.”

Nico frowned. “I've never heard him blame you for that.”

“No, he's never come out and said it, but he definitely is mad about what happened between us.” The blond scrunched his lips. “Anyways, I finally got Leo to have sex with me one night. The problem was that I just wanted to lay there and stare at him while he slept.”

Nico just arched a brow. He didn't see a problem really. “And?”

The blond let out a sigh. “I got scared. So, I ran, figuratively speaking. I kicked him out of my room that night and didn't speak to him for several weeks after that.” Apollo reached up and ran a hand through his curls. “The hurt look on his face was painful to see. I felt horrible, but I couldn't get myself to do anything about it. I was still angry about what happened between myself and Ganymede, all under Percy's orders. I was angry at both of them, and I just wanted to get back at them. And it didn't help matters for Leo that I nearly got him in trouble with his job.”

Well, that part Nico had already heard from Ganymede. Not that Apollo needed to know that. “Why don't you just explain things to Leo?” He shook his head. “He's an understanding guy, Apollo.”

Apollo took in a deep breath before resting his head against the headboard. “It doesn't matter.” He gave the other boy a weak smile. “Don't worry about it, Nico, I'll be fine.”

“You're not really convincing me with that.”

Apollo chuckled and shrugged. “Well, I guess I can't really fool you anymore.” He ran his tongue along his lips, staring down at his lap. “It's really not a big deal, don't worry about it.” Nico frowned, standing to his feet and putting the rest of his clothes on. “You know, perhaps we should make room for another brother.”

Nico quirked a brow, slipping his shirt over his head. “What do you mean?”

“Annabeth, Luke, Thalia, and I were all fighting, yet you managed to get everyone to see reason, including us.” He brushed some of his curls out of his face. “Just a suggestion, but I think we can all agree that everyone is starting to confide in you a lot more. You've comforted and given advice quite a bit recently, so I wouldn't mind having you as another support system. Lord knows that we have our hands full while Percy is away.”

Nico smiled a little. “Thanks.” The raven-haired boy slowly walked over to the door, pulling his card out of his pocket. “I guess I wouldn't mind, if it's what you guys want. I guess I just don't really feel like I should be considered one of the siblings of the Lost Kids, since I'm one of the newer ones.”

Apollo stood up, sliding into his own underwear. “I don't think that really matters, especially not if you manage to keep your head while the rest of us are off fighting.” He reached over and squeezed the boy's shoulder. “Look, Nico, whether you want to see it or not, if you hadn't stopped us, we might have continued to fight until Percy came back. And I can promise you that it probably would have only gotten uglier as time progressed. You did a good job.”

\----------------------

Nico had only ever been to Disneyland once in his life, and that had been when Bianca had taken him during summer break four years ago. Jason had woken Nico up pretty early on Saturday and had dragged Nico to the theme park. The two had spent most of the day there, but would soon have to go back within a couple of hours. The two had made an agreement not to purchase any merchandise until they were ready to go, as well as to refrain from the water rides until the very end.

Chasing after his roommate, Nico glared and tried to swipe the picture from their last ride from Jason's hand. To little avail, since Jason was still several inches taller than Nico. “I look horrible, get rid of it!”

“No,” Jason chuckled. He smirked and examined the picture above his head. “I think I'm going to put it on our fridge.”

“Not if I burn it first.”

“Rude.” Jason stuck his tongue out as he pocketed the vile picture. “So, how about a water ride before we have to go back?”

Nico let out a breath, already trying to think of the ride he wanted to go on the most. “Fine, but I'm also okay with just living out the rest of our days here.” Jason chuckled. “How about Grizzly River Run?”

“Sounds good to me.” Jason placed his hands behind his head as he walked in the direction of Nico's selected ride. Jason's attire for the day consisted of a loose, light blue tank top and a pair of khaki shorts. The blond's sandals clacked against the concrete as they walked. Jason had been getting a good bit of attention over the course of the day, but Nico couldn't really blame the people from staring. Even he had to admit that his roommate was wet fantasy material.

The line isn't too bad when they arrive, but they do find themselves standing there for a little over twenty minutes. Nico rubbed his neck as they waited. “I feel like I need more days like this while Kronos is here.”

Jason grinned. “It is nice. But I think I'd expand that to just every now and then in general. It is much more relaxed when Percy is at the hotel, but it's great to have a day completely away from the Lotus.”

Nico took a few steps forwards when the line moved. “This was very awesome, though. Thanks for bringing me.”

Nico might have felt like a twelve year old boy again when him and Jason emerged from the ride. The two came out soaked after the ride was over. Not that Nico was complaining, since Jason's shirt now clung to his body. He sort of found himself distracted by that fact as they shopped in one of the stores.

After nearly forty-five minutes of shopping, Jason and Nico headed out of the park. They were still wet, but the sun was already working on drying them. Luckily, Jason had brought two towels along to place in the seats.

When they finally got back to the hotel, Nico had started to feel cold. The air in the elevator didn't really help matters either. So, by the time they got up to their suite, Nico was shivering. Jason smiled at him as he closed the door. “Cold?”

Nico narrowed his eyes, rubbing his arms. “Gee, I don't know, what do you think?”

The raven-haired boy frowned and worked on pulling his shirt over his head. As it was still wet in some places, it got stuck coming over his head. Nico heard Jason laugh again before a new pair of hands helped him pull off the shirt.

Nico's eyes widened as Jason's lips met with his the second the shirt was off. Nico's eyes slowly opened as Jason pulled away to pull off his own shirt. Smiling, Jason walked down the hall. “You coming?” He called back to Nico.

Unbuttoning his shorts on the way, Nico followed after his roommate. Jason was already out of his clothes by the time Nico arrived in Jason's room. Jason wrapped his arms around Nico and pulled the shorter boy onto the bed, sliding them under the covers.

“Better?”

Nico attempted to glare, but he was pulled too close to Jason's chest for the blond to see it. “Maybe,” he mumbled instead. His eyes closed as Jason's hands rubbed softly at his back. Since they were both naked, Nico could feel Jason's manhood press against his abdomen. “I don't want to go to work.”

Jason chuckled against Nico's neck. He rolled them over, so that he was on top of Nico. “Well, we can take a nap, if you're tired.” Nico let out a small moan as Jason pressed against him. “Or we could do something else before that nap.”

Nico spread his legs, bending them at the knee. “You do make a compelling argument.” His manhood hardened as Jason's erection brushed against his entrance. “Condom, now.”

Another chuckle escaped Jason's lips as he fished out a condom and a bottle of lube from his nightstand. Spreading some lube on his fingertips, Jason slid the first finger into Nico's entrance. Their lips met as Jason rubbed their erections against one another. Jason's skin was soft from his still drying skin, something that drove Nico a little wild. His hands tangled into Jason's short, blond hair. The blond chuckled as he slid in a second finger, immediately hitting the boy's prostate.

Out of all the Lost Kids, Nico expected Jason to be the most familiar with his body, since this was not the first time they had messed around. Unlike Will, Luke, or Apollo, this made the fourth time that the two had messed around. And Jason never disappointed. While Nico and Jason had both agreed that they didn't think that they could have a romantic relationship, Nico could admit that it felt more natural with Jason than it did with even Will. Percy, on the other hand, was different, something that made Nico feel complete.

Nico let out a small whine when Jason removed his fingers, only to replace it with the head of his cock a few seconds later. The raven-haired boy's nails dug into Jason's back as every inch of Jason's length entered him. Jason propped himself up, while Nico made sure to keep his leg bent to give Jason access. With hazed eyes, Nico watched as the muscles on Jason's arms and chest tightened with each thrust.

When Nico rolled his head to the side to let out a string of moans, Jason moved in to suck at the boy's neck, which only made Nico moan all the louder. With a direct thrust to Nico's prostate, Jason bit the boy's neck. He felt the blond smirk at the near deafening moan that escaped his lips from the combination of the two actions.

Gripping Jason's hair was the only thing that stopped Nico from cumming right there.

It had felt really good, okay? Jason pulled back, and the look in his blue eyes was enough to make Nico moan again. The blond leaned down and captured Nico's lips as his hips moved in a rhythm in and out of Nico. Jason slid his arms under Nico's legs and raised them on top of his shoulders. Jason crouched above Nico, raising the boy's hips, so that he could thrust directly downwards.

Hard, quick thrusts were delivered to Nico's prostate. He would give Jason one thing, the blond could remember where Nico's prostate was. Every single thrust managed to hit. This was exactly how it was after Jason found it during their first time having sex. During the second time in the shower, Jason had managed to go without missing the raven-haired boy's prostate a single time. And it seemed Jason was going for a repeat, as every single thrust he delivered to Nico's increasingly sweaty body made direct contact with his prostate.

Nico placed his hands under his head as Jason's fingers dug into his hips, using it as a way to slap deeper into the boy beneath him. Nico let out a moan as a bead of sweat dropped off of Jason's forehead and hit him on the chest.

Another thing Jason was good at was that he could make Nico cum without being touched. This time proved to be no different. The second Nico attempted to reach down and stroke himself, Jason pinned the boy's hand against the pillow. Nico let out more moans as the blond rapidly thrust into him. Jason's thrusts were wild, and those blue eyes reminded Nico of a wolf as the blond stared down at him with a dark, lust-filled gaze.

Nico's legs tightened around Jason as he tossed his head back with an incredibly loud moan. His seed shot out of the tip of his erection and splashed across his stomach. Jason let out a grunt and delivered three more harsh thrusts before he too climaxed.

The blond leaned down and kissed Nico before pulling out and removing the condom. Nico's eyes drooped a little as he watched Jason pad across the room, admiring the blond's nude form. When Jason returned, he handed Nico a towel. The boy mumbled his thanks before rubbing his stomach and ass clean. He handed the towel back with a heavy exhale. Jason smirked as he tossed the towel aside and collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to get under the covers.

One of Jason's arms draped across Nico's stomach as the two laid there. Nico ran his fingers across the blond's arm, though he did not choose to remain above the covers. When he looked over, Jason had already dozed off. He smiled a little. Jason looked a lot more childish when he slept, something that Nico thought was cute. It made him a little sad to think about, but Nico sort of wished things could have been different for the two of them.

In another life, one where Jason hadn't endured what he had, Nico wanted to think that perhaps the two of them could have gotten together. Jason was a nice guy, and Nico had no doubts that Jason would have made him happy. But it wasn't to be.

Figuratively, Jason would always be the one that he would always wonder what could have been. Perhaps even the one that got away, even though Jason was right there in front of him.

Perhaps this was how Luke felt towards Nico. The feelings should be there, but there was just something that kept them from actually having romantic feelings towards each other. It sort of sucked, because Nico knew that it would have been easier to be with Jason than even with Percy. Jason just came naturally.

Nico was shaken awake almost two hours later. The boy rubbed his eyes, only to find Jason's wet form above him. “Hello, sleepy. You should hurry and grab a shower, it's almost time for work. If you hurry, we can still go get something to eat.”

The raven-haired boy yawned and sat up. Jason padded over to his closet, removing the towel that was around his waist. Nico rolled out of bed and left the blond's room, making his way towards the bathroom. He still didn't want to go to work, but he knew that he had to.

The two ate dinner in the hotel's restaurant, enjoying their last thirty minutes before work. On their way back up to the top floor, Jason smiled at Nico. “So, did I do a good job for a present?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I feel like your present was more about sex, since we had sex twice on my actual birthday, and then again today after we got back from Disneyland.” He narrowed his eyes at the smug look on the blond's face. “But it was fun, yes. I had fun at the park.”

Jason winked at him as the elevator came to a stop. “Well, maybe we'll see about a round two today, but only if I'm not tired after work.” The blond slung his hands behind his head as they exited the elevator. “But, either way, I might come by your room, unless I'm dead on my feet.”

Nico ended up stuck at Kronos's table. It was not that he tried to get the table, it was more that Kronos called him over to ask for a drink before even sitting down. Either way, Nico was just relieved that Kronos was pretty passive tonight. He barely even looked at Nico, keeping his eyes on either the stage or the paperwork in front of him.

“Oh, Nico,” Dionysus greeted him upon entering the bar room, “always a pleasure.”

Nico tilted his head to the side, inspecting the man. “Are you drunk?”

Sure, Dionysus usually drank during work hours, but Nico had yet to see the man actually intoxicated. But here the man was, red eyed and swaying a little. He hadn't seemed very pleasant since the Lost Kids stopped fighting.

“Are you just a disappointment?” The man frowned at Nico. “And here I thought you'd end up being the ultimate entertainment, but you just disappointed me.” Nico let out a sigh as he dropped off a few orders. “But I'm glad Kronos is here, this hotel can finally see the potential I wanted it to have.”

Wrinkling his nose, Nico took a step back. The man's breath reeked of alcohol. “What are you even talking about, Dionysus?”

Not like he needed it, but Dionysus downed another drink. “That little brat...Peter Johnson...” The man narrowed his eyes, like he lost Nico for a second. “He had to come along and ruin what was promised to me.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Wait.” He pointed over at the man. “You. You were supposed to be the manager of this hotel?”

Dionysus took a small bow. “At your service.”

It was very hard, but Nico managed not to roll his eyes. “Well then, I'm thankful that you didn't get the position. And with any luck, we'll be free from Kronos soon enough.”

The man motioned to Nico, sloppily pouring a drink for one of the orders Nico had brought him. “Who needs Percy around when the others have you to quell their fights?” He blinked over at the boy. “Surely you are capable of handling things.”

“Percy didn't steal anything from you.” Nico crossed his arms. “You probably didn't deserve it. He's a good manager, and he handles us a lot better than Kronos does. People like him better.” Dark eyes narrowed at the man. “And you especially don't deserve the position now. I'm sure you'd have done nothing but torture everyone until Gaea was forced to remove you.”

Dionysus rolled his eyes, shoving a tray of drinks to the side. Nico eyed him a moment before walking over to pick it up. “You probably don't even see how far you've fallen. Do you really want Percy to come back?”

Nico debated ignoring him as he made his way to the door. That urge did not win out. “Of course I want him back.”

“Even if he was disappointed with what he saw?”

A cold spike shot down Nico's spine, though he fought the urge to shiver. He pursed his lips tightly as he glared at the door. Dionysus was just trying to bait a reaction out of him. Taking in a deep breath, Nico pushed out the door, ignoring the smug look on the man's face. Dionysus was just bitter, Nico wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

The majority of Nico's night was actually rather quiet. Dionysus kept to himself after his talk with Nico. If he gave the others trouble, they didn't show it. None of the customers gave him any trouble, and one lady even gave him a big tip because she thought he was “the cutest thing that I've ever seen”. Nico had smiled and happily accepted the twenty bucks.

Kronos had pretty much ignored Nico, keeping it to simple requests for the duration of half the night. He actually thanked Nico when the Lost Boy dropped off a drink for him. Honestly, it left Nico more than stunned. Perhaps Kronos was just swamped with work, which Nico wasn't about to complain about.

All of that changed halfway through the night.

After getting off the phone, he sent Rachel away. The girl had sat there for a moment, just blinking, but finally got up. As she left, Kronos's dark eyes fell on Nico. “So, I was thinking about our little conversation earlier.”

Great, Nico thought to himself. He managed to put on a smile. “And?”

“And...I completely forgot to mention how little you know about Percy's past.” The young man put on an obviously friendly smile as Nico frowned. “Like I said back at Christmas, you barely know about half the things he's done. Yet, for some reason, you think you love my brother. It's touching, really it is, but I can't really see how you think you're in love with him.” The corners of Kronos's lips turned up even. “I mean, I get how easily it is to fall for him. Percy is charming and attractive, always drawing attention. I think you're just suffering from a simple crush that you need to get over. Because, let's face it, you can't really expect to love someone that you barely know.”

Slowly, Nico nodded his head. Kronos smiled for a moment, until Nico opened his mouth. “Yeah, I don't really care about what he's done in his past. I like the Percy I know now, and that's all that matters.” As Kronos narrowed his eyes, Nico shrugged. “I'm sure Percy has done some horrible things, but the difference between you and him is that I can see that it bothers Percy. I'm not sure if you're capable of even feeling emotions.”

“Is that so?”

Nico nodded a little. “Percy's past is where it should be, in the past.”

With a smirk, Kronos looked down at his phone with a content sigh. “Nico, you're always a breath of fresh air.” The glint that was in the young man's eyes when he looked up sent shivers down the Lost Boy's spine. “Goodbye, Nico.”

Pursing his lips, Nico walked off with a huff. Once again, he was reminded how infuriating the manager could be. It was to think about how someone could take so much satisfaction from just pulling a reaction from someone. Nico had to wonder if he had only fulfilled what Kronos wanted by giving the answer he had.

At the end of the night, Nico got back to his room a little after two. He had ended up with a client at the end of his shift. Thankfully, a woman that was incredibly easy to satisfy. But none of that changed that fact that Nico felt completely dirty.

He chewed on his lip as he walked from his bedroom to the bathroom. Nico hadn't thought much about it at the time, but he had experienced a lot of sex over the past two days. This made the fourth time he had sex during that time frame, all with different people. He had also been scratching at his arm since he left the top floor. Needless to say, he had ended up with red skin and a small cut.

Running his tongue along the inside of his mouth, Nico shut the mirror after getting out a band-aid. He barely recognized himself anymore. His head fell back, letting out a long breath. Who was he anymore? He wasn't Nico, at least not the same Nico from his old life.

He wanted to be scared, but the boy barely felt anything. He felt empty inside, completely numb. It was that fact that actually did scare him. Well, Nico thought, at least he got what he wanted. Nico wasn't an immature little kid anymore. Yanking off his shirt, Nico stared at his reflection.

It pained him to think that he could see his old self staring back at him, smiling. Perhaps that kid was dead, never coming back. Reaching up, Nico lightly touched at his face. What was he doing? This wasn't him. The old Nico would have never been so careless about sex. It was the main reason he attached himself so fiercely to Percy to begin with.

Back then, Nico had just wanted one guy that could make him happy and take care of him. If that Nico could have only seen him now. Did he even care that he was becoming exactly what the others had said he would, the thing he had insisted that he would never become? Was it too late to save himself?

Perhaps Percy would be disappointed with what he saw, if he ever came back.

Nico's chest hurt as placed a hand over his heart. And, when he looked up, it only hurt worse. For the first time, Nico wasn't crying. His body felt like it was, or at least wanted to, but there were no tears that came out. His eyes weren't even watery. They were just...cold.

Closing his eyes, Nico let out a sigh. He stepped out of the rest of his clothes before getting in the shower. Right now, he really just wanted to try and wash this unclean feeling off of his body. For the most part of the shower, though, Nico just sort of leaned against the wall and let the water run down his body.

What was he supposed to do? Was it too late for him? How could he fix this? It felt so dark around him now, like he was lost. Nico really wished he had that flashlight Chiron had talked about a while back, because things were looking pretty grim for him.

After a good twenty minutes, Nico stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He slowly made his way back to his room, where he slipped on some cotton shorts. A good portion of his body was now pink from the hot water, though he had barely flinched under it.

Scrunching his lips, Nico turned out the lights and climbed into bed. He let out a sigh as he curled up under the covers. The door opened a few minutes later, which made Nico let out a small groan. He had been on the verge of sleep when the noise brought him back to reality.

To be honest, Nico had forgotten that Jason said he was going to drop by after work. So, Nico just snuggled closer to his pillow. “Not in the mood for sex, Jason,” the boy mumbled as he heard a zipper. 

Slowly, Nico heard clothes hit the floor, and then the bed shifted. Even in the darkness and with his back turned, Nico could feel the smile that the blond was giving him. If he wasn't so exhausted, Nico would have rolled over and shoved the guy out of his bed.

Nico took in a deep breath as a body pressed against him. Arms wrapped around Nico, and the boy began to hear the faint sound of breathing against his ear. Whatever, he thought, as long as Jason didn't try to have sex. Not that he should have expected it, since Jason wouldn't try and initiate sex if Nico wasn't in the mood.

However, Nico was thankful for the warmth that he felt. Jason was very warm tonight, and the faint breaths was very soothing. It did not take Nico long to drift off into a deep sleep.


	45. The Bedroom Guest

The next morning, Nico was pulled from his deep sleep when the bathroom door hit against the wall. The raven-haired boy groaned and rolled onto his stomach. He cracked an eye open when he realized the warmth from last night was gone.

As predicted, the bed was empty. Nico supposed that was to be expected, considering his roommate was around the bathroom. Letting out a yawn, Nico stumbled out of bed. He opened his door and scratched his head. A cabinet in the kitchen closed. Grumbling to himself, Nico headed in that direction.

Jason was dressed solely in a towel when Nico found him. The blond's hair was soaking wet, signaling his roommate's recent shower. When the blue-eyed Lost Boy turned around, he smiled when he found Nico there. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Nico grumbled, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

Nico's dark eyes drifted down to where Jason's towel barely held at his hips. On top of that, there was a droplet of water that slowly made its way down Jason's appealing stomach. Running his hand through his hair, Nico let out a sigh. “So, what time did you wake up?”

Jason shrugged. “Maybe thirty minutes ago?”

“And you didn't wake me up?”

The blond blinked at him. “Um, no?” Jason replied. “It's not like you have to work today.”

Nico rubbed his temples. Even though he hadn't drank at all last night, the boy felt like he was suffering from a hangover. “Well, thanks for stopping by last night.” He shook his head. “Last night was just sort of rough for-” Nico stopped when he noticed the confused look on his roommate's face. “What?”

“I didn't come by your room last night,” the blond admitted.

Nico's brow furrowed. “Um, yes, you did.” He motioned to his room. “You came in my room and curled up behind me.” Jason just shook his head. “Dude, I felt your warmth. I mean, it was warmer than usual, but I felt you.”

Again, Jason shook his head. “Nico, I just got back to the suite before I took my shower. I crashed in Thalia's room last night. I wanted to talk to her. I guess what you said last week sort of sank in, thought I'd make amends with her.” The blond motioned towards the door. “You can ask her yourself.”

Nico rubbed at his arm, suddenly getting a chill. If it wasn't Jason, then who was it? “So, um, who else can get in here? Leo and Rachel?”

His roommate shrugged. “Well, there's also Kronos.”

“Yeah, saying that doesn't make me feel any better,” the raven-haired boy groaned. Those were the only three that had key access to suites of the Lost Kids. Frankly, Nico seriously hoped it was either Rachel or Leo. Because the son of the devil did not sound like the most appeasing cuddle buddy.

Opening his mouth, Nico was interrupted by the sound of his cellphone. His brow furrowed as he scanned over a text from Rachel. Apparently, he was needed upstairs. Had he done something wrong?

“I'll be right back,” Nico mumbled as he went to his room.

Slipping into some loose clothing, Nico grabbed his wallet and headed for the front door. He felt very uneasy on the ride up to the manager's floor. If it was Kronos that wanted him, Nico would rather not be going, but he figured he had little choice. But their last conversation had not gone very pleasantly. Perhaps Kronos wanted to skin him alive.

Nico rolled his shoulders as he stepped off the elevator and immediately froze.

His brow furrowed as he watched people drag things around. A hotel cart wheeled some suitcases out of the room Kronos had been inhabiting during his stay. The sound of a steam cleaner could be heard from within the room. What was going on?

“Hi, Nico.”

Every fiber of Nico's being froze, his blood running cold. He knew that voice. But to hear it in person again was like music. Nico was too afraid to turn around, too afraid that he might not really be there. Taking in a deep breath, Nico pursed his lips and slowly turned around.

And there he was.

Percy Jackson himself, dressed in casual pair of jeans and a light blue shirt. The jerk even had a pair of sunglasses on top of his head. The guy didn't look professional at all, more like he had just gotten back from a vacation. But there he was, smiling at Nico with his hands in his pockets.

As Nico took a few steps forward, Percy's smile brightened. “Did you miss me?”

Without warning, Nico slapped Percy across the face. To say the young man looked surprised was an understatement. The young man rubbed his jaw as he gawked at Nico. The Lost Boy clenched his teeth, his fists tight by his sides.

“That's the first thing you say to me, really?” Nico growled.

Percy chuckled, still rubbing his jaw. “Well, I guess Rachel was right, you have grown some balls.” When Nico attempted to hit him again, Percy caught his wrist with a smile. “Striking your boss can get you fired, you know.” Briefly, those green eyes scanned Nico over. “You're not wearing the jacket I gave you.”

Nico jerked his arm away. “I just woke up.” Frowning, Nico rubbed his wrist. “Seriously, you couldn't even give us a notice that you were coming back? When did you even get in?”

“Last night.” Percy grinned and tilted his head to the side. “Well, you know, I dropped by last night, but you seemed pretty tired. So, I let you sleep.” The jerk actually had the audacity to stick his tongue out at Nico. “So, Jason's been sleeping in your bed?”

Nico's cheeks turned pink. “Shut up!” His entire face slowly turned red as he realized what Percy had just said. It had been Percy in his room last night? It had been Percy that cuddled with him? “Um, I-I'm glad you're back.”

Percy smiled and ducked his head, attempting to catch Nico's gaze as the boy hid his eyes behind his bangs. “Good, I was starting to worry.” His lips tilted down and he forced Nico to look up. “Are you okay, though?”

Did he know what happened? Nico gulped. Attempting his best smile, Nico nodded. “Yeah, of course.” He cleared his throat. “How was your trip?”

“It was good.” Percy obviously wasn't convinced. The way he kept looking at Nico gave it away. “I'll have to talk about it later. There's actually some things that I need to let everyone know.” The smile was gone from Percy's lips, a dark look in his eyes. But he was no longer looking at Nico. Nico spun around to find Kronos standing a few feet away. “All packed?”

Kronos's lips tilted up. “Almost. I suppose I'll be glad to be getting back to my own hotel.” While he kept smiling, the way Kronos looked at Nico sent shivers up the boy's spine. “I see you two are getting reacquainted.”

Percy nodded. The young man's lips tilted back up, slowly stepping around Nico to place his hand on Kronos's shoulder. But he didn't speak to Kronos. “Nico,” the green-eyed young man began, turning to look at the boy, “you can go back to your suite. We can talk later.”

Nico quickly nodded. “Yeah, sure.” He cleared his throat. “Of course.”

But Percy stopped him before the boy could get back on the elevator. “Come back in an hour, knock on my door.”

Taking in a breath, Nico nodded again and pushed the button to his floor. His shoulders relaxed when the doors closed. On the way down, though, Nico started to laugh. It was over. The nightmare that was Kronos was finally over. Percy was back and the hotel could finally go back to normal.

When the elevator opened, Nico found Luke and Octavian standing there. The younger brother quirked a brow at him. “What has you in such a good mood?”

“Percy's back!” Nico exclaimed.

A flood of relief could be seen in both blonds' stunned eyes. Luke pulled him aside. “You're serious? You saw him?”

Nico nodded. “He's upstairs. Looks like Kronos is going to leave today, too.”

Luke let out a sigh as Annabeth and Piper came up behind them. “What's up, guys?” Piper asked.

Nico had heard Luke laugh before, but it was usually done to mock someone. This was strange. The blond's lips tilted up as joyous laughter spilled out of his mouth. The girls looked at the guy like he'd grown a second head.

Octavian smirked and shook his head. “Percy's back.”

“Yes!” Piper held up her hands. Octavian let out a yelp as the girl wrapped her arms around him and lifted him off the ground in a giant hug.

After a moment, Nico noted that Annabeth was watching him. When she noticed this, she smiled and nodded. “I suppose we should let the others know.”

“We should have a party!” Piper suggested, dragging Annabeth into the elevator. Luke chuckled and stepped in after them, Octavian following in last. Nico smiled and waved at them before going down the hall to his suite.

As per the young man's request, Nico showed back up at Percy's room an hour later. After knocking, Nico stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned to watch the last of Kronos's things get taken out of the suite. Relief washed over Nico as he watched the scene. It was over, Kronos was finally leaving.

Well, this feeling was washed away quickly when Percy's door opened and he found both Percy and Kronos standing there. The spawn of the devil narrowed his eyes at Nico, though he quietly brushed past the boy. Percy smiled and tossed Kronos a wave.

“I'll see you here shortly,” the green-eyed young man said.

Kronos kept staring at Nico. “Of course. I'll see you in the lobby.”

Nico really wasn't sure which was worse from Kronos: the clearly angry side or the eerily calm one. Either way, Nico shivered as Kronos walked away. Percy smiled at the boy and motioned for Nico to come inside. Gladly accepting the invitation, the Lost Boy stepped around Percy and entered the suite. It had been a while since he had seen the room, which had been unoccupied during Percy's absence. Everything was exactly as Nico remembered it.

Percy walked back to his bedroom, fiddling with the cuffs of his dress shirt. While Percy did look good in it, the shirt merely reminded Nico that Percy was back to his business routine. He kind of liked seeing Percy so relaxed. Nico sat down on Percy's bed, while the young man dug around in his sock drawer.

“So,” Nico began.

Turning his head slightly to look at the boy, Percy smirked. “So,” he repeated. His eyebrow shot up. “I see you put on the jacket.”

Nico shrugged, smiling a little as he looked down at himself. The jacket was slightly big on him, but it didn't bother him at all. “Thank you for it, though.”

“It was just a present.” Percy ran his hand through Nico's hair before sitting down on the bed and putting his socks on. “I thought you might like it. But, as an added bonus for me, I get to look at you in it.”

The Lost Boy's cheeks lit up. “I, um...” He had to mentally slap himself. Nico had almost forgotten how easily Percy could charm someone. “Did you even stay the whole night, or did you leave when you realized I was going to sleep.”

“I stayed,” Percy admitted. He shrugged and stood up, walking over to one of his suitcases. Nico frowned as the young man pulled something out and slipped it into his pocket. “If you weren't so lazy this morning, you could have discovered that yourself. I woke up when I heard Jason come in, then I decided to head upstairs to make sure everything was in order.”

“How am I lazy if you only woke up ten minutes before me?” Nico flailed his arms with a huff. Percy smirked, moving closer. Nico narrowed his eyes, unsure of what the young man was up to. “So, Gaea let you come back?”

“Something like that.”

Nico arched a brow as Percy knelt on the bed, one of his legs in between Nico's. The brown-eyed boy leaned back a little. “Um, so, she doesn't think I'm an issue anymore? Did you tell her that there's no reason to be concerned?”

A spark flickered in Percy's eyes as the young man pinned Nico to the bed. The boy gulped when he felt Percy's knee press against his crotch. “Apparently, there are some that are concerned that you are a problem for me, that you are making me weak, Nico. Some want me to eliminate this problem.”

Something sharp and cold pressed against Nico's neck. Unsure of when they got there, Percy had a hand to the boy's throat, and in his hand was a very sharp knife. A cold, dark look filled the young man's eyes as he stared down at Nico.

Letting out a sigh, Percy sat back and frowned. The knife fell onto the bed. “The problem is that I couldn't go through with something like that, even if I wanted to.”

“I thought you were completely loyal?” Nico flinched. He told himself to shut up, not wanting to push his luck.

“To Gaea,” Percy chuckled. He sighed and placed his hands on either side of Nico's head. “She didn't ask me to do it. But, then again, I'm not sure if I could, even if she did.” The young man scrunched his lips. “Maybe when we first met, but not now.”

Nico rolled his head to the side. “You just want me to leave,” he whispered.

The green-eyed manager let out a heavy sigh. “You say that like it's a bad thing. Yes, I gave you that money to try to convince you to leave. I wanted you to graduate this whole time, yes. I won't deny that. But I also did it because I thought it was what was best for you. Even if you did decide to stay, I would still pay for your education.” He brushed some of Nico's hair from the boy's face. “Stop depressing yourself.”

In all honesty, Nico probably should have just smiled and nodded, but apparently he had developed into a masochist. “Is it true that you were going to bring my father to the basement and pretty much torture him?” Frowning, Nico pushed the young man off of him. “I thought I told you to just leave it alone?”

Percy's face was unreadable. “Well, I didn't, now did I?”

Groaning, Nico grasped at his hair. “That's not the point.” He sighed and sat down in front of Percy. “I just...would rather not have my father involved in my life, in any form.”

“Fair enough.” Percy gave a slight nod. “But, just so you know, I didn't ask for him to come upstairs. I never intended for him to find out what you do. When I found out he was talking to Persephone, I made a note to Leo and Rachel to instantly decline her request, should she ever ask to bring him to the hotel.”

There was a moment of silence, where neither of the two said anything. Nico didn't even meet Percy's gaze. It wasn't until Percy got off the bed that Nico finally looked up at him. “Did you know about the things that were going on here? I mean, if you even know now.”

Percy kept his back to Nico. With a sigh, the young man picked up his phone from his nightstand and slipped it into his pocket. “I had my suspicions.”

“And you were fine with it?”

Finally, Percy turned around with a slight frown. Frustration slowly became apparent on the young man's face. “It's not like I wanted to leave, you know. I didn't really have a choice, but I also knew that Kronos wouldn't do any real harm to you.” He shook his head, rubbing his jaw. “But don't worry, everyone that doesn't want to work the kink rooms is no longer required.” His eyes flickered down to where the boy sat on his bed, as if to say: that goes especially for you.

Nico was happy that Percy was back, he really was, but he also felt disappointed. He had expected Percy to come back and the two of them be happy. That was what the note was about, wasn't it? But here Percy was, and he hadn't even brought the note up. Should Nico ask about it?

He never got the chance, though.

Percy let out a sigh. “For the record, I'm not mad at you.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “About what?”

The young man gave him a serious look. “The drugs, Nico. I'm not stupid.”

“He told you?” Nico muttered.

“No.” Percy shook his head. “Nico, I'm not going to get mad at you over an accident. I am not unreasonable.” He sighed again and tilted the boy's chin up. “It really doesn't bother me, you had no idea what the stuff was.” His lips tilted up. “And, for the record, it was Luke.” Narrowing his eyes, he pointed at Nico. “Don't tell him that I told you.”

Slowly, Nico nodded. At least that was something off his chest, and it felt like a relief. Nico had been seriously debating if he should tell Percy when the young man got back, but was too nervous. “Thank you,” he whispered.

The green-eyed young man opened his bedroom door, but stopped and turned around when Nico stood up from the bed. “There is one more thing we need to talk about.” Nico couldn't help but smile, hoping that it was about the note. But the frown that set in on Percy's face couldn't disagree more. “You are to stay away from Kronos from this day forward, do you hear me? Do not go near my brother, under any circumstance.”

“I-”

Percy held up his hand, a dark look in his eyes. “I'm not finished talking.” Nico pursed his lips and nodded. “Starting from this point, when we go down to the lobby, do not speak to him. You are not to be alone with him, ever. The only time you can speak with him is when you have other people around you. Do I make myself clear?”

Gulping, Nico nodded his head. Fear was clear in the boy's eyes as he gawked up at Percy. The young man rarely spoke to him with such force, it scared Nico a little. But why was Percy getting mad at him? Kronos was the jerk that had been torturing everyone. So why was it that Nico got the heat for it?

“Okay,” Nico finally whispered.

Well then, Nico thought to himself as he followed the young man out of the suite, this was not how he imagined Percy's return to go.

In the elevator, Percy kept stealing glances at Nico. Not that Nico wasn't doing the same, he was just having a hard time accepting that Percy was actually there. Finally, the green-eyed young man tilted his head to the side and tapped a finger to his lip. “Did you change something about yourself?” He narrowed his eyes. “You just...look different. Are you okay?”

Pressing his lips together, Nico gave a small nod. “Well, I'm better now.” That made Percy smile a little. “It's really good to have you back.”

“I bet.”

“But I'm fine, I promise.”

Percy arched a brow. “You're better at lying, but not that good.” He smirked at the pout Nico gave him. “Keep in mind that I'm a professional liar, I know how to spot lies.”

Nico just shook his head. “You know, when you say things like that, you make it hard for others to trust you,” the boy sighed. Percy winked and wagged his eyebrows. Still as childish as ever, Nico thought to himself. “So, did anything exciting happen in Germany? I heard there was a new Lost Boy.”

“Yep.” Percy smiled a little. “He's fitting in fairly well, not really any problems at all. Apparently, he used to do go-go dancer before he ended up on the streets.”

Nico let out a small grunt of acknowledgment. “So, is that it?” He couldn't help but fish for information, since he barely got to talk to Percy in the past month. “Nothing important?”

“Not really,” Percy replied, his lips tilting down.

“Really?” Nico asked, unconvinced.

“Yeah.” Green eyes flickered away as the elevator opened. “It's not important, so drop it.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he followed after the manager. What was that about? Clearly, Percy was lying himself. But what could have happened? However, Nico was pulled from his thoughts as Percy pressed a hand to his chest. Blinking, Nico looked up to find a frown marring the young man's features. Percy blinked and pointed over to where the other Lost Kids were standing. Nico let out a sigh and trudged over to them, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his aviator jacket.

The second Kronos spotted him, the young man rolled his eyes at Nico. He clearly knew where Nico had gotten the jacket. But then Kronos just looked away and smiled at Percy. Nico let out a sigh, narrowing his eyes. That was not really the reaction he had hoped for. It was the day Kronos was leaving, when Nico had Percy back. Kronos would be leaving, which meant that he couldn't torture Nico. And while it probably was stupid, Nico was feeling a little brave.

Yes, Nico wanted to rub this fact in Kronos's face. He wanted to gloat a little that Percy was back and that he had held out in the end. But did he get anything? No! Just that stupid eye roll. It was like the fact that Nico was wearing Percy's jacket didn't bother Kronos at all.

But even still, all Kronos seemed to think of Nico as was an ant or some toy that belonged to Percy. However, Nico was pulled from all of this when he overheard something Kronos said to Percy.

“I guess I'll see you next month.”

“That's the plan,” Percy sighed. He smiled and hugged Kronos, which made Nico roll his eyes. How could Percy even be friends with someone like Kronos? Even if the guy's mother had saved Percy's life and been Percy's real friend. Details.

When Kronos went to leave, his eyes flickered over to Nico a final time with that annoying smirk of his. That smirk that he always gave when he felt like he had won something. He must have been so satisfied with himself, and Nico was just letting him pull his strings. Everything was just a game to the guy. The fact remained: Nico was just as messed up as Kronos kept saying. As much as Nico hated to admit this, it was the truth. Percy even noticed it straight off the bat.

Was he even any different than the others now? Was he just another soul that wound up trapped in the hotel, bound to wander its halls for the rest of time? Was it even possible to save himself at this point? Letting out a small sigh, Nico's eyes roamed over to where Percy stood. Maybe. But what was he even trying to accomplish for anymore? At least, for now, it was good to have a little light back in the hotel.

Percy walked Kronos out to the the limo that had been arranged to drive him to the airport. The second the young man came back into the hotel, however, he was swarmed. Percy quickly held his hands up in front of him to act as a shield as the guy was surrounded on all sides.

Since Nico had already gotten time with Percy, he let the others suffocate him. It was nice to see the others smile again. Relief was apparent in all of their eyes as they overloaded Percy with their unending amount of questions. However, it was Annabeth that noticed something about Percy first.

“Are you okay?” The blonde asked. Nico tilted his head to the side. She was right. Percy had a small frown on his face, and it seemed like he wasn't entirely there. Was he thinking about something? “Is everything okay?”

Nico went still when Percy's eyes flickered over to him. The young man's brow furrowed, like he was considering something mentally. “It's nothing.” Percy finally smiled, letting out a breath. “For the first time in a while, I think everything is fine.”

Travis let a small grin creep onto his face as he nudged their manager. “Something happen in Germany?”

The look in Percy's sea-green eyes was very distant, like he was somewhere else. Had something happened? But then the young man let out a sigh and smiled. A fake smile that he made no effort to mask. “Well, I can only hope that things turn out to be good.” He frowned when Annabeth opened her mouth. “I'll talk about it when I'm ready.”

“Yes, Percy,” the group all mumbled.

To Nico, though, it was just nice to hear Percy's name again. It was nice to have him back. Whatever Percy had to say could wait, as far as Nico was concerned. He just wanted to enjoy having the young man back. It was like a weight had been taken off his chest, like he wasn't on the verge of a panic attack anymore.

\-----------------------------

Unfortunately, the group didn't get to see much more of Percy the rest of the day. It wasn't until he came to the top floor during performance hours that Nico got to see him again. Although, Nico didn't get his table. Not that he could have, since the boy was on stage for the night.

And it was highly unlikely that Nico would be going to the backrooms tonight, since Thalia had caught him before work and told him that her, Apollo, Luke, and Annabeth were going to talk to Percy about letting Nico join the “big siblings” after work.

As Nico was about to go on, Will caught him on the way to the stage. “Good luck,” the blond mumbled.

It caught Nico a little off-guard. Will seemed unhappy and had barely spoken to Nico since Percy's return. “You okay?”

Will turned around and blinked, a little surprised. “I'm fine. I just...never mind.” The blond sighed. “It's not important.”

It didn't take much for Nico to realize why the blond seemed depressed. Yes, it was nice that Percy was back, even for Will, but he had also made the deal with Nico. And now Will probably wanted to see what Nico would say, probably dreading the answer.

But Nico wasn't entirely sure himself. Yes, Percy had been what he had wanted this whole time, and it was beyond amazing to have him back. But nothing seemed to change between them. After the note, Nico had hoped... Well, he had hoped for something different. But all he had really gotten was threats from Percy to stay away from Kronos. Not very romantic.

At the same time, though, there was something that still bothered Nico about Will. It wasn't the blond himself, just something felt off about them being more than friends. He really needed to figure out what was bothering him about the situation.

Nico let out a sigh as Will walked over to the couch and sat down. The raven-haired boy took his place on the stage moments before the music started. All of his problems and concerns had to be put on hold for the moment.

Clearing his head, Nico slowly rolled his head in a circular motion and raised his arms above his head as Goldfrapp's “Ooh La La” began to play. His hands slowly worked his way down his body, until the lyrics started and Nico jumped and spread his legs. Every time the words “switch me on” and “turn me on” appeared, Nico stopped what he was doing and made sure to shoot his legs apart, trying to do his best at a seductive expression.

He turned his back to the audience and bent over slightly, running his hands up his leg. From there, he jumped up and shot his legs apart again, this time sticking his finger into his mouth. Leaning back, the boy rolled his stomach and caressed his inner thighs.

As the song continued, Nico found himself on his side, sticking his leg into the air. The boy actually managed to raise it up enough and grab it with one of his hands. He was sure the audience enjoyed a nice view of his crotch and ass. Sliding to the edge of the stage, Nico allowed a woman near the edge to rip the silk pants he had on off of his body. Tossing her a wink, Nico jumped up and began to sway along to the music again. Rolling his shoulders, Nico managed to slide the vest he wore off of him.

Towards the end, when the part with “switch me on” appeared, Nico turned around during his jump and placed both of his hands on his ass. The boy swayed his hips around sensually, hooking his thumbs into the top of the fabric that clung to his body ever so tightly.

Sitting down on the stage, Nico bent his knees and spread his legs towards the audience. He slowly ran his hands from his feet up to his thighs. Groping his crotch, Nico let out a moan. Not that the crowd could hear it, but they could tell from his face what he had done. And, just as the song came to an end, rolled his speedo down ever so slightly, exposing just a hint of his ass to the audience as the song ended.

He tossed the crowd a wink as he made his way off the stage, pleased with the torture he probably instilled upon some of them. And, as a bonus, Nico wouldn't be going to the backrooms tonight because of what he had just done. It was a win-win situation. Well, for Nico anyways.

An hour later, Nico found himself sitting at a table with Thalia, Annabeth, Luke, and Apollo. Most of the others had already gone or were with a customer. Leo and Rachel were the only others upstairs, save for Percy and Dionysus. The newly returned manager was talking quite animatedly with Dionysus on the other side of the room, though it didn't seem to be anything bad. From the few things Nico could make out, Percy was just running through business transactions with the man, and Dionysus just nodded his head and answered when it was required of him. Nico tapped his fingers against the table's surface as he watched the two.

“So, is it true that Dionysus was supposed to be the manager before Percy?”

The other four looked over at him with confused expressions. Annabeth tilted her head to the side. “Where did you hear that?” She asked.

Nico casually shrugged. “Just something Dionysus said.”

Thalia chuckled a little. “Well, I'm sure he wanted to, but that information was wrong.” The girl placed her hands behind her head. “Sure, from what I've heard, the guy wanted to be manager, but Gaea never considered him.”

Annabeth nodded her head lightly. “She's right. When I got here, Dionysus was bickering with the old manager, mainly because Gaea had just informed the hotel that Percy would be transferred here. And I think everyone knew what was going to happen, so Dionysus just got upset.”

Apollo twisted one of his curls around his fingers. “Wasn't Gaea going to promote him, but then he ruined his chances for anything?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth muttered. She let out a sigh. “Long story, long before my time.” The Lost Girl shrugged at Nico. “He's bitter at Percy, but he only has himself to blame.”

Luke was the only quiet one at the table. When Nico looked over at him, the blond was trying to balance a water bottle on its side, using only his index finger. The blond let out a sigh, his blue eyes trained on Percy. It must have been a huge relief to have Percy back, Nico could understand that. It probably meant a lot to Luke. Nico also had to wonder what might have happened while Kronos was here. Luke wasn't one to talk about his problems, and Nico had to wonder if Kronos had said things to the guy when they were alone.

It was what Kronos had done to Nico, so it only made sense that the same had happened to Luke. The others had said that Luke was basically a toy for Kronos to play with, so Nico doubted that nothing had happened. So, seeing Percy again probably meant that a huge weight had been lifted from Luke. The most obvious was the fact that his and Octavian's mother could no longer visit the hotel.

When Luke noticed him staring, however, the blond got an annoyed look in his eyes. “What are you staring at, twerp?”

The raven-haired boy let out a sigh. “Nothing. But are you okay?”

“Of course,” Luke mumbled. “Worry about yourself.” His eyes flickered back over to Percy. “Just be glad Percy came back to save your sorry ass, sunshine. You got off easy from those kink rooms. The crazy amazon lady was probably the least of what you could have experienced.”

“Well, it's not like you weren't preparing me for it.” Nico stuck out his tongue.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because I totally showed you how things really were. If you thought what we did was rough and kinky, you are heavily misinformed about what goes on in those rooms.” The corners of the blond's lips tilted up. “But I'd be glad to show you.”

Rolling his eyes, Nico smirked. “I think I'll take a pass. What we did was about as far as I'd like to go.”

“Noted for later then.” Luke grinned and leaned back in the booth.

The group all fell quiet when Percy cleared his throat. When had he gotten to their table? Nico's ears turned pink. Had Percy heard what him and Luke had just been talking about? As if he could read the boy's mind, Percy arched a brow at him. Shit, Nico thought.

Unaware of Nico's mental turmoil, Apollo leaned forward on the table with a grin. “So, about what we discussed earlier. I just think that we've been underestimating this one,” the blond said, pointing his finger in Nico's direction. “I think he's finally gotten the hang of things around here.”

“Not everything,” Luke mumbled to himself. Everyone looked at the blond funny, but Luke just waved it off.

“It doesn't bother me,” Thalia spoke up.

“Same,” Annabeth added. She nudged Luke.

Luke let out a grunt, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. I suppose the kid managed to keep things in order while you were away.”

Percy smiled a little before glancing over at Nico. He scrunched his lips, like he was considering Nico. “Well, I suppose that's a decision for you guys. If you feel that he deserves it, I'm fine with it. It's never really been my decision to make.” The young man gave a casual shrug. “I'm not the one that gave you the titles you have, may I remind you.”

“Um, but I'm sort of the youngest, so how does that work for me?” Nico asked.

Percy smiled at him. “It's just a title, Nico, it doesn't really mean anything. It's not like you're getting a raise or promotion.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “All this means is that the others will come to you with their problems, and it's your job to help sort things out.” He smirked at the other four. “Usually behind my back, but I don't mind. That's what you're there for, to make my life easier. Basically, you want the others to come to you with their problems, instead of running to me. Although, if you find yourself in over your head, feel free to come talk to me.”

“Thanks,” Nico muttered. He smiled a little.

Percy reached out, like he was going to touch Nico's head, but stopped and dropped his hand back at his side. “I just wanted to say that I am impressed. It did surprise me a little when I heard you managed to talk the others into putting their disagreements aside for the time being.” The young man slipped his hands into his pockets. “I suppose it says something about the others listening to you. Perhaps they feel like they can trust you.”

Nico glanced at the other four. Thalia smirked at him and gave him a thumbs up. “We'll take him then!” The short girl exclaimed.

Percy gave a nod. “Good. Well then, if you'll all excuse me, I'm pretty exhausted from getting back into the swing of things today.”

“They got you lazy while you were in Germany, didn't they?” Annabeth teased.

Percy frowned at her before he smirked and rolled his eyes. “Goodnight, guys.” With a small wave, Percy headed for the stairs. With a small frown, Nico watched the young man go until Percy was out of sight. Luke practically shoved Nico out of the booth to allow himself to get up. Apollo chuckled and tossed Nico a wave, following after Luke.

Thalia stopped and clapped Nico on the back. “Welcome to the club, buddy.”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered. “Thanks.”

Smiling again, Thalia took her leave. Annabeth slowly rose from the booth, her eyes not really looking anywhere particular. “So, I guess everything can finally go back to the way it was.” The blonde let out a breath, slipping her hands into her pockets. “Percy seems refreshed, even if there is something clearly bothering him.”

“Yeah.” Nico rubbed his arm lightly. He pursed his lips, considering what he was about to say. “You remember when you used to give me advice on him?” Annabeth gave a small nod. “I don't suppose I could ask your opinion on something else, could I?”

Her grey eyes inspected him carefully. “Sure, I suppose. What's bothering you?” She pulled out a chair and sat down at the nearest table.

Nico pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table. “Um, you remember the jacket I wore today?”

“Yeah?”

“Um, well, Percy gave it to me. It belonged to his grandfather.” Nico let out a breath. “Anyways, he gave me a note with it, and ended it with a vague message. He said he realized something, but never said what it was about. Not even since he got back has he brought it up. I thought it might have been...” Nico blushed a little, “that maybe Percy liked me.”

Annabeth's face was unreadable. “So, what's your concern?”

“I just...thought that maybe things would be different when Percy got back.” Nico frowned a little. “I thought he'd treat me different. I mean, if I'm correct.”

“I think that's the key factor in this situation.”

Nico let out a groan. “I know. I guess I'm stupid for getting worked up over something that might not be anything.” The boy began to chew on his lip. “But, I mean, it sure sounded like he was trying to tell me that he liked me.”

For a long while, the room was quiet. Annabeth stared at the table, her eyes shifting back and forth. Finally, she let out a sigh. “Okay, let's say that he is trying to admit his feelings. Percy's not really...the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to romantic feelings and conveying them to others. The guy barely realizes when someone likes him.” She shook her head. “He didn't even catch on that Apollo liked him until I sat him down and explained the situation.

“My point is that you're going to have to probably take matters into your own hands. Lay out the cards for him. Let Percy know that this is frustrating you, he's pretty reasonable.” Annabeth reached over and squeezed Nico's hand. “I'm sure you can think of something.”

Nico let out a breath. “I'm not really sure.” He scrunched his lips. “Any suggestions.”

Annabeth smiled over at him before standing up. “Well, there's always your performances, and I think I know just the song.”


	46. Everything Will Change

“Here, I got you this.”

Nico looked up from his phone to see some mint ice cream with a bunch of toppings on it. Furrowing his brow, Nico looked up at Will. “What is it?”

The blond smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I'm not sure what the technical term is for it, but Mitchell always liked it. I thought it tasted good, so I was hoping you might like it.” His smile only grew as Nico raised the ice cream cone to his mouth. “So?”

“Not bad,” Nico replied, nodding his head a little. Will beamed at that, which made Nico chuckle.

Will had picked Nico up from school because Jason had been taken to the hospital during his science class. From what Nico could gather, the idiot had sliced his hand open and needed stitches. So, when Will had shown up to pick Nico up, the blond had insisted they do something before going back to the hotel. The blond had taken Nico to a little ice cream shop that had some tables outside.

Nico tried some more of the ice cream. While it was okay, the stuff wasn't really Nico's favorite. Not that he would complain about free ice cream. “Did you used to come here with Mitchell?”

Will blinked, his tongue running against his own ice cream. “No, not here. The orphanage I lived at was a few hours from Los Angeles. But whenever we managed to go get some ice cream, he always ordered that.” The blond's smile wavered a little. “I'm glad you like it.”

The brown-eyed boy didn't really have the heart to tell Will it wasn't really the best. It was like one of those tastes that you can tolerate when given it, but wouldn't really go and request it. He was just bothered by Will's borderline depressive state. The blond had been like this since Percy's return, which meant it was obvious as to why Will felt this way all of a sudden.

Letting out a sigh, Nico glanced over at the other Lost Boy. “Are you okay?”

The blond looked a little surprised. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

“It's just...you seem a little down lately. I can't help but wonder if it's because of what we talked about a while back.”

Will's blue eyes dulled a little. “Oh. That.” He let out a sigh. “I mean, can I really compete with Percy?” It tugged at Nico's heart as Will forced himself to smile. “I can't even really feel jealous or upset, because Percy's a great guy. He's taken care of me, and I don't think I could ever be angry with him. But as long as you're happy, I'll be fine.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “I doubt anything will ever come of me and Percy.” The boy looked down at his nearly finished ice cream. “It is nice having him back, and I did miss him. However, something just feels different with him. Whatever happened in Germany seems to be bothering him.”

“I suppose so,” Will whispered. The blond shrugged a little. “But he's back, so it couldn't have been that bad. If it was severe, surely Gaea wouldn't have let him come back after just a month.”

“Maybe,” Nico muttered under his breath. He wasn't so sure. What could have happened to cause Percy to act differently. Sure, to the outside eye, Percy would seem the same. He looked the same and talked roughly the same, but all of the Lost Kids could see something was different with Percy. Two days had passed since the young man's return, and Nico had barely seen the guy. Any time he asked, Percy simply said he was busy catching up with work.

And the green-eyed manager barely spoke to him. Percy talked far more to the others in the past two days, but seemed to nearly be avoiding Nico. However, the way he looked at Nico was entirely different, less guarded. Emotions were more apparent, which let Nico know that whatever it was that was bothering Percy had to do with Nico. But what was it?

Sure, if it was over the movie set incident, Percy wouldn't have just been able to return so quickly, right? Or perhaps Nico would have been notified that he was being transferred or had to leave. It just didn't make any sense.

Will chewed on his lip. “Do I...have a chance?”

Nico's brow furrowed. It took him a few seconds to remember what their original topic had been. “Oh. Um, I really don't know. I mean, I suppose it's possible.” He offered the blond a smile, which only grew when the other Lost Boy smiled back.

He really didn't want to get Will's hopes up, though. Yes, Nico liked Will, but something still bothered him about the situation. And until he could figure out what it was, the best solution was to probably keep that answer as vague as possible. Nico didn't want to hurt Will, it was the last thing he wanted. Will was a sweet guy, and probably someone that Nico didn't even deserve by this point. The guy was like a ray of sunshine at the hotel. How the guy managed to still smile after all the shit he had been through, Nico had no clue.

After they were done—Nico managed to finish his first—Will drove them back to the hotel. Things were already returning to normal at the Lotus, and Nico didn't feel the sense of dread that he normally did when Kronos was there. Everyone's spirits seemed to be back up as well.

Will and Nico parted ways once they were inside the hotel. While Will headed to the Lost Kids' floor, Nico decided to head up to Percy's office. While he knew it was a very unlikely possibility, Nico kept hoping that Percy might want to do something with him on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, the green-eyed manager was on his way out the door when he arrived.

Percy smiled and ruffled Nico's hair as he walked by Leo and Rachel's desks. “How was school?” The young man asked.

“Fine,” Nico muttered, running his fingers through his hair to fix it. “So, got any plans coming up?” He stopped behind Percy, who placed something on Leo's desk. He was also fully aware of the staring coming from Rachel, the only other person in the room. “I don't know...maybe in two days?”

Percy turned around, his smile less prevalent. “Nothing really planned. Just work, like always.” The green-eyed young man shrugged. “Not really my favorite holiday.”

That was right, Percy did not like the approaching holiday. Still, it was a little disappointing for him. If Nico could just get some answers, everything would be fine. “So, you don't even have a valentine?”

“Nope.” Once again, Percy slid his fingers through Nico's hair. “I'll see you later tonight, okay?”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered. As the door shut, the boy let out a groan of frustrating. Why couldn't things ever be easy around here?

Rachel let out a small chuckle from behind her desk. “Trouble in paradise.”

“If only it were.”

“Sit,” Rachel commanded, pointing to a chair to the side of her desk. Nico did as he was told without question. The Lost Girl didn't even look away from her monitor as her fingers typed rapidly across the keyboard in front of her. “Now is not the best time to be romantic with Percy.”

Nico let his shoulders slump. “What's his problem with the holiday anyways?”

Rachel's fingers stopped. Her lips pursed as she sat back in her chair. “It's about his mother, his real one.” The girl finally looked at Nico. “She died on Valentine's Day, right in front of Percy. I can only imagine how hard it was for him, because from the little he does talk about her, I know he loved his mother. After she died, Percy just always associated the holiday with negativity.”

“How did she die?” Nico whispered.

“Part of it was due to her being sick at the time. But Sally just didn't eat very much from what Percy says about it. He said she just gave all of the food they had to him, so that Percy would at least be able to eat.” Her expression softened a lot more than Nico could ever recall seeing. “It stuck with him. And I think that pain festered in his heart for so long that Percy didn't even flinch when he watched his father die. By all accounts, Poseidon was to blame for her death. She couldn't manage getting a job, and Poseidon put a lawsuit on her on top of that. As you know now, Percy's mother didn't have any other family that was alive. She was pretty much alone.”

It was like a knife had been impaled into Nico's heart. It stung to think about a young Percy that had no one else to turn to. A kid that had to watch his mother die, and probably felt completely helpless about the entire thing. Perhaps having Gaea kill Poseidon was Percy's way of doing something for the mother that he lost. Sally had given everything for him. And then, after she died, Percy was left alone to fend for himself as a child, at least until Gaea found him.

“I just,” Nico began, clenching his jeans, “I don't really understand him. He gave me this-”

“I know,” Rachel said softly. She had a small smile on her face.

Nico's brow furrowed. “He told you?” The Lost Boy asked. Rachel simply nodded, which caused Nico to sigh. “I just...wish I knew what he was thinking. I don't know what to think anymore.” The boy shook his head. “When I saw the letter, I thought that maybe I might have a shot with Percy, but he's pretty much avoided me ever since he got back. And he hasn't even brought it up once.

Much to Nico's surprise, Rachel snorted. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, for starters, there's the fact that he hasn't brought up the note. He's been avoiding me.” A frown had started to form on Nico's lips. “Percy's been acting strange ever since he got back. Obviously something happened in Germany. And any time that it gets brought up, Percy looks over at me. Not to mention that he freaked out at me over Kronos. Yeah, forbid me to ever be alone with Kronos.”

Judging by her expression, it was clear that Rachel had not heard about that part. “What exactly did he say?”

“Well, he told me to stay away from Kronos. I'm not even allowed to be in the same room with him unless other people are around.” That frown on Nico's face had only grown in the past few seconds. This part irritated him a lot, because he didn't understand why Percy was directing this at him. “Kronos was the one tormenting everyone else. Kronos threatened me. So, why does Percy come after me with this?”

Rachel simply shook her head. “Nico, you are still blind,” she sighed. Nico glared at her. “Percy wasn't saying that to you because he was angry with you. He said it because he doesn't want Kronos near you.” She actually reached over and smacked him upside the head. “He's trying to protect you, idiot. Percy knows some of what happened while Kronos was here by now, and he already suspected stuff going on, but it's his way of telling you that he doesn't want Kronos near you.

“Kronos is Gaea's biological son. Which means that, even though she loves Percy, Gaea would get very upset if Percy did anything to Kronos. Let me put it this way: If Percy punched Kronos: Gaea might toss him out on the streets with nothing. She would probably strip him of everything he's earned. Yes, Gaea loves Percy, but family is family.” She placed her hands of the desk a few inches apart. “It's sort of like when a family adopts a kid or does a fostering program. Typically, parents still show favoritism towards their actual offspring. It doesn't mean Gaea doesn't love Percy, but it doesn't mean Percy can just go around and do as he pleases to her son.”

“But-”

“And Percy's not stupid. He's not going to risk this Nico. If Percy can find a way to help you, without getting into a fight with Kronos, he will take it. Kronos is still his brother by adoption. He still holds loyalty to Kronos over the fact that Kronos befriended him after Gaea brought him to Germany.”

Nico let out a sigh. Perhaps she was right, but it didn't really help Nico. He wanted Kronos to be punished for what happened here while Percy was away. It wasn't fair that Kronos could just get away with it. “But it's not fair.”

“Well, that's life, kiddo.” She let out a sigh when she noticed the pout forming on Nico's lips. “Look, Kronos isn't going to bother you as long as someone like Percy or Gaea is around. So, if you ever see him again, just stay close to one of them. Percy is still trying to protect you, so just take it as a victory.” The Lost Girl smiled and shook her head. “So, do you still think things haven't changed?”

“It would just be nice to have some sign that there's hope,” Nico mumbled.

Rachel, who had gone back to typing, quirked a brow. “Oh, you mean like actually sleeping in your bed the night he returned?” She glanced at Nico from the corner of her eye. “In case you have forgotten, Percy doesn't sleep in the beds of the Lost Kids, they go to his bed and sleep. And it's usually just for sex before they have to go back to their rooms. The only time they get to sleep with him is when they are upset.” She stopped typing again and laced her fingers under her chin. “So, do you want to take back what you just said? I'd say you're doing pretty well.”

Nico let out a sigh. Once again, Rachel was right. And perhaps he could still get Percy to admit all of this after he followed Annabeth's advice. It was worth a shot. “Rachel, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Nico, what's up?”

“Well, you're pretty enlightened as to what goes on around here. And, now that I look back on it, I think you knew that Percy was going to be leaving for Germany before he told us.”

“Yeah,” Rachel admitted, her brow furrowing. “Is that what this is about?”

“No, not exactly.” Nico let out a sigh and pursed his lips. “A while back, when Gaea was here, I heard you talking with Percy. He sounded upset about something.” As Nico spoke, Rachel's face grew solemn. “Was he supposed to go to Germany before that thing happened?”

Rachel let out a little sigh. “Gaea wanted to talk to him about something. The managers had a private meeting, and I got to sit in on it.” She shook her head. “Something was brought up. I tried to talk to Percy about it, but he didn't want to listen at the time.” She held up a hand before Nico could ask her anything else. “He's going to talk about it tonight, just wait until then. Maybe then you'll understand.”

\-------------------------------------

The nights where Nico got to work the bar were probably his more favorable shifts. The bar didn't feel sexual at all, and Nico didn't have that many people trying to grope him. Everyone at the bar was just there to get drunk, make conversation, and do business. It took a load off of Nico, to say the least.

There was also the fact that Chiron was a much better bartender than Dionysus was. It kind of said something when Percy allowed Chiron to socialize with customers, but kept Dionysus in a room by himself until a customer wanted to purchase drugs.

It also allowed Nico to get to talk more with Percy whenever the young man came by.

Tonight, the manager came by shortly before Nico's break. He sat at the bar, talking with Chiron like he normally did. It was nice to see Percy seem more cheerful after his return. It sort of made Nico wonder why whatever happened in Germany bothered Percy so much, if he seemed to be in better spirits.

“Hi,” Nico greeted his boss as he finished depositing some cash in the register.

Percy's lips tilted up as he leaned forward on the bar. “Hello yourself.” Nico had missed so much about Percy when the young man had been gone, and he had almost forgotten the effect a simple smirk could have on his body. “How's work going?”

“Same as always.” Nico smirked as he leaned on the bar. He didn't blush much these days, but Percy still managed to pull one out of Nico. In the low lighting, Percy's eyes were so intense. Nico kind of expected Percy to just push all of the stuff off the bar and take Nico right there. Not that Nico would mind if that were to happen. “So, I hear you want to talk to us tonight.”

“I do.”

“About?”

Percy smirked and raised his glass to his lips. “You'll see.” The manager didn't even try to hide it when his eyes roamed down Nico's body.

“So,” Nico began, biting down on his lips, “does that mean you won't have time for me later?”

Percy's eyes raked down Nico's body again as he bit his lip. “Is that your way of trying to negotiate hours with me?”

Not really. Nico just wanted Percy to talk about what he had said in the note. Nico figured getting him alone was the best way to do it. “Something like that, but I could really care less about hours.”

A smile crept onto Percy's lips. “Well, at least you still got some innocence in you.” He finished off his drink and gave Nico a final smile before standing to his feet. “I missed you,” the young man said before he left.

It took Nico a moment to move. Had Percy really just said that to him? That might have been the most Nico had gotten Percy to admit in person. It was a small victory, but he would take it. Percy's words had caught him so off-guard that Nico didn't even realize that Annabeth was standing next to him.

“You okay?”

Nico practically jumped out of his skin. “Yeah, I'm fine.” He cleared his throat. “Just talking with Percy. Maybe after my performance, things will take off.”

“Yeah.” She nodded her head towards the break room. “Wanna take your break with me? We can talk about it back there.”

Nico gave a small nodded and followed after the blonde. She opened the fridge once they were in the room and tossed a water bottle towards Nico. She sat down on the couch, while the Lost Boy sat down on the chair next to it. He pulled his legs up into the chair and opened his water, taking a long drink from it.

“So, do you think you have it all sorted?” The blonde asked.

The raven-haired boy gave a small nod. “I think so. I had Apollo give me a few ideas, but I kept it quiet.” His lips turned up. “Don't needing it getting back to Percy, like you said.”

The Lost Girl ran a hand through her long blonde hair. “Then I hope you can pull it off.” That was the plan, Nico thought. Annabeth tilted her head slightly. “I'm sure you'll do fine.”

“So, what do you think Percy wants to talk about?”

The blonde simply shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I might have an idea, but I'll just wait and see.” She smiled over at the boy. “If I'm right, then I have nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine.”

“Do you think it's bad?”

“I hope not,” Annabeth sighed. “It seems to bother Percy, but that guy can look miserable about practically anything. If I had a guess, it's something he doesn't want to do, but knows it's for the best.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Nico mumbled. His lips tilted down and his eyes grew dull. He was just ready for the secret to be over. Nico didn't like seeing Percy like this half the time.

When their break was over, Annabeth rose from the couch, dropped her empty bottle in the trash, and headed for the door. On her way out, she nearly bumped into Octavian, who narrowed his eyes at her. The girl just blinked at the blond Lost Boy before she brushed past him and left.

Octavian turned to Nico with a frown. “What was that about?”

Nico gave a casual shrug as he rose from the chair and headed for the door. “Annabeth was just helping me out with something. Nothing to worry about.”

The blond's lips tilted down as he narrowed his eyes at Nico, inspecting him carefully. Nico shrugged again and headed for the door. At some point, Nico really needed to figure out why those two didn't like each other.

It was around three in the morning that Nico found himself back in the conference room. The last time he had been here had been when Percy announced he was going to Germany. This room did not hold good memories for Nico. And, unlike last time, Nico had school tomorrow, so it wasn't like he could be up all night.

Apollo seemed pretty cranky tonight as well. Nico watched silently as the blond rambled to Thalia about something that had happened. Robert's name came up, which only made the issue more concerning. Nico let out a sigh. Nothing good, he knew that much.

Eventually, Percy came into the room with Leo and Rachel. The secretaries sat down at the table with everyone else, while Percy paced around to the side of the room. It was very quiet in the room as all eyes followed the young man. Was this going to be some more bad news? Percy just got back, more bad news was not what they needed.

Finally, Percy let out a breath and turned towards the table. “So, I'm sure you're all wondering what I called you here for.” His lips turned up. “No, Kronos is not coming back to serve as manager.” A collective sigh went out through the room. Percy just rolled his eyes and continued. “But something did happen while I was in Germany. I've been trying to think of the best way to bring this up.”

“Just spitting it out is a start,” Leo grumbled.

Rachel elbowed the Latino. “Shush, he already told you. Let him tell the others,” she chastised him. Leo just grumbled and slumped in his seat. If Leo wasn't happy about it, this couldn't be good.

Percy nodded. “So, there's no easy way to tell you this. But, come the summer, I'm not longer going to be the manager of this hotel. I will be moving back to Germany, and I will be staying there this time.”

There was a heavy silence in the room before Annabeth spoke up. “Why exactly? Have you done something wrong?”

“No.” Percy's brow furrowed. “Quite the opposite, actually.” He cleared his throat and paced a little more. “Gaea plans to retire over the summer.” The young man lifted his hands in a shrug. “And, well, she sort of asked me to take over for her.”

Unlike the last few revelations in this room, what Percy had just informed them came with a mix of emotions. There were obviously those that were happy with Percy, but also some that were nervous.

“That's great” Thalia declared.

Beckendorf was the first to get up. He walked over and clapped Percy on the back. “Congratulations, man. You deserve it.”

Will grinned. “You're like the best person for the job, dude!”

Then came the others. Luke's brow furrowed. “And what about us?”

There it was. Realization finally hit the entire group. Nico had realized it already. If Percy wasn't happy about this, there had to be more to it. What became of them in this situation? They were family to Percy, so leaving them behind would clearly not be easy on him.

Percy gave a small nod. “As you know, there are Lost Kids in Germany, and we still need Lost Kids here. I'm not sure who will replace me yet. I'm supposed to gather up some candidates and offer Gaea a name by late March or early April.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “I really do wish I could take all of you with me, though. But I promise you that I'll pick a good manager that will treat you right. More than likely, it'll be one of you. Probably one of the older ones, or maybe Annabeth or Octavian. We'll just have to see.”

Gaea was going to retire this summer. Percy would be taking over for her, which was a fantastic choice, but Nico didn't want to give him up. Was this just a way to keep Percy and Nico apart? No, probably not. If Percy was being promoted to head the entire hotel chain, this wouldn't be done for something like that. But Percy would be leaving them, this time for good.

Percy did not speak again after that, nobody did. Some stayed behind, but most left. Percy was the first to leave, not saying a word as he went. The Lost Kids, however, were a mixture of emotions as they left. The twins were very quiet, not even looking up as they left. Butch seemed angry, punching the door on his way out. Then there was Annabeth, who cupped her hands around her mouth and closed her eyes before getting to her feet and leaving calmly. Calypso just shook her head and got up, placing a hand on Piper's shoulder to pull the other Lost Girl from her thoughts. Piper pressed her lips tightly together before nodding and following after Calypso.

The room whittled down until it was just Nico, Luke, and Apollo. The latter was the first of the three to get up. He rubbed his neck as he walked to the door. “Well, tonight just keeps getting better and better.”

Luke arched a brow. “Something happen?”

“Just Robert being a royal jackass.” Apollo's lips tilted down. “Wanted to take me on a cruise and spend the day with me on Valentine's Day. I told him to go fuck his wife and buy her some roses.”

Luke groaned as he popped his neck. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, I told him that I'd rather not be with him again if he's still with his wife.” Apollo turned his attention to Nico. “You were right, and I should have never opened this door again.”

Nico gave a small nod as Apollo left the room. The youngest Lost Boy let out a sigh and propped his elbows on the table. “Tonight sucks.”

“You're telling me, kid,” Luke sighed.

The raven-haired boy's eyes are still on the spot he last saw Apollo. As a thought popped into Nico's head, the boy clicked his tongue. A smile crept onto his lips as he turned his attention towards the only other person in the room. “Hey, Luke.”

The blond looked up, saw Nico's expression, and narrowed his eyes. “No.”

A pout formed on Nico's lips. “You don't even know what I was going to say!”

“It couldn't have been anything good.”

Rolling his eyes, Nico stood up. “I just think that Apollo needs help. He just needs to fix things with Leo and be happy,” the boy sighed. Luke glared up at him. “Don't look at me like that. I have a plan.”

Rubbing his head, Luke let out a groan. “It's far too late and I'm far too sober to listen to this right now, twerp.”

Slowly, Nico grinned. He sat on the edge of the table, right in front of the blond. “But you're going to be helping.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Over my dead body.”

\--------------------------------

“I hate you so much right now,” Luke muttered.

Nico frowned as he looked away from Apollo and Leo, narrowing his eyes at the older Lost Boy in front of him. “But, look, they are talking and spending time together on Valentine's Day. This is good.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “They are working.”

“It's a start,” Nico reminded him. The blond just grunted and folded his arms across his chest. Nico smiled and went back to staring at the two across the cabana area. “We just need to get Apollo to leave Robert alone and make amends with Leo about what happened.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”

Nico elbowed the blond next to him. “We're helping, get over it.”

Leaning his head back, Luke let out a loud groan. “Why am I even here?” He narrowed his eyes at the youngest Lost Boy. “You clearly have this under control.”

Nico turned an annoyed glare on the blond at his table. “Because, you're friends with Apollo. You and I are also friends.” Luke went to argue, but Nico held up a finger. “You can just deal with it, because it's the truth, and you know it is.” The boy sighed and propped his chin up on his palm. “Besides, everyone at the hotel deserves to be happy.” Brown eyes flickered over to the grumpy blond. “And that includes you.”

Luke didn't argue any further, though he did grumble quietly as he watched Leo and Apollo. Today was already turning into an exhausting day, and Nico had only been back from school for only thirty minutes. He had never really been a fan of this holiday, as it served only to remind him of his single status. But it was nice to see some of the others be happy on this day.

Some roses had arrived earlier for Hazel from Frank. The Lost Girl wore the biggest smile on her face as she quickly found a vase to put them in. After coming back from school, Nico had spotted Connor walking around with a box of chocolates, most likely from his brother. Judging by the limp Connor was sporting, the two had already celebrated the holiday at least once today. Finally, there was Chris and Clarisse, who still weren't back from their lunch date. As long as other people were happy, Nico would find a way to endure through the fact that he was alone. At least he had company in his misery.

Not even five minutes after Leo and Apollo went separate ways, Luke got up from the table, announcing that their little spy mission was over. There was talk of heavy alcohol mentioned under the blond's breath as he walked away. Nico smiled as he got up and walked over to the cabana.

Smiling, Nico sat down on one of the stools. “So, how's your holiday going?” He greeted Ganymede.

The man smirked as he wiped down the bar. “Been busy all day. But, unlike the rest of you, I actually have nights off, so I can have a real date.”

“You have a date?”

“Maybe.” The man smirked as he tossed the rag he had been using onto his shoulder. “Nothing serious, so don't cry about it. I'll still save a place for you in my heart, cutie.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well, I suppose that's the most I'll get for myself today.” He let out a sigh and leaned onto the bar. “So, I noticed Apollo and Leo were talking.”

The corner of the ex-Lost Boy's lips tilted up. “Yeah, you weren't obvious at all with your little stakeout. The real question is: how did you manage getting Luke involved?”

“Bribery,” Nico grinned. “Well, I forced him, but I know he didn't really mind.” The boy let out a small breath. “But can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Do you think there's hope for the two of them?”

Ganymede blinked a few times. “Apollo and Leo?” He asked. Nico gave a nod. “I suppose.” The man shrugged. “They have some things to work through, but I think I could see it. Honestly, though, if you want to get them together, you'll have to get Robert to leave Apollo alone. Until something is done on that front, Apollo is just going to cling to the past.” He gave a soft smile. “I've tried talking to blondie myself, but he doesn't want to listen.”

“Lots of work then,” Nico mumbled. He blew out a breath and ruffled his hair. “I'll just be spending the day alone, worrying about the love lives of others.”

Ganymede smirked, but his eyes flickered over Nico's shoulders. Arching a brow, the man only grinned more. “Oh, I don't know about that.”

Nico was about to question what the man meant, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Spinning around, Nico came face to face with Percy Jackson. His eyes widened a little as he blinked up at his boss. “Hi.”

Percy gave him a soft smile. “Hi.” His green eyes shot over to Ganymede, who chuckled and turned around to clean behind the cabana. “So, what are you doing?”

Nico shook his head. “Nothing at the moment.”

“Good, then you can come have dinner with me.”

Heat quickly rose in Nico's cheeks. Was Percy asking him on a date, on Valentine's Day? “Um, sure.” The boy quickly nodded his head, climbing to his feet. “Right now?”

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Percy gave a small nod. “Unless you do have something that you need to do.”

Nico quickly shook his head. “No, I'm completely free.”

The two ended up in the hotel's restaurant. As they sat down, Nico spotted Beckendorf and Silena in a corner, sharing a bottle of wine. Since Percy was the manager, it did not take them long at all to get a waiter to their table. And, after the waiter left, it was just the two of them. Percy smiled across the table at Nico.

Nico pressed his lips together, finding it very hard to meet Percy's gaze. “So, thank you for dinner.”

“It's not like you don't get free food here anyways,” Percy reminded him. Those eyes were still trained on Nico, unnerving every fiber of the Lost Boy. “But I actually wanted to talk to you.” He let out a sigh and tilted his head to the side. “I just sometimes wonder if I'm making the right choice with this decision.”

“Oh.” Nico fidgeted a little. “Um, well, were there any other candidates?”

Percy's lips tilted up into a smirk. “Well, Kronos, obviously, so not really.” The young man rubbed his face. “I just feel weird about uprooting my life and going back to Germany. Everyone is here, and I sort of worry that I'll do a poor job.”

Really? How could Percy worry about that? Nico frowned. “Percy, you'll be an amazing boss. You're already the boss of all of us, so what's the real difference? You have all your district managers to see to everything. What is it that Gaea does, aside from drop in for the yearly meeting?”

Percy gave a casual shrug. “I suppose you have a point. I'd be free, for the most part. And I know that, but it still feels odd.” He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “It sort of just feels like the weight of the world is suddenly on my shoulders.”

Nico smiled at him, lifting his drink to his lips. “Well, it's not like you won't have help holding the weight.” He wanted to tell Percy that he would miss him, but Nico didn't want to put anymore weight on Percy than there already was. “I think she made the right choice.”

“Thanks,” Percy smiled.

The entire dinner was peaceful and almost natural after that. Percy asked about what had happened while he was gone, but Nico kept the subject to things other than Kronos. He told Percy that he was going to graduate early, and that he was already applying to several universities. Percy felt confident that Nico would get in wherever he applied, which made the Lost Boy a little suspicious if Percy had rigged his applications.

But it was nice to have Percy back. It was nice that things were beginning to fall back into a sense of normalcy, even if it was only for a few more months. Nico let out a sigh as he finished his drink after he was done eating. What would he do when Percy left? Should he stay? He was going to be in college come the fall, perhaps he should just leave and try and live a normal life. Bianca would probably move out, so the two of them could probably get an apartment together.

Percy told him a little about Germany, mainly about what he got to do in his free time. It now made sense why Percy had been so busy. Gaea had probably kept him swamped with learning how to become the new her. But in his off time, Percy seemed to get into trouble.

“So, they had to get a truck to pull the golf cart out of the lake,” Percy finished his story.

Nico chuckled a little. He wanted to look happy for Percy. The young man didn't need anyone feeling sad for him right now, not with how obvious it was that Percy was hesitant to take the job. He didn't need anyone to hold him back. Nico knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Percy would do a phenomenal job.

Eventually, Percy reminded them that they had to get going. On they way up to his room, Nico was beginning to have second thoughts about his performance. Rachel was right, perhaps things really were different now. Perhaps Nico didn't need a flashing sign to let him know this anymore. But Annabeth's words still worried him. He frowned up at the young man next to him in the elevator. Percy was dense when it came to romance, right? So, perhaps he still needed a little clue that Nico needed some reassurance.

Nico needed to talk to Annabeth.

So, when he got upstairs, the blonde was the first person that Nico went to look for. He had to go to the girls' side to find the Lost Girl, who was already serving tables. Nico managed to pull her aside after she finished up with one.

“Hey, can we talk?”

The Lost Girl blinked in surprise. “Of course, Nico, what's up?”

Nico let out a sigh. “I just... I'm sort of having second thoughts about this performance.” He ran a hand down his face. “I could always not do it, and just try and figure out another song real quick. It wouldn't be that hard, right?”

“Whoa, calm down there, buddy,” the blonde chuckled. She brushed some hair out of her eyes before placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. “It's fine to feel nervous, but I still think you should go through with it. If you don't, you're just going to risk Percy stringing you along in this back and forth state that you're in. Do you want that?”

The Lost Boy let out a heavy sigh as he looked down at his feet. “No, I don't.” She was right, of course. From what Annabeth had told him, this was the best way to get Percy to see that Nico was getting tired of being treated this way. He chewed on his lip. It was just that...Nico didn't want to chance ruining the small changes that had apparently developed since Percy's return. But if this worked, everything would be different. “You're right.”

Annabeth smiled. “Good.” She spun Nico around and shoved him off. “Now then, go get ready before it's time for performances to begin.”

By the time Nico was supposed to perform the number Annabeth had picked out for him, the Lost Boy's nerves were still wearing thin. This was a bad idea, he could feel it in his stomach. But Annabeth knew Percy pretty well, right? If she thought this was a good idea, then Nico would just have to trust her.

Fortunately, Percy was on the boys' side during Nico's performance. If he hadn't been, Nico's entire plan would have been for nothing. Perhaps this was a good sign then. Letting out a breath, Nico took his place on the stage. The curtains opened, but the lights remained dark while the opening of The Cab's “Temporary Bliss” began to play.

The lights came on when the lyrics played. A lot of the performance consisted of moves that made Nico look like he was having spasms. Sort of. The way Annabeth had described it, he needed to move like the Oracle in the 300 movie. He was also instructed to keep a sort of frustrated expression on his face, and make lots of eye contact with Percy. 

As they lyrics to the chorus began, Nico griped his hair and rolled his head in a circle. Then came the hip pops. Not Nico's favorite move to do during a performance, but they were required every now and then. Nico wasted little time in ripping open the shirt he wore and got down on the stage, spreading his legs. The boy slammed his palms down on the stage, cutting his eyes over at Percy. Annabeth made it clear that Nico needed to look at the manager during the part of the song that talked about sleeping in the other person's bed.

At the part about slipping under the sheets, Nico leaned back and rolled his stomach, running a hand down until it slid underneath the loose shorts he had on. From there, Nico rolled onto his hands and knees. He pushed himself along the stage, until he came to the very edge. Nico managed to bring himself up to his feet without falling off, something he had not really mastered during practice.

However, Percy did not look that happy. Annabeth had predicted this, though. The young man practically had slits for eyes as he watched Nico slide across the stage. Leo looked very pale next to the manager. Gulping, Nico turned his attention away from Percy's booth and went back to his dance. He just had to stick it out, Nico reminded himself.

Nico stretched one of his legs out, running his hand along the skin. He slowly slid down the side of his shorts, letting them fall off when he straightened his posture. Nico grasped the back of his neck, cupping his ass with his other hand.

As the song reached its end, Nico leaned back and rolled his stomach again. Then came the final words of the song. As they played, the Lost Boy raised a hand and pointed straight at Percy's table. As instructed, of course. The song ended and Nico stood there, catching his breath. His eyes locked with Percy's, slight irritation filling his brown orbs.

Though, Nico's confidence was short lived. The boy paled as Percy downed a shot that was in front of him before getting up from his table and heading for the backstage door. Nico gulped and gathered up his clothes, making a dash off the stage.

He really wanted to hide now. Annabeth had said Percy might get annoyed, but right now Percy looked pissed. And if he was coming for Nico, the Lost Boy did not want to be around when the bomb went off. Nobody said a word to him as Nico struggled to get into his clothes. Even Apollo was speechless, his jaw hanging open slightly. Only one thought kept repeating in Nico's head: This was a very bad idea!

Unfortunately, before Nico could cross over to the girls' side and make an escape through there, a hand clasped down the back of his neck. “Going somewhere?” Percy practically growled in his ear. He roughly spun Nico around, the Lost Boy finding himself pinned by a pair of intense sea-green eyes. “We need to talk.”

Percy dragged Nico out of the backstage area. A lot of people stared as they watched Nico get dragged by tables and booths, though nobody said a word. A large part of Nico wanted one of them to flag Percy down for some time with Nico. It was sad that Nico sought refuge with a customer, but right now Nico was kind of desperate. There was an anger in Percy's eyes that Nico could not recall ever seeing before.

Even Clarisse and Ethan froze when Percy pulled Nico towards the elevators. Nico mouthed for some help, but both of the Lost Kids shook their heads. Nobody wanted to get between Percy and Nico right now, not with that look in Percy's eyes. It truly said something when even Clarisse was scared of Percy Jackson.

To Nico's surprise, Percy brought them to his suite. The young man practically tossed Nico inside once the door was open, causing the boy to stumble a little. Nico flinched as Percy slammed his phone down on the kitchen island.

“What the hell was that?” Percy yelled. Nico had never heard the manager sound so angry. “What the fuck were you actually thinking, directing a stupid performance at me? Do you realize all the stupid repercussions you could have just caused?” Very harshly, Percy reached out and forced Nico to look up at him. “Do you even realize that you probably just sent some mixed signals to the customers up there? There are some fucking insane assholes that do business here, Nico, and you just performed a song that implied that you wanted to stop playing games and go for something serious.”

Nico flinched when Percy raised a hand, though he used it to cover his own face. “I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. “I just thought-”

“Clearly you weren't thinking. I haven't taken the time to talk about the note I left you, so you decide to make a public statement. How about this? If, by some chance, anyone up there figured out that you were directing that at me, do you even realize what doing something like that could do to me?” He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don't want people to think that I can't handle my employees. Do you want Gaea to think I can't keep you in line? I just had to explain the entire movie set situation to her a month ago. I guess I might as well turn around and talk to her about this now while I'm at it.”

Nico clenched his fists. His patience were at an end. “I just wanted you to fucking talk to me about what you said in your note!”

An incredulous look took over Percy's face. “So, you decided to do this, instead of just coming to me and talking like a civilized adult?”

That hurt. It hurt because Percy was insinuating that Nico was a child again. But this was just another one of his mistakes, wasn't it?

Percy held up his hands. “Do I actually have to come out and say it? Sleeping in your bed, saying that I missed you, the jacket, or even the note weren't good enough for you?” Percy sighed and shook his head. “Fine, how about this?” He straight his shoulders, though he still looked pretty angry. “I like you, Nico di Angelo. I realized this when you almost died because you weren't paying attention to your surroundings. I almost died for you, and I don't regret it. You make me uncomfortable and sick with myself, but I have trouble imagining my life without you around the hotel now. I'm...happy.”

The young man let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. He mumbled something under his breath as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out some alcohol. Not even using a glass, Percy tossed the bottle back and downed a fourth of it.

“Why didn't you just tell me?” Nico whispered, rubbing his arm.

The manager ran a hand down his face, exhaustion replacing the anger that had consumed his eyes. “I've said this before, I don't think I'm good for you. Even when I started realizing that I had feelings for you, it didn't matter, because I couldn't give you what you wanted.” He shook his head. The next he spoke, Percy's voice was much softer. “But Gaea wants me to be happy. We talked a lot about me doing things for myself, instead of doing what I'm told. If I'm supposed to be in charge, I need to make my own decisions.” His eyes flickered over to where Nico stood. “You make me happy.” A dry chuckle escaped Percy's lips. “Well, when you aren't frustrating me.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. He let out a sigh and took a seat at the kitchen island. “I shouldn't have done that. You're right, I should have just talked to you about it. But, in all honesty, I didn't think you would.”

“Honestly, I wasn't ready to talk about it.” Percy took another drink from the bottle. Something else was weighing on the young man, Nico could see it. “I needed some time to think. I wanted to ask you something, but I wasn't sure if it was what was best for you.”

“It was just driving me a little crazy. The note was a little vague. I hoped it was what I was thinking, but then you came back and acted like nothing had changed.” Nico bit his lip. “And I was just too dense to notice the small things.”

Percy let out a breath, nodding. “Then let's talk about it.” He cleared his throat. “I want to offer you a choice, Nico.” The young man held out one hand. “You can choose to stay here at the hotel, and your life will continue as it is now. You'll still strip and deal with customers. You can also choose to leave, and go live with your sister when she graduates. You'll never have to worry about doing any of this again, and my deal will still stand to pay for your education.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Is that it?” He didn't understand. If that was his only two options, why was Percy so concerned about this?

“No,” Percy sighed. He placed the bottle of alcohol down and put the cap back on. Nico's heart pounded in his chest as Percy walked over to Nico. The young man tilted Nico's chin up. “I do like you, Nico. A lot. You were right about that. But those aren't your only two options.” The young man took a seat next to the boy. “I want to give you the option to move to Germany with me during the summer.”

Nico blinked, stunned. His mouth fumbled for several seconds before his brain managed to form any words. “I-what?”

“I could take care of you, and anything you would ever need. You'd never have to strip or sell your body again, if you chose this.” Percy ran the back of his hand against Nico's cheek. “I mean, this is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted me exclusively, and now I can offer it to you.” He smiled a little as he brushed some of Nico's hair out of the boy's eyes. “Well, once summer gets here I can.”

Nico's brain felt like it might explode at any moment. Had he heard all of that correctly? This had to be a dream, right? “You're...serious,” he breathed out.

Percy smiled softly, nodding. “We can get you a tutor to help you learn German and the other European languages. You can eventually go to a university over there, if you want to.” He sighed. “But, I mean, you'd obviously be across the planet from your sister. I just didn't know if you would be okay with that.”

“I-” Nico closed his mouth. The Lost Boy took in a deep breath before he slowly released it. “It's just a lot to take in. I mean, yeah, I'd like to stay near my sister.” He pursed his lips. “But I've also wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

That made Percy smile. The young man leaned down and pressed a brief kiss to Nico's cheek. “You can take some time to think about it, if you need to.”

Nico quickly shook his head. “No...I don't.” He ran a hand through his hair, getting to his feet. The boy nodded his head. “I want that.” He motioned at Percy. “I want to go to Germany with you. I want to be with you.”

Perhaps today wasn't so bad after all. And, while Annabeth's advice had almost backfired for him, it worked out in the end. But how was Nico going to tell Bianca that he was moving to Germany this summer?

All of these thoughts faded away as Percy tilted Nico's chin up. The boy blinked for a second. His eyes widened as Percy slowly leaned down and pressed their lips together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably not my best chapter. I just wasn't feeling that motivated while writing it, but I wanted it to be published before Blood of Olympus came out. Tomorrow! Also, this story won't change over anything that happens in the book. Just try not to put spoilers in the comments.


	47. The Invitation(Disaster Awaits)

The next morning, Nico woke up like he normally did—on his side, curled up. The only difference was that he was not in his bed. The boy let out a groan as he heard Percy's voice, which seemed to come in and out, like the young man was moving around in the rest of the suite. Well, at least until the door was flung open.

“Yes, I'll make sure he goes to see a doctor. No, we don't need him getting the other kids infected.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he opened his eyes. This proved to be a mistake, as Percy flung open the curtains at this exact moment. Nico let out a groan, shielding his eyes. Percy smirked and held the phone closer to the bed.

“He does sound horrible.” Percy smirked as Nico glared at him. “Okay, thank you. I'll have him back in school on Monday.”

As Percy hung up the phone, Nico sat up, letting the sheets fall from his torso. “What was that about?” He asked, rubbing at his eyes.

“Your school,” was Percy's response. The manager sat down on the edge of the bed, which was fine by Nico, because Percy was only wearing his boxers. “You slept in, so I called in sick for you.”

Nico scratched his head. “I did? Why didn't you wake me up?”

“I was sleeping, too.” Percy winked and stuck out his tongue. Nico rolled his eyes. “Anyways, you're fine. Jason will let you know if your teachers have any assignments for you.”

Nico let out a grunt, rubbing the back of his neck. Last night seemed more like a dream to him. If not for the fact that Nico was still in Percy's room and still in his underwear, Nico might have a hard time believing it. His head hurt a little, but that could have been from the small amount of alcohol Percy allowed him to have. The young man didn't comment on it, just seemed surprised that Nico wanted some. However, Percy did cut Nico off when the giggling started.

Nico crawled onto his knees and moved to sit behind Percy, draping his arms around the young man. Percy reached up with a smile, squeezing the boy's hand. Nothing really happened last night, though. Well, that was partially true. Percy had succeeded in getting Nico out of most of his clothes, and even got the boy off by fingering him. But that was pretty much the extent of it. They had both been tired and it had been a long night, so sex was put to the side.

While Nico was in his own thoughts, Percy turned around and lowered them onto the bed. Nico blinked in surprise. The Lost Boy scooted up to rest his back against the headboard, while Percy decided to use Nico's lap as a pillow.

“Thanks for letting me sleep up here,” Nico mumbled.

Percy had his eyes closed. Nico might have thought he had fallen asleep, if not for the small smile that appeared after hearing Nico's words. “You don't have to thank me.” With a sigh, green eyes blinked opened and focused on the brown orbs above him. “Do you have any plans for spring break?”

Nico shook his head. “Not that I'm aware of. Why?”

“Well,” Percy began, “I'm supposed to go back to Germany to sign some papers for Gaea soon, and I was wondering if you wanted to go. If you do, I can move back the date until you're on break.” He smiled up at the Lost Boy. “So, do you want to go? You can keep me company, see Germany, meet some of the other Lost Kids. You will get to relax the entire time!”

Nico chuckled before he let out a groan. That actually sounded amazing. An entire week without school or work? Sign him up! “You twisted my arm.”

“Awesome!”

Nico smiled and rested his head against the headboard. He would just have to get through March, and then he could visit Germany. After that, it would only be two months until he graduated high school. He wondered if that was why Percy had chosen to take over for Gaea during the summer. Was he hoping that Nico would accept?

Unfortunately, his mind didn't allow him to remain in his euphoria for too long. An idea suddenly popped into his head, something he had been meaning to fix. He let out a breath, glancing down at the young man resting in his lap.

“Um, Percy?”

The manager blinked and tilted his head to the side. “What?”

Nico cleared his throat. “Um, I was sort of wondering if...it would be okay to bring Luke along?” He asked. Percy quirked a brow at him. “It's just that...his birthday was the day you left for Germany, and it kind of sucked. He didn't even want a celebration. I kind of felt responsible, since-”

Percy reached up and covered Nico's mouth with his hand. “That wasn't your fault, Nico.” He let out a sigh. “If you want him to come, I have no objections. I'll just have to figure out a schedule that will work with two guys gone for a week.” With another sigh, Percy sat up. “I feel like you're just asking to get a target on your back now. I already feel a little nervous with how the others will react to me taking you to Germany for spring break, not to mention the eventual move. But I suppose Luke really does deserve something.” Percy finally nodded. “All right, you can ask him.”

Nico got onto his knees with a smile. He wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. The green-eyed manager rolled his eyes before leaning down to kiss the corner of Nico's mouth. It was short, far shorter than Nico would have liked, but he would take it. Still smiling, Nico jumped off the bed. He couldn't wait to tell Luke the good news.

A second later, Percy moved to his closet. Nico followed after him, leaning against the door frame. “So, since I have the day off, what am I supposed to do?”

Percy now had a shirt in his hands. He arched a brow at Nico, throwing it over his head. “Um, I imagine whatever you want to do. You're welcome to stay here and sleep some more. There's the pool, the spa, the arcade, you can get a taxi and go shopping; you know, for starters.” He let out a small chuckle as he grabbed a pair of pants. “You can go find something to do in your room, or you can even come by my office. Doesn't really matter to me. Catch up on homework, if you need to.” He ruffled Nico's hair on the way out of the closet. “Enjoy your day.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “You could spend it with me.”

“I can't,” Percy sighed. He grabbed the boy's chin when Nico frowned. “I have to work, okay?”

Nico slowly nodded. Percy smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. Before he could leave, though, Nico stopped him. “Wait,” the Lost Boy said. Percy turned around. “Can I ask something?”

“Of course.”

Letting out a breath, Nico looked up at the manager. “I was just curious...about Dionysus.” Percy made a face at that. Nico chewed on his lip for a second before proceeding. “He claimed that he should have been manager, but some of the others said that Gaea didn't want him to be the manager. What happened exactly? And why do you even still keep him around?”

Percy let out a sigh. He stepped back into the room and sat down on the edge of his bed, dragging Nico into his lap. “I didn't choose to be manager in the first place, Gaea wanted me to do it. I was surprised, but she had faith in me.” He brushed some of Nico's hair out of his eyes. “As you know, Dionysus used to be a Lost Boy. He looked a lot different back then.” Percy smirked a little. “Actually, he was about your size, just a bit taller. But that was several years ago now.”

“So, what happened?”

“Well, Dionysus originally wanted to leave,” Percy explained. “I mean, it comes up sometimes with the Lost Kids. Managers tend to have different opinions over it all, but my predecessor was pretty fine with the idea. The problem was nobody ever left.” The young man gave a shrug. “As you've seen, the hotel has a way of getting to the Lost Kids. For Dionysus, he turned to alcohol and gambling to try and fix his problems. That was fine, until the drugs came into the picture. Dionysus thought we could have a good business market on it, but he made the mistake of getting addicted to the merchandise.

“Well, during this addiction, he started selling some of the drugs behind Gaea's back. So, basically, Gaea saw no profit from it. Half of it was being consumed by Dionysus, and the profit from the other half was being used to fuel Dionysus's addiction.” Percy rubbed the back of Nico's hand. “As it tends to go, Gaea found out about it. As you might imagine, she wasn't happy. However, she let him stay on as a bartender, so long as he got cleaned up. And you pretty much know the rest of the story. Dionysus works as a bartender, selling drugs for Gaea on the side.” The young man shrugged. “Gaea wasn't going to let a drug addict run one of her branches.”

Just sadistic assholes, Nico thought to himself.

Percy ran a hand along Nico's bare leg. “Can I ask you something now?”

Nico gave a small nod. “Anything.”

The two stared at each other for a moment before Percy finally spoke. “Why do you want me anyways? I'm not good for you, yet you're so persistent.”

Nico had to frown a little at that. He figured this conversation would come back eventually. “You remember when we talked about you not being a knight in shining armor?” The boy asked. Percy nodded, running a hand through his hair. “If the armor is shiny, it hasn't seen a battle yet, it hasn't been put to the test. Put them to the test, they might fall.” Nico reached up and touched Percy's face. “But a knight that has seen action...they're someone you can rely on. Someone that can look out for you.”

Percy smiled a little, kissing Nico's palm. “I don't think you really need someone protecting you anymore.”

That made Nico smile. Perhaps it was true, but he still liked that Percy tried. It was the fact that Percy admitted that Nico didn't need someone to protect him that made the difference, it was what set him apart. Nico didn't want to feel like some damsel that needed rescuing, but it was still nice when the guy occasionally tried.

“I think,” Nico continued, “that you at least try to do what's best for me.”

Percy groaned and let his head fall onto Nico's shoulder. “The best thing I could do for you is to have you leave. It's what I should have done a long time ago.”

“Do you really mean that?” In truth, what Percy had just said stung. A lot.

Percy looked at him, a pained look in his eye. “You would have been better off. However, I find it hard to let you go anymore.” He brushed at Nico's hair. “I wanted to look out for you, it's why I just had you work the bar. I didn't think the rest of this would happen.”

Nico slowly nodded, not really meeting Percy's gaze anymore. “Maybe,” he mumbled. “Perhaps it would have been best, but it's too late now. The hotel is my home, and the Lost Kids are my family.”

Without warning, Percy let out a laugh. Nico tilted his head to the side, giving the young man an odd look. Honestly, he didn't see what was so funny. Nico thought it was a nice sentiment.

Percy's laughter slowly died down, until only a smile remained. “You know, I'm technically your guardian.” He winked and groped Nico's ass. “How fucked up does that make our situation?”

Nico let out a small chuckle, nodding. He wrapped his arms around the young man. “I wouldn't really expect anything less from this hotel.”

\-----------------------------------

As it turned out, Nico would be working the bar for the next few nights, at least until Percy got the mess with Nico's performance the previous night sorted out. Not that Nico minded, it was actually a relief. Now that he knew that he would soon be able to put all of this behind him, the boy would take all the time off of the stage that he could get.

However, Nico was surprised to see a familiar face at one of the tables. It was just a relief that she was alone. Nico slowly approached the table. “Persephone?”

The woman turned her head, her eyes widening at the realization of who said her name. “Oh, Nico, I'm glad I managed to catch you tonight.” She patted the chair beside her. Hesitantly, Nico took a seat. “I just wanted to apologize about your father. Had I known, I would have never brought him.”

Nico frowned a little. “Why did you bring him?”

“Well, to be honest, I have been seeing your father for some time now. As it turns out, your mother was in the other car of the accident my late husband was in.”

Nico already knew this, but he didn't tell Persephone that.

“I thought he could use something to take his mind off things.” The woman let out a long sigh. “I didn't tell him about the hotel's influence or the prostitution, so you don't have to worry. I just thought he could have used a night of drinks and entertainment. And since the hotel had been featuring the boys and girls together, I thought it would be a good show for both of us.”

Nico waved her off. “It's fine. I'm fine.” He managed a weak smile. “No harm done.”

Persephone ran a hand through her hair. “At least not to you.” She held up a hand at the look on Nico's face. “Your sister has no idea that you injured your father.” She leaned back in her chair, staring at the Lost Boy curiously. “I must ask, do you mind that I'm seeing your father?”

Did it? Honestly, Nico hadn't given it any thought. He disliked his father after everything that had happened, but he also knew that his father could be a decent man at times. If the man treated Persephone well, then it really didn't concern him. After all, Nico was trying to put his father out of his life.

“No,” he finally answered. The boy let out a sigh, standing to his feet again. “Just one thing. Make sure Bianca is taken care of. I haven't told her yet, but I might not be around her come the summer. I just...want to know that she will be fine. At least until she can be independent.”

Persephone stared at him curiously. “Won't be around? Are you all right, Nico?”

He let out a small chuckle, rubbing his neck. “Yes, I'm fine. Um...I'm going to be moving to Germany.” The boy bit down on his lip. “I haven't told her yet.”

The woman nodded. “How much does your sister know?”

“She knows that I strip,” Nico sighed. He pressed his lips together, glancing off to the side. “She doesn't know about the rest, or even the kind of business the hotel deals with. I'd like to keep it that way. I don't even want my father to know more than he already does.”

Persephone reached out and squeezed Nico's hand. “Well, I suppose that is for the best.” She smiled up at him for a moment before continuing. “Perhaps this will be my last time to come around here then. Your father doesn't need to know more, and I don't think he would like me coming here anyways. So, I suppose this might be the last time we see each other.”

Nico normally did not like physical contact with customers, but he actually did lean down and hug the woman. She was nice, one of the nicest clients he had ever dealt with. “Take good care of my family.”

As Nico walked off, Persephone called out to him. “Take care of yourself, Nico.”

Unfortunately, Percy seemed to have his hand full upstairs. The shift was nearly halfway over, yet the manager hadn't shown up at all. Normally, Nico might get nervous that he had done something wrong, but somehow he doubted that was the case this time. For the first time since they met, Nico felt certain that he and Percy were on good terms.

At least for now.

During his break, Nico got to enjoy some time with Juniper. He told the Lost Girl that he would be going to Germany for spring break, so she had gone into a little detail about her time over there. There were quite a few more Lost Kids at the German branch, at least from what Nico could gather. Juniper said that it had both pros and cons to it. Most of the Lost Kids weren't as close over there, but it made it harder for clients to notice each individual Lost Kid with so many there. From what Juniper said, she often had an entire week sometimes where she didn't have to have sex.

“You never really told me what happened with your family,” Nico pointed out.

“Oh.” Juniper closed her eyes with a warm smile. “I'm just trying to help them out. My family fell on some hard times a couple of years ago. Gaea offered me a way to make some money for myself and my family.”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “And now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Um,” Nico began, “why do you still do it?”

There was a very long pause from the Lost Girl, and Nico had to wonder if she had really ever given it much thought. “I just—my dad needs to find a job.” 

Oh. Nico pursed his lips together. Sometimes, Juniper was too nice for her own good. The girl's father was probably taking advantage of the situation. There was no way the man couldn't have found a job after all this time, right? Still, perhaps it was best if Nico didn't mention anything. He smiled a little and nodded. “That's very kind of you.”

Nico rested his chin on his palm, staring off to the side. Was it too much to ask for to hear at least one semi-happy story from the others? Perhaps he should just have expected the worst from the start. For some reason, though, Juniper's bothered him more than some of the others. The girl was too nice to see the truth. But perhaps Nico was wrong, and he really hoped that he was. Maybe he should ask Percy about the situation.

Letting out a sigh, Nico's eyes found their way back over to the Lost Girl. “So, how did it all start?”

“It was kind of a slow process,” Juniper began. “At first, my dad lost his job. Then, slowly, my mother wasn't able to support us all. We almost ended up on the streets. I tried to find work, but didn't have much luck. Then I ran into Gaea, who offered me a job with her.” The girl looked down at her lap with a far off look. “I didn't really feel like it was even a choice, since my family was getting to a point where they were looking for food from the trash out behind restaurants.”

As the night went on, Nico found that several customers did stare at him a lot. The way they looked at him was what really bothered him, though, like he was some kind of steak on the table in front of them. Perhaps it was a good thing that Percy was keeping him down in the bar for a few nights.

Chiron ended up letting them off as the last of the customers were leaving. As Nico was about to board the elevator, he found one of the men that had been staring at him already inside. Nico's stomach sank. He sort of stood there for a moment, unwilling to get on.

He quickly checked his pockets. “Almost forgot my wallet,” he mumbled. He hadn't really forgotten it, but Nico really did not want to get on that elevator. The way the man looked at him made Nico very uncomfortable.

“That's okay,” the man's voice said from behind him. Nico stiffened when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Nico turned around with wide and panicked eyes. “You can always just come by my room.”

Nico chuckled a little. “Um, no, my wallet is just back there.”

The man's eyes roamed down Nico's body, causing the boy to shiver. The Lost Boy felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Even though he was in the hotel and this was supposed to be his job, Nico was still afraid. The bar was supposed to be a safe place away from the sex part of the hotel. Nico gulped as he felt the man's grip tighten on his shoulder.”

Out of nowhere, a hand clamped down on the man's wrist. Nico blinked in surprise as he looked up at Beckendorf. The other Lost Boy had a scowl on his face as he stepped in between Nico and the man. “I think he'll be fine,” Beckendorf practically growled.

Nico and the customer both looked shocked at the other Lost Boy ripped Nico away and stepped into another elevator with him. Nico blinked up at the muscular young man. “Um, thanks.”

“Don't mention it, shortie.”

Nico slid his card through the slot and hit the button to their floor. “So, Beckendorf, why didn't you end up working security?”

The older Lost Boy clutched his chest. “Ouch, shortie. I know I'm not your type, but I at least like to think I'm handsome.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I didn't mean it like that, and you know it. Besides, Rachel and the others are attractive, though I don't think Clarisse would like to be told that.”

“At least not by anyone that isn't Chris,” Beckendorf joked.

“True.” Nico smiled a little. “It's just that...you don't seem scared by any of the customers, and you're rather muscular. I know it can appeal to people, but why not just work security?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Where did you learn to fight and stuff anyways?”

“The streets.” Beckendorf shrugged a little, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Not like the actual streets, like I lived there. But, I mean, more like the neighborhood I grew up. You had to be tough, or else the other kids would come and start a fight with you.” The Lost Boy rubbed some of the scuffle on his chin. “Not the best place to grow up.” As the elevator came to a stop, he smiled and squeezed Nico's shoulder. “We can talk about it another time, when I'm not ready to pass out.”

Nico nodded a little, smiling. He followed after the muscular youth, taking note of Beckendorf's stature. Almost two Nicos could fit across Beckendorf's back, how sad was that? The boy frowned down at himself, feeling very tiny.

As the two were turning to the corner to their hall, Nico heard voices. Slowly turning around, he found Luke and Annabeth in the hallway. The two looked to be in the middle of an intense conversation, neither of which looked very happy. Annabeth shook her head at something, while Luke looked flat out frustrated.

However, Nico remembered that he needed to talk to Annabeth. Perhaps it was best to break up their discussion before it turned into a fight? Pursing his lips, Nico took a few steps towards them. “Um, Annabeth?” He said quietly. The two snapped their heads in his direction. Annabeth looked surprised, Luke just looked annoyed by his presence. “Can I talk to you a moment?”

Annabeth looked between Luke and Nico for a moment before she nodded. “Sure, Nico.” Her gray eyes flickered over to where Luke stood. “I'm done talking anyways.”

Luke just rolled his eyes and bumped past Nico. The raven haired Lost Boy frowned and rubbed his shoulder. He would never understand Luke, not in a million years.

The blonde Lost Girl let out a long, heavy sigh. “What can I do for you, Nico?”

“Um,” Nico glanced over his shoulder as he heard Luke's door shut, “I just wanted to talk about that advice you gave me.” Annabeth just blinked at him. “Well, at first I thought it backfired on me, but I think it worked out.”

Annabeth actually seemed surprised, which Nico thought was a little odd. “Oh really?” She finally smiled, though it too felt strained. “That's good, I'm glad I could help.” She shifted her weight, her face losing the strain that it held. “So, what happened?”

Nico stared at her for a long while, baffled by the girl's quick change in demeanor. He shook his head. “Um, we just talked. He does actually like me back, which I'm just glad that we finally got that out in the open.” The Lost Boy rubbed the back of his neck. “He actually, sort of, offered to take me to Germany with him.”

Annabeth just blinked at him, her face blank. “And?”

Nico shifted a little. “Well, I said yes.”

“Oh.” The blonde nodded for a moment before smiling. “That's good.” She patted the boy's arm. “I'm glad things are looking up for you, Nico. I guess it is possible to get a happy ending around here.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. The two stood there for a moment, until Nico motioned over his shoulder. “Well, I think I'm going to head to bed. I just wanted to thank you for the advice. He was irritated about the performance, though.”

There was a soft chuckle from Annabeth. “Sorry about that. I guess my idea wasn't flawless.”

“Right.” Nico gave a nod. “Well, goodnight.”

Annabeth raised her hand in a small wave. “Night.”

\---------------------------

Eight days passed in the hotel, surprisingly pretty quiet. Not completely, though. Word had seemed to spread around the hotel that Nico would be visiting Germany for his spring break, which came with mixed feelings.

Silena had been surprised, but didn't really mind—since she was committed to Beckendorf. Rachel kept giving him looks that said: I told you so. Leo and the Stolls would make lewd comments and laugh as they passed Nico in the halls. Hazel and Juniper had been very supportive and happy for him, and he tried to convince both of them that they could have something like that of their own if they tried. Even Apollo was surprisingly happy for him. Nico knew that Apollo used to have a thing for Percy, so it came as a bit of surprise. When he asked, the blond just said that at least it meant Nico could sort of get out of this life.

Then there were the not so happy ones. Will had barely spoken to Nico in the past three days, too busy sulking over the news. Drew, while not really mean, still gave Nico a hard time about it. She theorized that Nico must be really good in bed. Clarisse had started to call him the “trophy boyfriend”, though Chris assured him that she wasn't serious about it. Reyna had tried to talk him out of it, though Jason seemed to think that she was just trying to look out for Nico. It was because Percy was “dangerous”. Yeah, Nico knew this, but he wasn't afraid around Percy anymore. After the stunt with the knife, Percy just seemed less intimidating to the brown-eyed boy.

Luke had failed to comment altogether. When Nico finally broke down and asked, Luke just said that he really didn't care what Nico decided to do. Then there was Octavian and Annabeth, who probably bothered him the most. Neither of them had said anything to him about it, but it was just the looks they gave him. Honestly, Nico wasn't sure what to make of it. At most, he figured they might try bribing him to put in a good word to Percy about getting the manager position. It kind of scared Nico a little, because he wasn't sure if he could just have that conversation with Percy.

Nico had finally gotten to go back to work on the stage, after a long lecture from Percy. He had also received a harsh “do not try my patience again after getting your ass out of the fire” look from the manager before he had gone backstage. From what Leo and Rachel told Nico, Percy hadn't gotten a single comment from the other Lost Kids about the taking Nico to Germany news. It just went to show that the Lost Kids were still intimidated by the young man.

As Nico was fixing his hair in front of a mirror for his next performance, the twins popped up behind him with huge grins on their faces. Nico arched a brow at them. “Can I help you?”

“Actually,” Travis began.

Connor threw his arm around his brother. “We were wondering if we could help you.”

Nico turned around and blinked in confusion. What were they getting at now? Travis just grinned at him. “Well, you're getting all cozy with Percy now.”

“We also think we see where this is leading,” Connor said.

Travis nodded. “We figure you're roping Percy into a monogamous relationship.”

Nico's eyes flickered between the two brothers. “And?”

“So it is true?” Connor exclaimed with a wide grin. He leaned against his brother, who wrapped an arm around the younger twin's waist. “We've thought of a fun way to go out on your whole life here.”

“Since you're probably not going to be having sex with others anymore,” Travis finished for his brother.

“I'm not following,” Nico said plainly.

“A threesome!” Both twins cried at once.

Nico just blinked. “What?”

“Yeah, it'll be fun. Besides, you were wanting to try it out.” Travis pulled his brother closer. “So?”

“Pass.”

Connor pouted. “We could make it a party and include Percy.”

Nico let out a sigh, smiling a little. “Thanks, but I'll pass.” He turned back around to finish getting ready. “It's not that I'm not curious, or even that I don't want to have sex with either of you. It just sounds like a lot of work, to be honest. Pass.”

“Damn,” Travis muttered. The grin on his face failed to falter. “Well, can't blame us for trying.” Lowering his hand that was around his brother's waist, Travis squeezed Connor's ass. “Well, I guess I'll just have to have hot sex with my brother by myself.”

Nico just rolled his eyes as the two walked off. Yeah, the thought of seeing or being involved with the twins having sex did sound appealing, but a threesome sounded far too complicated for Nico's liking. Besides, he was trying to stop himself from falling over that metaphorical cliff into something he wasn't sure he would ever be able to come back from.

An hour later, Nico got to take a short break before another performance. However, there was two people blocking the door that led from the backstage to the floor. Robert practically had Apollo cornered, leaning in really close to the other blond. Apollo wouldn't look at the man, his jaw locked tight.

“What do you want from me?” Robert finally shouted.

Apollo pushed the other blond away, glaring hatefully. “To stop playing this fucking game. Either leave me alone, or leaving that fucking cow-”

“Don't call my wife a cow.”

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because you clearly care so much about her. That's why you keep coming back to see me, right?” With eyes full of rage, the blond reached forward and grabbed Robert's crotch. “We both know who really pleases you. I'm tired of your stupid game, just because you're too ashamed to come out from Narnia.”

Robert cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. “I'm fucking offering to put you up in a place of your own. I could come see you whenever I get the chance.” The blond motioned to the area around them. “You wouldn't have to work in this place anymore.”

“No thank you,” Apollo said calmly, holding his ex-boyfriend's gaze. “Make a decision, I'm tired of your bullshit.”

Robert lowered his head, clenching his fist. His other fist slammed into the wall beside Apollo's head, though the curly haired blond didn't even flinch. His eyes flickered over to Nico, though he didn't say anything. Without saying another word, Robert pushed the door open and left.

Apollo let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “You know, you have this really bad timing for walking in on people's conversations.”

Nico smirked a little. “Call it a gift.” He nodded towards the door. “What was that about? Robert trying to make you his mistress.”

“Something like that,” Apollo mumbled. He rubbed his neck, not meeting Nico's gaze. “It's not what I want, but he doesn't seem to comprehend that.”

“And if he actually left her?”

Apollo remained silent.

“What about Leo?” Nico whispered.

Apollo pursed his lips. “That is never going to be anything but complicated.”

“You were talking to him alone just the other day.”

The blond smiled a little. “Completely business.” He walked towards Nico. “And don't think I didn't see you. Though, I can't really gather how you roped Luke into it.”

Nico just smiled. He patted the blond's shoulder as they passed. “I'm sure it'll work out.” He pushed the open before turning around. “But...you might want to give Leo some more thought. At least he wouldn't treat you like that.”

When Apollo didn't say anything, Nico exited the backstage area. Now that things were working out for him and Percy, Nico wanted to believe that the same could be said for some of the others in the hotel. And Apollo was one of the main people that he would like to find happiness with someone else. The blond had been hurt a lot by guys that he liked. True, he had hurt others as well, but Nico could still see that scared boy inside the blond's eyes. When Apollo had told him a while back that he didn't think he was capable of being with someone, it just didn't sit right with Nico. The same could be said for when Luke had said it, though Nico didn't really think Luke would go for anyone at the hotel.

When Nico arrived in the bar room, he found that Dionysus was nowhere to be found. Piper sat on the couch, a mug of coffee in her hand. She leaned back against the arm, sipping at it, while watching the boy enter the room.

Opening the fridge, Nico pulled out a bottle of Gatorade. “Where's the devil?”

Piper chuckled a little. “Doing business with a client, so I suggest you enjoy your break while he's gone.”

“Noted.” Nico took a seat at the other end of the couch.

Piper took a long sip of her coffee before placing it in her lap. “So, I hear you're getting a nice vacation to Germany.” She arched a brow at him. “Something you want to share with the class?”

Nico blushed a litle. “Um, well, he asked me to go.”

“Uh-huh.” Piper chuckled a little. “Percy is supposed to be going for business, yet he only takes Lost Kids when it is to one of the meetings.”

“He thought it would be a fun spring break trip?”

Piper didn't seem convinced. “It's Jason's break as well, yet Luke is the other one going with you.”

“So, why am I the one getting the heat for it?”

Piper shrugged. “Doesn't bother me, I'm just curious.” She slumped further down. “Besides, we know that you asked Luke after Percy asked you.” She smiled at him. “Have fun.”

Nico let out a long breath. “Have you ever been?”

“To Germany?” Piper asked. Nico gave a nod. Piper let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, but it was when I was still living with my dad. Well, I should say living in the house my dad was supposed to call his home.”

“He wasn't home a lot?” Nico inquired.

“Not really.” Piper sighed and finished off her coffee. “Being an actor, my father stayed busy a lot. He tried to make it up to me by taking me on trips around the world, but that was just never my thing. The Hollywood life never really appealed to me.” She chewed on her lip for a moment before continuing. “It only got worse when he started to spend the time when he was home with a bottle of alcohol.”

Oh. Nico's eyes widened a little. That was why Piper didn't like drinking.

The Lost Girl pulled her legs up to her chest. “You know, I just wanted my father, like any other kid would. That's all I wanted. But then when the drinking started, I was happy when he wasn't at home.”

Nico frowned. “Did he hit you?”

“No.” Piper lightly shook her head. “No, not like that. It was like I wasn't even there. Even with him there, it was like I was alone. And I think that was worse than when he was gone.” The girl fiddled with the braid in her hair. “The life of the rich and famous isn't all the glamour it is made out to be.”

Nico just sat there for a moment, processing this information. “So, I'm guessing he didn't kick you out?”

Piper shook her head again. “No, he didn't.” She got up to put her mug in the sink. “Eventually, I got tired of it all. I guess I wanted some attention from my father, any kind of attention, just to know he still cared about me.” Her lips formed a thin line. “He did look for me, but not very hard. He gave up before a year had even passed.”

“Have you ever tried to get back in contact with him?” Nico whispered.

“No,” Piper replied. “But, then again, I don't think I really want to. At least here I have a family. You know, people that actually care about me and want to pay attention to me. People that don't care more about their career.”

After Piper left, Nico sat on the couch and mulled over what he had just learned. At least until Dionysus returned, then he promptly got off the couch and left before the man could think of something rude to say. He didn't really want to sound rude about Piper's past, but he would have taken a father that ignored him over one that beat him any day. It still sucked and was wrong, though.

As the night came to an end, the real eventful moment happened. Nico was getting ready to head back to his room, when the door burst open. Annabeth came out, shrieking. He had never seen the blonde so angry in his life. Not only that, but the girl's face had red blotches covering most of it. A customer came out behind her, looking unhappy.

Percy looked surprised as he got up from his booth and went over to talk to Annabeth, while Rachel intercepted the customer to talk. Apparently, Annabeth wasn't having a good night. After the performances were over, Piper had told them that Annabeth's heel had snapped during her final performance and the blonde had fallen off the stage.

Flickering his eyes back over to the blonde, Nico was surprised to find Annabeth pointing angrily at him. He blinked in surprise. Was she angry with him? What had he done? Whatever they were saying, Percy just looked back at her and shook his head. He finally sat her down at a booth near where Nico was sitting. Leo showed up, handing Percy a bag of ice.

Percy sat down beside the blonde and held the ice to her face. “This is twice in one night, Annabeth.”

The girl glared at him. “It wasn't my fault.”

Percy let out a sigh, not seeming all that amused. “It's your responsibility to check these things. You should have checked your shoes.”

“Someone tampered with my makeup!” Annabeth practically shouted. The normally calm Lost Girl seemed to have cracked, a flicker of madness briefly appearing in her eyes. Nico pitied whoever had done this to her.

Percy drummed his fingers on the table, glancing at the blonde next to him. “I'm disappointed that you let it happen. You should have kept a better eye on it. I thought you were better than this, Annabeth.” The girl sat there, frozen, as Percy got up from the booth. He let out a sigh and offered his hand to the Lost Girl. “Come on, we'll see about getting that taken care of in my room.”

Now it was Nico's turn to get upset. He was about to open his mouth, but the manager seemed to be on his game tonight. Percy's eyes darted over to him, fixing him with a glare. He was clearly not in the mood for Nico's jealousy tonight. Nico huffed and slumped down in his chair.

So, what, Percy was just going to keep doing the negotiations with the other Lost Kids? Nico had hoped that it would end, since Percy was about to get a promotion. Why couldn't they at least be secretly exclusive? The customers didn't need to know that Percy was seeing Nico just yet, but it would be nice if Nico didn't have to endure these last few months with his sort of boyfriend sleeping with the other Lost Kids.

As they passed, Nico froze. Annabeth's gray eyes pierced him like a dagger. As she passed, Nico got the most hateful look from the Lost Girl. But beyond that was what really bothered the raven haired boy. It was like her mask had cracked and Nico finally got a glimpse at the Annabeth beneath the mask. There was a crazed spark in her eyes as she looped her arm through Percy's and walked away.

Nico sat there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Then it hit him.

Percy. The person that Annabeth liked was Percy. It was like the floor had been swept out from under him. Had she been trying to sabotage him? How could he have not seen it? He didn't even want to believe it!

Slowly getting to his feet, Nico looked up to meet Octavian's gaze. Right before the blond walked down the stairs, he gave Nico a small nod. It seemed like Nico wasn't quite finished falling down the rabbit hole just yet.


	48. Rivarlies and Vacations(Never Leave Your Enemy Unattended for too Long)

Surprisingly, the hotel remained fairly quiet for nearly a month. It was definitely not what Nico had been expecting. In all honesty, Nico had expected Annabeth to come after him with a large knife, judging by the way she had looked at him on the night of her stage disaster. It had taken a full two weeks for the blonde's face to clear up from the skin rash, something that not even the twins had any knowledge about. But from what Apollo and Thalia told him, Nico was under the impression that Annabeth thought it was him.

It wasn't, though! But could he tell her that? No. Not that he was sure he wanted to, in all honesty. After seeing her metaphorical mask crack, Nico was hesitant to be near the blonde. It did help that his relationship with Percy had improved upon the manager's return, so Nico was able to try to keep his and Annabeth's schedule separate as much as possible.

Percy asked Nico about it often when the boy had first started, but eventually the questions had stopped. If Annabeth really did have a crush on Percy, the manager didn't seem to have any idea about it. Perhaps it was better to keep it that way, as to not poke the bear more than it already had been.

Speaking of the green-eyed manager, Nico had started to spend most of his free time in the afternoons in the young man's office. Part of the time, Nico was just getting his homework done, but the rest of his time was filled with trying to study the German language.

Spring break would be here in just a few weeks, yet Nico still had barely any understanding of the language. It was now approaching time for dinner, and Nico had barely moved from his spot on Percy's office couch since he got back from school an hour and a half ago.

The book was suddenly plucked from Nico's hand. The Lost Boy looked up with a pout. “I'm trying to study that,” he whined.

Percy rolled his eyes and tossed the book over his shoulder. “I don't know why you're focusing so hard on this, it's just for a week.”

“But I will be living there starting in the summer. Don't you think it's best to learn German?”

The young man shrugged. “I suppose, but there is time for that later.” He leaned forward and placed both of his hands of the couch, on either side of Nico's head. “For the week that you are there, you'll have me to translate for you. Or Luke, should I not be around.” With a grin, he maneuvered the Lost Boy onto his back, sliding in between Nico's legs. “So, it's not like you'll be lost the entire time. Isn't there anything else you'd rather be doing right now?”

Nico just rolled his eyes with a smile. “I thought you were a master at being subtle?”

Percy's grin only grew. “Oh, I am, but you need to leave soon.” A warm hand ran underneath Nico's shirt. “You know, I've been back a month, yet you and I haven't had sex in that time.”

The brown-eyed boy shrugged, wrapping his arms around Percy's neck. With the news that him and Percy could sort of settle down come the summer, Nico just hadn't really felt the need to go looking for it. Percy had been more physical with him in other ways, and that was really all Nico wanted right now. Perhaps the revelation that Percy would still be having sex with the other Lost Kids until he took over for Gaea did not help Nico's desires, though. It did bother the boy, not that he would tell Percy that.

What could he say? “Don't do your job?” Yeah, that would go over great. If anything, Nico had learned it was best to hold his tongue in most cases. If it ever came up in a conversation with them, Nico would not hesitate to let Percy know. Until that time, Nico did not really want to start an argument with the young man.

Nico was yanked from his thoughts when his shirt was pulled over his head. Pale fingers tangled into Percy's black locks as the manager kissed and sucked around his collarbone. With a moan, Nico bent his knee around Percy's waist, trying to pull the manager closer.

Changing position, Nico pushed himself up and placed himself in Percy's lap. The young man arched an eyebrow at him, smirking. Nico leaned down and sealed their lips together. Percy wasted no time at all in sliding his tongue into Nico's mouth, while the Lost Boy unbuttoned the young man's shirt. Nico let out a small moan as his fingers ran down Percy's bare chest.

Breaking the kiss, Nico slid out of Percy's lap and onto his knees. The young man placed his hands behind his head as Nico unbuttoned his pants. Percy lifted his hips to allow the Lost Boy to pull down his pants and underwear. As Nico took Percy's hardened member into his hand, his eyes flickered up to the young man's face. Leaning forward, Nico slid his tongue along the base, watching Percy's reaction.

The young man bit down on his lip, letting his head fall back against the couch. Nico smirked and took the head of Percy's cock into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down on the shaft. He had done this to other people, but Nico could only recall giving Percy head once or twice before this. When they first started being sexual, Percy didn't even let Nico try it.

Yet, now here he was, between Percy's legs and the guy's dick in his mouth. He wondered how much he could keep Percy to their room when they got to Germany. Perhaps not that long, because Nico really did want to go out and see the city, or at least explore the hotel. Judging by what he had heard, the German hotel was supposed to be more of a resort.

Nico slid his tongue around the shaft, while his head continued to bob on it. Percy's fingers eventually wound their way into Nico's messy hair, gripping tightly at the black locks. With a smirk, Nico began to hum lightly, which drew a moan from Percy.

There was just something magical about staring at Percy Jackson completely naked. While Nico now had an understanding that Percy wasn't perfect, it didn't mean his body wasn't. From the top of his head, to the bottom of his feet, the young man was gorgeous. Every inch. Even the seven or eight inches in front of his face.

Percy pulled the Lost Boy back into his lap, removing Nico's pants in the process. Nico cupped Percy's face as they shared a deep kiss, though something did occur to the boy. “Condom?” He panted.

Percy let out a grunt before gripping Nico tightly around the waist. Nico's eyes widened in surprise as Percy stood up and walked over to the desk. He placed Nico on the corner of his desk, while using his other hand to move some things aside. Now that Nico had more room, he laid down on the desk, while Percy dug around in one of his drawers. After a second, Percy pulled out a condom and a bottle of lube.

Lifting Nico's legs, Percy applied some lube to his fingers and slid one inside. Nico bit down on his lip at the feeling of the initial penetration. There was just something so much more enjoyable when it came to sex with Percy.

After adding a second finger, Percy began to stretch Nico out. The boy let out a few moans, running his foot along Percy's side and back. The small curve of Percy's back was particularly fascinating to the Lost Boy. When Percy finally managed to draw a gasp from Nico, he pulled his fingers out.

Quickly sliding on the condom and putting some lube on his member, Percy raised Nico's legs onto his shoulders. It was kind of hot, having his boss fuck him on his desk. Percy leaned down and gave Nico a slow but brief kiss before sliding into the brown-eyed boy. Nico's nails dug into Percy's hips, though pulled him closer at the same time. Taking the hint, Percy buried himself to the hilt.

The manager leaned down and kissed Nico in the center of his chest, waiting for the boy to adjust. Not that Nico wanted to wait. He might not have been seeking out sex from Percy, but that didn't mean he hadn't missed the feelings that came with it. And if there was one thing to say about Percy Jackson, it was that he was damned good at sex.

Percy's face hovered ever so closely to Nico's as he slid in and out of the boy on his desk. Nico let out a few quiet moans as his hands raked across Percy's torso. Percy took a firm grip on his hips and jerked Nico back at the same time that he slammed into the Lost Boy.

After a few minutes of this, Percy bent Nico over the desk and began to pick up the pace. Due to this, Nico found it extremely hard to remain quiet. The office felt stuffy now and both of their bodies was beginning to show the signs of sweat. The desk began to shake as Percy rapidly thrust in and out of Nico.

As Nico got louder with his moaning, Percy chuckled and placed a hand over the boy's mouth. “I love it when you're loud, but I don't think Leo and Rachel really want to hear your colorful Italian.”

Nico's face turned red. Well, more than it already was from his current activities. He really needed to control when he did that. Although, as far as he could tell, he had only done it with Percy. However, it was kind of hot to have Percy silencing him like that. Nico moaned rather loudly into Percy's hand as the green-eyed young man slid in agonizingly slow.

A good ten or fifteen minutes went by with Nico getting pounded into Percy's desk. The boy felt drenched in his sweat, not that he cared. If he could only have sex with Percy for the rest of his life, Nico could easily be certain that he would be more than satisfied.

Nico felt like a rag doll, his bones now mush. His hair clung to his face from all the sweat, which also made it very hard for Percy to get a good grip on him anymore. Not that it stopped the young man. Percy had yet to slow down in his pace in the past ten minutes, nor did Nico want him to. Percy leaned forward and bit lightly at Nico's neck. Nico let out a gasp, which quickly became a moan.

Gripping Nico's hair, Percy yanked Nico's head back as he continued to plow into the Lost Boy. Nico wasn't sure how much longer his legs were going to hold up for him. And, as if to only torment Nico, there was a knock at the door. It was like they weren't allowed to have sex in the office, since this made the second time they got interrupted.

“What?” Percy called out, not even bothering to stop in what they were doing.

Nico opened his eyes, which had him staring directly at the door. As accustomed as he had got to this life, it still would have been awkward for him to have someone walk in on him in this situation. Here he was, completely naked and bent over his boss's desk, while said boss relentlessly fucked him in the ass.

While the door didn't open, Rachel did speak. “Annabeth is here to see you.”

Percy blew at his sweaty bangs. He paused for a second before continuing to slam into Nico. The brown-eyed boy's mouth fell open in a silent moan. Percy's hand slid down his chest, while the other continued to grip his hair. Slamming in as hard as he could, the young man finally replied. “I'm busy at the moment.”

There was a pause, and then, “She says it's important.”

“When you hear a loud scream or moan, I'll be done.”

Nico turned his head to give Percy a questioning look, but he didn't even manage to fully look at the young man before Percy began to piston in and out of him. Nico collapsed onto the desk, his nails scraping across the surface. Percy was slamming into him with such a force, yet he managed to hit Nico's prostate with every single fucking thrust.

A few minutes later, Nico couldn't hold it back anymore. He scrunched his eyes shut and climaxed on Percy's desk. Nico's body crumpled, though Percy held him up by the hips. With a few more thrusts, Percy seemed to finish as well. As he pulled out, he placed Nico in his chair while he deposited the used condom into the garbage. Percy slid on his underwear before tossing Nico his clothes.

Nico's bones felt like putty as he tried to get dressed. Percy wiped up Nico's seed with a paper towel before he too finished getting dressed. Once they were finished, Nico shakily got to his feet. Percy smiled down at him before leaning down and pecking the boy on the lips. Nico gave him a lazy smile as they walked to the door.

When Percy finally opened it, Annabeth glanced between them. She raised an eyebrow. “Charming,” she mumbled.

Percy let out a chuckle. “What can I do for you?”

Annabeth glanced at Nico for a moment before she stepped into the office. “It involves Nico, actually.”

Nico frowned. She wasn't going to accuse Nico of tampering with her makeup, was she? She didn't even have proof, not that he had done it. Either way, Nico had no desire to leave Annabeth and Percy alone with him being the topic.

“Oh?” Percy sat back down at his desk, attempting to fix his hair from the sweaty mess it was still in.

Annabeth closed the door, shooting her cold gaze over in Nico's direction. “Well, it's gotten out that you plan on taking him to Germany with you when you take over for Gaea.”

“What about it?”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Annabeth asked, placing her hands on the back of one of the chairs in front of Percy's desk. “I mean, the only real family that he has anymore is his sister, and you're just going to pack him up and ship him across the planet from her.”

Percy's eyes darted over to where Nico stood. Wait, he wasn't actually considering what she had said, was he? Nico frowned, narrowing his gaze at Annabeth. “I'm the one that chose to go,” the Lost Boy mumbled.

Annabeth's eyebrow shot up at that. “And that makes it better?” She sighed and turned back to Percy. “You have to admit, he hasn't had the best track record for making the right decisions. Bianca is graduating as well, she could take care of Nico.”

“I don't-”

Percy held up his hand, silencing Nico's protest. The Lost Boy huffed, but held his tongue. Percy sat back in his chair, lacing his hands together over his lap. “I get what you're saying.” Percy's lips pressed together until they formed a thin line. “I'll think about it.”

Ananbeth smiled sweetly and nodded. “That's all I wanted.”

Nico glared as the blonde took her leave. He glanced back at Percy. “You're not really-”

“I said that I'd think about it,” Percy mumbled, no longer looking at Nico. Instead, the manager was scribbling something down on a notepad.

Nico frowned. “Whatever,” he mumbled. Pursing his lips, Nico opened the door and stormed after Annabeth. He was not going to let her do this, just because she thought he had sabotaged her.

Rachel and Leo both looked up in surprise as Nico slammed Percy's door closed. With his fists clenched tightly at his sides, Nico stormed out of the office and marched over to where Annabeth was waiting at the elevators. She turned around as he approached, arching an eyebrow at him.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

“Funny,” Nico replied, his eyes as cold as ice, “considering I feel like you've been sabotaging me from the beginning.”

“Like you did the other night?”

Nico pursed his lips. “I didn't do anything. But if I'm right, then I'm glad your performance got ruined.” He exhaled, blocking her entranced to the elevator when it opened. “I don't know what I ever did-”

“That's just it, you didn't do anything.” Annabeth's lips tilted down. “You didn't have to, but Percy took you in and clung to you like some wounded lamb. I've been there for him since he got here, but Percy barely spared me a glance beyond friendship. The way he looks at all of us, it's enough to make each of us feel special. But then there's you. His smile could light up a room whenever he looks at you. He offered you something that none of us ever got, yet you turned it down. But did that change anything? No.”

“Why are you mad at me then?” Nico practically yelled. “Why do you hate me?”

“I don't!” Annabeth let out a long breath. “I like you, okay? But I always thought that if anyone would have a chance with Percy, it would be me. You didn't even have to try, yet he became smitten with you. But did he even realize it? No, of course not. Like I said, Percy sucks at realizing feelings.”

Nico's shoulders slumped. “Then why did you try to ruin my chances with him? What did I do?”

“You trusted me,” Annabeth whispered. Her gray eyes hardened as they focused back on Nico. “That's what made it easy.” The blonde scoffed at him. “You practically jumped when I offered my help, even though Apollo had just scorned you.” She pushed past the stunned Lost Boy. “You'll stay here, because Percy will realize it's what is for the best. Once that is taken care of, I can convince Percy to let Octavian run the hotel. That's the thing about being there for Percy the longest, he trusts me. And maybe when he settles in with his new life, maybe then he will figure out that I do have feelings for him.”

Nico put his hand in the doorway of the elevator, preventing it from closing. “That's really fucked up.” Nico's jaw tightened.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, welcome to my world.”

“I've never done anything to you,” Nico practically whispered, a small pain growing in his chest. He didn't understand why she wanted to hurt him so much.

“I know.” Annabeth studied him a moment before she continued. “I'm sorry, but it's for the best. You'll thank me one day. You don't have what it takes to be by Percy's side at the top, Nico.” As if putting her mask back on, the blonde smiled at him. “Maybe we can be friends after it is over.”

Nico just glared at her as the elevator closed. He seriously doubted that. She was not going to win. Over his dead body. Nico took in a deep breath before pushing the button to summon another elevator. Why did this have to happen now? Things were supposed to wrap up, not spark out of control. Nico had been so close to the end, but then Annabeth had to come along and ruin it. No, not right now. She had been doing this for some time now. Nico had just been too blind to see it.

When the elevator arrived at his floor, Nico found Hazel and Octavian standing there, waiting. The Lost Girl's eyes widened a little at the sight of him. He must have looked pretty torn up, because Hazel wasted no time in wrapping him in a hug. “Nico, what's wrong?” She asked.

“Great, more tears,” Octavian muttered, which earned him a scowl from Hazel.

Nico let out a sigh. “I'm too trusting,” he muttered. “It makes me too blind, and then I just get hurt.”

“Nico, no.” Hazel squeezed him tighter. “That's one of your best qualities. Even after being here for so long, you still carry an optimistic outlook on things. You see the good in people. That is what keeps you even just a little innocent, and it's a great feature. It's refreshing, believe me.” She gave him a warm smile. “It's also what Percy admired about you, don't forget that. Even with the world crashing down on top of you, you still look at people and see the good in them. I think that's really awesome.”

Nico looked up from behind his dark bangs at the blond Lost Boy. Octavian arched an eyebrow at him. Nico frowned. “I need to talk to you.”

“Do you?” Octavian shrugged. He rolled his eyes at the dark look Nico gave him. “Fine.” He grabbed Nico's arm, pulling him away from Hazel. “Let's go talk then.”

“But we were going to eat,” Hazel pointed out.

Octavian was already opening his suite. “I'll catch up to you.” With that, he tossed Nico inside and shut them both inside. Turning on the lights, Octavian regarded the other Lost Boy. “What?”

“You know what I want to talk about.” Nico took a few steps to his right, his eyes drifting around the room. “You messed with Annabeth's makeup.”

“Oh no, you caught me,” Octavian said dully, rolling his eyes. “It's not like you were going to see her for what she is any other way.”

Nico let out a sigh, looking down at his feet. “What is her problem anyways?”

Octavian inspected his nails. “Sorry, I'd rather not get into it.” He quirked a fine eyebrow at Nico. “And I would exactly go up to Annabeth and ask her yourself.” The blond rubbed his neck. “Talk to Luke while you are visiting Germany, perhaps he will tell you.”

Nico slowly nodded. “So, what, you've been helping me this whole time? I didn't think you liked me.”

“I have neutral feelings about you,” Octavian corrected him. The blond crossed his arms, keeping his cold eyes on Nico. “Besides, it wasn't my idea. Luke was the one that asked me to help you out. He was the one that wanted me to give you lessons, it wasn't my idea.” The Lost Boy placed a hand on his chest. “I thought it was a little amusing to watch you stumble around with Annabeth's advice, not realizing that she was setting you up.” He finally let out a sigh. “But even I had to admit that she would have crushed you to a pulp without any help. Besides, I always do enjoy a not-so-friendly competition with our girl genius.”

Nico frowned a little, unwilling to meet the blond's gaze. “Why are you so bothered about my friendship with your brother?”

For a moment, Nico thought he had asked the wrong question. The blond's gaze was like a sharp piece of ice, threatening to impale Nico through the chest. But then, right before Nico thought he was going to snap, Octavian let out a sigh. He ran a hand through his silky hair and scrunched his lips. “Because of what he calls you,” the blond said softly. Nico quirked a brow. “How many times has he even called you by your real name?”

Nico blinked. Had Luke ever referred to him by his real name? In all honesty, Nico couldn't recall a single time. “Um-”

“Exactly.” Octavian chewed lightly on his lip. “He used to call me those same names, you know. I used to be the twerp. He used to come home from school, ruffle my hair, and call me names like that.” The blond Lost Boy pursed his lips. “He only called me by name if I was in trouble or he was being sentimental. So, yeah, it kind of stung when I heard him calling you those names all the time.”

Nico just stood there, pursing his lips. He had never considered Luke calling him those things to be anything special, Nico usually got annoyed by the fact that Luke called him all of those names. Perhaps it all made just a little bit more sense now. “I didn't know,” he finally whispered.

Octavian shrugged. “I know.” He let out a sigh. “Stop worrying about what other people think, Nico, or stepping on toes.” Those blue eyes fixed him with such a stare that Nico found it hard to move. “If you don't stop, you'll never stand on equal ground with Annabeth. She might be right about what she said to you, but so is Hazel. Stop beating yourself up because you're trying to get along with everyone. Annabeth is going to be out for blood.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Do you want to screw up what is coming to you? I was just helping you see all of this.”

“Fantastic job,” Nico muttered. “You drove Annabeth into Percy's bed.”

“Can't win every battle.” Octavian blinked a few times. “If he is yours at the end of the day, that should be all that matters. Besides, it's only a few more months. Focus on the Annabeth situation, not about Percy doing his job.”

\------------------------------------

Eight days later, Nico found himself waiting in line at a movie theater with Clarisse, Chris, Will, Thalia, and Zoë. Clarisse and Thalia had picked out the movie. It was a hardcore action movie, no surprise there. Will had objected about all the violence, but the two girls quickly shut him down. And now said girls were trying to raid the concessions stand.

Nico arched an eyebrow at Will, who was slightly pouting beside him. Without saying anything, Nico held out his box of candy. “Thanks,” Will grumbled as he took some.

As it turned out, Thalia convinced Clarisse to make Chris carry the snacks they had acquired. Zoë seemed like she didn't really want to be there, though the girl never said anything. A day away from the hotel was always good, regardless of what they did.

Once they were in the theater, Nico sat down next to Will, who offered the brown-eyed boy some of his popcorn. Nico smiled and took a handful.

The movie wasn't that bad, not particularly Nico's taste, but it wasn't bad. It wasn't really hard to keep up with either. Clarisse seemed to be enjoying it. Nico also noticed that Chris put his arm around the Lost Girl halfway through the movie. Will had to keep telling Thalia to be quiet, because the girl was persisting that Zoë try some of her chocolate covered raisins.

“Just tell her to try some,” Thalia argued.

“They sound disgusting,” the other Lost Girl countered.

Will rolled his eyes and put a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Nico, who was still trying to watch the movie, reached over without paying attention. Their hands brushed for a moment. Nico blinked and looked over; Will just smiled sheepishly at him. The corners of Nico's lips tilted up. Will was pretty adorable at times, he could admit that.

It made him a little sad, because he didn't think Will needed to be at the hotel. True, Nico probably shouldn't be there either, but there were moments that Will just reminded him of a child. In a good and endearing way, not an immature way.

Nico wanted him to be happy, even if he couldn't give it to him.

Twenty minutes later resulted in an outburst from Clarisse. “What the fuck?” She was quickly shushed by several other people watching the movie. “You shut up!”

As it turned out, the end of the movie concluded with a sappy romance subplot. Clarisse hated it, apparently. Thalia just sat there and cackled, though Zoë quickly shoved some popcorn into the girl's mouth to shut her up.

Will finally seemed to be enjoying the movie. The blond just kept stuffing popcorn into his mouth, sitting on the edge of his seat as he watched the female lead untie some guy that she had liked for some time now. Nico just smirked at the other Lost Boy. “Enjoying it now?”

“Yeah, Mitch,” Will replied before stuffing more popcorn into his mouth.

Nico blinked in surprise. Will didn't even seem to catch himself. Had he just referred to Nico by Mitchell's name? It finally hit Nico what was bothering him about their whole situation. Was Will just trying to fill the void that Mitchell had left? Was Nico just some compensation? Did the blond even realize any of this?

Silently mulling this over, Nico sipped at his drink.

As the credits began to play, their group got up. Clarisse grumbled as she exited, while Chris tried to calm her down. Thalia slung an arm around Zoë, who quickly knocked it off her shoulder. When Nico didn't get up, Will turned and blinked at him.

“You okay there?”

Nico's eyes widened. “What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine.” He smiled for a brief moment as he got up. “Just taking in the movie.”

Nico chewed on his lip as they walked out of the movie theater. Maybe it was just a slip. Those happened, right? Still, why did this bother Nico anyways? He was going to move to Germany with Percy, so why did it bother him? Perhaps some part of Nico seriously had considered what things would have been like with Will. And Jason. Nico's life was not simple, okay?

At dinner, Nico ran into Leo at the hotel restaurant. Originally, Nico had been planning on getting something and taking it up to his room, but the short Latino seemed rather distracted as he poked at his food. So, Nico just calmly sat down across from Leo.

Leo glanced up with a depressed look. “Yo,” he mumbled.

“You seem awfully down for someone about to have their boss go away for an entire week.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Just sad that you'll be missing my awesome party.” He swirled his straw around in his drink. “Meanwhile, you will be relaxing by a massive pool and basking in some needed sun.”

Nico let out a chuckle. “If I wanted to freeze.”

“You only live once.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Please, do not use that phrase. I'm about ready to strangle half the kids at school because they decided to start using it.” A waiter came by and took Nico's order. After the young man had walked off, Nico turned back to the Latino Lost Boy with a serious look. “Now, really, what's bothering you?”

Leo just sat there, staring innocently down at his food. “Nothing in particular.”

“You're such a liar.” Nico rolled his eyes. “Does this have anything to do with Apollo?” Leo was about to open his mouth, but Nico cut him off. “You got irritated that one night that Apollo willingly went to the backrooms with Robert, so I can only assume it has to do with Mr. Sunshine.”

“He is rather cheerful, even in the morning.” Leo just shook his head with a sigh. “Rather annoying. Who could possibly like that?”

Nico narrowed his gaze. “You have the exact same energetic level, though you just have a tendency to make horrible jokes.”

Leo clutched his chest, slumping down in his chair like he was dying. “You wound me, Nico.”

The pale Lost Boy let out a sigh. “Yeah, he's used that line as well.” He arched an eyebrow. “Why don't you just talk to him?”

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“Liar,” Nico mumbled. “I saw you two getting along back when you were having him help you sort out that paperwork. Personally, I think he's beating himself up too much about the entire situation between you two to bring it up.” Nico scrunched his lips. “The hotel should be a little calm while we're gone, right? Primarily just regular families?” Leo gave a small nod. “So, use the down time to talk to him.”

Leo frowned, his eyes blazing. “Why should I even care?”

“Because, Robert is trying to take Apollo away from here and make him his 'mistress'. He was going through a rough time back then, but we both know that he's a sweetheart deep down.” Nico ran a hand through his hair. “Just try. If you don't, it might be too late.”

Leo did not comment further. Nico's food arrived soon after that, and Leo blatantly changed the topic. He made sure to remind Nico to pick him up a souvenir from Germany.

\---------------------------------

Today was the day. The weeks had flown by, and now spring break was finally here. Percy had let Nico miss school today, which was perfectly fine by the Lost Boy. Both Luke and Nico had slept in until close to ten. From there, Nico finished packing and ate a quick lunch before hopping into a limo to go to the airport.

Nico was a little more than nervous. Flying seemed a mixture of terrifying and exciting. He wasn't exactly sure which was the more dominant at the moment. Still, it would be awesome to be away from the hotel for an entire week. Not only that, but he would have Percy off the clock, which Nico hoped they could be more like the couple they planned to be in the near future. Not only that, but Nico and Luke would be staying in Gaea's personal house, which was behind the hotel. Nico was excited about it, but Luke wasn't.

It had taken a while, but Nico eventually remembered that Kronos was supposed to be there. No doubt that this little fact had not slipped Luke's mind. It would be an interesting week.

Rachel had accompanied them to the airport, finalizing some details with Percy before the young man departed. Nico leaned lightly against Percy's shoulder as he ran over those details with the Lost Girl. He watched Luke out of the corner of his eyes. Luke had barely said a word, and had now taken up staring out the window.

Nico had talked to Daedalus about the trip yesterday. He had told Bianca a few weeks ago, though his sister was iffy about the entire thing. In the end, she realized there wasn't much she could do about it. She had just asked that Nico take a lot of pictures for her. She also said they needed to talk when he got back. If anything, she probably had questions about why Nico was getting to go to Germany in the first place.

He would have to tell her eventually, but Nico was trying to put it off. When he got back, then they would have the talk. Bianca needed to know that he was leaving. In all honesty, Nico had no idea what his sister was going to say. More than likely, Bianca would get upset. Nico would be leaving her to move around the world. It would probably only get worse when Nico confessed that he'd be doing the move with Percy. That would be fun to explain.

Once they were at the airport, Rachel walked them inside to say goodbye. She wiped a fake tear from her eye. Nico and Luke rolled their eyes, while Percy just smirked at her. She adjusted the strap on Nico's carry on bag. “All of you better behave yourselves,” she said in her motherly voice. “Don't get abducted and sold into human trafficking.”

Nico looked up at Percy like it was some joke, but the young man gave him a look that told him that she was being pretty serious about that part. The young man leaned in as Nico's face paled. “You'll be fine, nobody is going to touch you at Gaea's hotel.”

Rachel beamed and waved at them. “Have a safe trip.” As they turned around, she called out to them. “Make good choices!”

Luke turned around and flipped her off.

They didn't have to wait in line, though they did have to drop off their luggage. All Percy had to do was flash some ID and the three of them were cleared to go past security. Percy dropped Luke and Nico off at a waiting area before heading for the bathroom.

“Excited?” Nico asked.

Luke shot him a dull look. “Ecstatic.”

Nico's lips tilted down. “It won't be that bad. I'm sure you won't run into Kronos that much.”

“As long as I stay away from Gaea's house and Percy as much as possible.”

That put a knot in Nico's stomach. How much would he be able to see Percy? The green-eyed young man had expressed his desire for Nico to stay away from Kronos as much as possible, but Luke was probably right, Kronos would be close to Percy a lot. That sucked.

Luke slouched in his seat. “Why did you even invite me to go?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Because, you deserved something nice for your missed birthday.”

“Yay, so you got me a trip to see my least favorite person in the world.”

“A simple 'thank you' would suffice.”

Luke let out a sigh. “Oh, what poor manners I have. Thank you for having me be tortured for a week.” He leaned forward on the table. “I don't really care about any of the Lost Kids at the German branch, they get along worse than we do half the time.”

“They have a new Lost Boy, maybe you could-”

“Oh yay, another scared boy to take care of.” Luke rolled his eyes. “I don't give a shit about some prat that probably thinks he's better than most of the people around him.”

“I'm sure most of the Lost Kids there could say the same thing about you.”

“My point exactly,” Luke mumbled. “None of the European Lost Kids like us that much. We are 'stupid Americans'. The new kid can kiss my ass along with the rest of them.”

Nico huffed. “You know, it wouldn't kill you to-”

Percy dropped his carry on bag in the middle of the table. “I could hear you from halfway across the room.” His eyes darted between them. “Do I need to separate you two children?”

Luke dropped his cheek onto his palm. “Your boyfriend is getting on my nerves.”

Percy just glanced down at Nico and smiled. He ran his hands through Nico's hair before taking a seat. “Our flight will be boarding soon, so try not to kill each other until we land in Germany.” The young man pulled out his phone with a sigh. “Malcolm is picking us up.”

“Who?” Nico asked.

“Athena's secretary,” Luke mumbled.

When their flight started to board, the three of them got to go on first. They got to ride first class, something Nico never thought would happen in his life. Percy swapped tickets with him, so that Nico could sit by the window. But, judging by the slightly green complexion in Percy's face, Nico figured it was a little more than that.

Luke sat down on the other side of Percy, putting in some headphones. Nico frowned at the blond as Percy finished storing their carry on luggage. “How do you even know German anyways?” The brown-eyed boy asked.

Luke grunted as he pulled out one of his earbuds. “Because, I had a smart brother growing up, who thought it was a great idea to learn every language before starting his freshman year at high school.” Luke gave a shrug. “But also because I travel with Percy during the meetings.”

Percy gave Nico a smile as he sat down in between them. “Ready?”

“I suppose,” Nico replied.

The green-eyed manager pulled out his tablet and opened up one of his game apps. “Try to get some sleep on the flight. It'll be morning by the time we arrive, so try to go to sleep.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “When would be a good time.”

Percy smiled and rubbed the back of Nico's hand with his thumb. “I'll let you know.”

The most nerve wracking thing, Nico found out, was the liftoff. Nico had clenched his seat severely. Though, he felt much better after he looked over at Percy and found the young man with his eyes shut. Nico smiled at the young man when those sea-green eyes finally did open.

“Bad experiences with flying,” Percy explained. He let out a breath. “I'll be fine when we settle in the air.”

Nico wasn't particularly fond of heights himself, but even he was amazed by what he saw out the window. Once they were in the air, Nico couldn't look away from the view for over half an hour. It was so beautiful, yet terrifying.

However, Nico couldn't help but feel a little sad. He would only be gone a week, but somehow this felt like his real goodbye. Nico would have to say goodbye to not only his sister, but the people he had called a family for the past several months. All he would have would be Percy. It was enough, but it didn't make any of it less depressing. He would miss everyone. Sure, they could see each other, but it wouldn't be the same. Nothing would ever be the same once June arrived and he graduated.

Nico finally tore his eyes away to glance at Percy. He bit down on his lip as a thought popped into his head. Unless...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters will take place in Germany. I just needed an easy way to do a jump forward in time, without just having it be a month or two later, so that's what I've been doing the past two chapters. As some of you might have figured out, there is a Annabeth and Nico rivalry brewing. It will be one of the two main arcs through the remainder of the story. And you'll be meeting a very special and important character next chapter. My little French boy. If you desire a clue, he appeared a single time in the Heroes of Olympus series.
> 
> Also, if you want to keep up with what I'm doing, feel free to follow me on tumblr. http://xsonofhadesx.tumblr.com/


	49. Heartbreaker, Dream Maker, Love Taker

Jet lag sucked. Percy had given Nico a pill to knock him out halfway through the flight, yet Nico still felt tired when they arrived in Germany. It felt like Nico had lost his entire Friday, though Percy assured him that everything would sort itself out when they went back to California.

They got picked up in a limo. Well, more precisely, they were picked up by a blond kid that reminded Nico a lot of Annabeth. Same shade of hair and they even had the same gray eyes. Though, when Nico asked, the German Lost Kid, Malcolm, swore that he had no relation to Annabeth.

Malcolm seemed nice enough, just too distracted by his tablet to really pay attention to any of them, aside from Percy. The entire ride to the hotel, the blond kept talking to the green-eyed young man about just about everything that came to mind.

Luke, on the other hand, had barely spoken a word. When Nico looked over at him, the blond was busy staring out the window of their limousine. Nico just hoped that the blond would enjoy himself during this trip, even if Kronos was supposed to be there.

Germany was chilly, even in April. Growing up in Los Angeles, it didn't really take much to make Nico feel cold. Percy had chuckled at him when they had stepped out of the airport to get into the limo, saying that Nico would need to get used to it, because it got worse in the winter.

Then there was the hotel.

Nico caught sight of it from a few miles away. The main building of the hotel rose up into the sky, towering above the surrounding trees. The Lotus Hotel here had been built a few miles outside of Berlin, which was how it allowed for a resort to be built with the hotel.

And when they did finally drive up to the hotel, Nico had his breath taken away. The place was massive. The main building was in the very center, towering above everything to house the lobby, rooms, the suites, the live-in staff's rooms, two floors for the Lost Kids, the bar where the private clients went, and then two floors towards the top for the Lost Kids to perform and do business. And at the very top, with giant glass windows was the floor for Gaea and Athena's offices.

Attached to the back of the hotel was an indoor pool, while another pool lay just outside of the glass of the indoor one. The spa was housed in a smaller building on the resort grounds, which even had a place to do yoga outside. A large portion of the resort grounds was made up of the golf course—most likely the one that Percy was infamous for running a golf cart into a lake. A volleyball court was near the outdoor pool. Then there was an average size building just to the side of the hotel building.

“What's that?” Nico asked, pointing at said building.

Percy glanced out the window. “Ah, it's the arcade building. You can find video games, card tournaments, laser tag, and stuff like that there. There's also a store inside that sells some video games and cards, if that stuff interests you.”

Nico scrunched his lips. He wondered if they sold Mythomagic cards there. He hadn't played in years, but it did still peak his interest. Perhaps he could find some time to drop by there before they left.

Finally, there was a mansion at the very back of the resort. Several expensive cars had been parked out front, the garage doors that probably housed them were open just behind them. The lawn and hedges had been trimmed to perfection, while the massive fountain that sat in the center of the small driveway that led up to the mansion added a finishing touch to the place. The mansion was two stories tall, with three wings to it. If Nico had a guess, he could only assume this was Gaea's house.

The car finally came to a stop in front of the hotel itself. Malcolm got out first and told them to leave their luggage in the car. After they all got out, the limo drove off towards Gaea's mansion. Nico was surprised when he felt warm fingers lace through his own. Looking down, Percy gave his hand a squeeze. And when he looked up, Percy smiled and nodded towards the steps of the hotel.

Nico's heart was pounding in his chest as they entered the lobby, which was at least double the size of the one back in Los Angeles. The receptionist behind the desk looked up from typing at the keyboard, but Malcolm just waved at her and she went back to work.

Nico would have wandered into some luggage, if Percy hadn't caught the back of his jacket and pushed against the boy's back to direct him to the elevator. The place was just breathtaking. The ceiling had been painted to resemble the Sistine Chapel, though the art looked more Greek than Christian.

The elevators were against the side of the hotel. A portion of them were made of glass, which allowed the people riding in them to look out at the resort. Which was something that Nico eagerly took the opportunity to do. The place was both amazing and breathtaking, he could certainly get used to living here in a few months.

Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's waist as the boy looked out of the elevator, resting his chin on the Lost Boy's shoulder. “Enjoying the view?” He whispered.

Nico gave a small nod. “Yeah, thanks for bringing me.”

“My pleasure.” Leaning in, Percy pressed a quick kiss to Nico's cheek.

Glancing at the other two in the elevator, Nico blushed. Luke just rolled his eyes, while Malcolm did his best to look like he wasn't paying attention to the two of them. Nico glanced up at Percy with wide eyes and admired the young man for a moment. The stress that usually weighed on the young man seemed to have stayed behind in California.

When Percy pulled back, he glanced over at Malcolm. “Is Kronos here yet?”

Looking up from his tablet, Malcolm lightly shook his head. “He's not due to arrive until tomorrow afternoon.”

Luke let out a long breath, which only Nico noticed. At least that was something, right? They got a day in Germany without the devil's presence.

When they arrived at the top floor, Nico had to take a moment to look around. Most of the main area was a lobby, which contained very expensive sculptures and paintings. Directly forward was a set of doors that had no handles on it. Down the left hall was a set of glass doors, which Nico could spot a desk. Beyond the glass doors was another door that was fairly translucent.

“That would be Athena's office, which is where I spend most of my days, at least until dinner,” Malcolm pointed out, stepping up beside Nico. He turned and pointed down the right hallway. “Down there is where Athena lives.” Placing his tablet under his arm, the blond walked up the door in the center. “And here we have Gaea's office. She's already expecting you.”

Directly to the left of the door was a thumb scanner, which Malcolm placed his thumb on. After a faint chime, the double doors slid open. Percy gave Nico a quick smile before he followed Malcolm inside. With a grunt, Luke followed after him. Nico stood there a moment, trying not to have a panic attack. Letting out a small breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding, Nico stepped forward.

The office felt rather massive. A large glass desk sat towards the back of the office, just a few feet away from the large, glass windows. There was a giant TV embedded into the wall just to the left, while the other wall housed an assortment of liquor and wine. A long black couch had been placed next to the alcohol, though there were no actual chairs in front of Gaea's desk. Surrounding both sides of the door that they had entered from was an assortment of photographs of both Percy and Kronos during their younger years. Percy looked fairly similar, though he looked a lot less weighed down by things in the photos.

Then there was Gaea, who had her back to them as she stared out the massive window of her office. She wore a dark green pantsuit, while her hair had been tied in a braided ponytail. When Malcolm cleared his throat, the woman turned around to look at them.

“Percy!” The owner exclaimed, opening her arms up and handing a drink she had been holding to a Lost Boy that had been in the room with her. She quickly closed the distance between her and Percy. A smile appeared on Percy's face as the woman enveloped him in a hug. “How was your trip?”

“Good.” Percy pulled back and crossed his arms. “Sorry for the last minute addition, but I thought Luke could use a vacation as a late birthday present.”

Nico narrowed his eyes up at the young man. It was his idea. With a grunt, Nico elbowed the young man, who chuckled sheepishly at him.

Gaea just blinked at them before smiling. “It was no trouble at all.” She placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. “Besides, Nico here will need someone to keep him company while we take care of business.”

Figures, Nico thought to himself, he didn't think he would be getting Percy all to himself the entire time. Besides, they were here for Percy anyways. It wasn't about Luke or Nico at all.

“Percy!” Came a rich and very French voice.

For the first time, Nico took in the form of the Lost Boy that had taken Gaea's drink. He seemed rather excited to see Percy, reminding Nico of a fashionably dressed, giant ball of energy. His skin was lightly tanned, while his hair was a wavy, light brown that barely cut across his eyes. The boy's eyes were what truly stuck out, a vivid green color. He had a small nose and a smile that reminded Nico of a small child. Which didn't seem too far off, as the boy could probably pass for Nico's age, if not younger. The Lost Boy was just slightly taller than Nico, with a thin frame to him.

Before Nico could even blink, the boy charged Percy. If Luke hadn't pulled him back, Nico probably would have gotten trampled. The Lost Boy jumped at Percy, who caught him with a laugh. Yep, definitely reminded Nico of a child. Dusting himself off, Nico shot the brunet a glare.

“Good to see you, too,” Percy chuckled. As he put the boy down, the raven haired young man faced Nico. “So, this is Nico, the boy I was talking about.”

With much excitement, the brunet pulled Nico into a hug and kissed both of his cheeks. “Bonjour! Percy m'a si souvent parlé de toi. Tu es encore plus adorable que prévu.”

Blinking, Nico glanced between the strange brunet and Percy. After a moment, realization seemed to dawn on Percy's face. “Oh, right.” He let out a small chuckle and placed his hand on the small of Nico's back. “Nico here doesn't speak French.” With a grin, Percy cleared his throat. “He said that he's pleased to meet you.”

Glancing at the other boy, Nico slowly nodded. “Um, pleased to meet you, too.”

The brunet just grinned at him, though not the same innocent smile that had been there a moment ago. There was definitely a deep mischief hidden behind that grin. Somehow, Nico had the distinct impression that this guy would get along great with the Stolls.

“Oh.” Percy motioned to the brunet. “I almost forgot to introduce him. Nico, this is the newest Lost Boy that I mentioned to you, Eros.”

With his grin still in place, Eros ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. “It is...how to say, nice to meet you, Nico.”

“Uh,” was all Nico could get out.

He had never met a French guy before, but Nico could definitely see the appeal to them. This guy could probably charm customers out of their money, without even having to have sex with them. That accent was hot.

Percy chuckled at Nico's flustered expression. “Eros isn't completely fluent in English yet, so you might have to bear with him.”

It was then that Eros's eyes landed on Luke, his eyebrows slowly rising as he took in Luke's form. Those green eyes flickered back to Percy in amusement. “Putain... Quel beau gosse.”

Percy and Gaea let out a small laugh, while Malcolm snorted. Nico and Luke just sort of stood there in confusion. Well, it seemed like French wasn't a language that Luke had managed to learn. At least Nico wasn't the only one feeling lost about what was being said.

Narrowing his eyes, Luke grunted. “Does he have a problem with me, or something?” He growled.

Percy just patted the blond's shoulder. “I wouldn't worry too much about it. You'll be fine.” Percy blinked and turned to look at Eros, who was grinning mischievously. “Actually, I'm not completely sure about that.”

Gaea cleared her throat. “Well then, I suppose I should let you all settle into your rooms.” She slowly walked the three of them to the door. “But once you get a minute, Percy, I'd like for you to come back by my office, so that we can run over a few minor details.”

Percy gave a nod. “Sure thing.”

Placing his hand on Nico's back, he guided Nico and Luke out of the office. They quickly boarded the elevator, while Percy just smirked at Luke, who had a grumpy look on his face. “What did that asshole say?” The blond asked in irritation.

“Nothing to worry about,” Percy chuckled. “Really, I promise. He doesn't hate you or anything.”

Once they were back on the ground floor, Percy borrowed one of the hotel's golf carts, much to Nico's hesitation. “You're not going to run us into the lake or a window, are you?” The Lost Boy asked.

“No,” the young man replied as he sat down in the driver seat. “Well, at least that's not in the plan.” With a grin, the golf cart shot forward in the direction of Gaea's mansion. “You two can feel free to explore the resort while I'm talking with Gaea.” He smiled down at Nico. “Luke knows the hotel pretty well, so he can show you around.” There was a grunt from Luke, who sat in the back. “He loves it here, don't let him fool you. You can also make yourself at home in the mansion, Gaea won't care if you eat the food or mess with the entertainment stuff.”

The mansion was massive. When they walked in, Nico felt like he was entering a museum, rather than a home. The place was littered with sculptures and art of various assortments. A marble staircase was directly in front of the entrance, while many doors were on both sides of the first floor. Instead of showing them around, however, Percy just walked up the stairs.

Nico hurried after the young man, reaching out to take Percy's hand. He turned down the left wing of the mansion, which slowly morphed in artwork. The paintings that Nico had managed to get a glimpse at in the entrance and up the stairs had been a vast array of paintings, but this wing seemed to only include fish and other various aquatic creatures. There was even a giant fish tank embedded into a portion of the wall that they passed. Finally, Percy came to a stop.

“Here's where you'll be staying, Luke,” Percy said, pushing open a door on the left.

Luke was inside and had the door shut in a heartbeat. Percy just chuckled and shook his head. He motioned down the hall, where Nico followed him. The green-eyed young man came to a stop in front of a set of double doors, which had a dumbwaiter directly across from it. With a smile, Percy pushed the doors open.

Nico must have died and gone to heaven. Percy's bedroom was about two or three of the Lost Kid's suites back at the Los Angeles Lotus Hotel. Suites, not bedrooms. And there was just about everything that anyone could ever want inside.

First there was the canopy bed, which had dark blue curtains surrounding the bed. Many pillows littered the bed, which Nico already had a good idea was going to be incredibly comfortable. Then there was a massive TV on the wall directly across the bed, around the same size as the one in Gaea's office. A closet full of movies had been placed next to the TV. Books on Greek mythology, marine biology, business, and various other books had been placed on bookshelves in the front right corner of the room.

Another aquarium was in Percy's bedroom, this one slight bigger and containing more fish. A walk-in closet that could have been the size of Nico's bedroom back at the other Lotus was to the left, close to the door to Percy's own private bathroom. Nico would have to look at that later. Then there was another door that caught Nico's attention. Poking his head inside, Nico was not disappointed.

It was a game room. First there was the giant couch and gaming chairs that was towards the center of the room. Then there was the giant TV, which was probably only a few inches smaller than the one in Percy's actual bedroom. Directly under the TV was just about every game console that had ever come out since Nico had been born, which included an open closet of just about every game that anyone could ever want beside the TV.

Also included in Percy's game room was a pinball machine, a Foosball table, a very expensive desktop computer with two thirty-two inch monitors, and a pool table. There was even a Pac-Man machine!

Nico just stood there, stunned. It was easy to forget sometimes just how rich people like Gaea and Percy were, and then Nico was brought back to reality when he was shown things like this. Percy's suite back at the Los Angeles hotel was already impressive enough, this was just someone's personal heaven. Nico bit down on his lip and rubbed his arm. All of a sudden, the Lost Boy was aware of how out of place he truly was. This wasn't his world, yet he was expected to live in all of this very soon. It was amazing, to say the least, but also very terrifying.

With a deep breath, Nico stepped back into the bedroom portion of Percy's room. Percy had already plopped down on the bed while Nico had been exploring. He smiled over at Nico with his hands behind his head. Slowly, Nico made his way over and laid down next to the young man, who wrapped an arm around Nico to pull him closer.

As he stared up at the top of the canopy, Nico sighed in contentment. Part of him could not wait until summer arrived, because it just meant that he could have more nice moments like this with Percy. They were going to be a couple, an exclusive one. That wasn't really something Nico had ever imagined possible when he had first arrived at the hotel. In truth, it all still felt like dream. A dream with many nightmares along the way, but still a dream.

Nico rolled onto his stomach to look at Percy. “Is this where we'll be living when we actually move here?”

“Probably,” Percy mumbled with a smile. “It's not too much, is it?”

“Uh.” Nico glanced around the room. “Well, yes, but I'll get used to it.” He let out a sigh and rested his chin on Percy's chest. “It's just a lot, and I'm not used to this, even as a Lost Kid.”

It was totally different. Lost Kids had money, but not nearly enough to afford places like this. When they retired around thirty, they would still have enough money to last them almost the rest of their lives. All their needs were taken care of by the hotel, which only left personal things for each individual to pay for. But, even so, none of them lived like this.

And Nico...

Well, Nico had never come close to anything like this before he had gotten tossed out. Back then, or even on the streets, he would have never dreamed that he would soon be living in a place like this. It just seemed so...foreign.

Percy pulled Nico's hand to his lips to kiss the boy's knuckles. “I mean, we'll have plenty of privacy. The only other person that would be living here all the time would be Gaea. Athena lives in the hotel, and Kronos only visits two or three times a year.” He wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. “You and Gaea can take up golfing, since you'll both probably end up getting bored without anything to do.”

“And you?”

“I'll have a lot more time to spend with you than I do in my current position.” Leaning down, Percy kissed Nico's forehead. “Gaea only really has to oversee things and get involved when she feels the managers need a little help. Most of the time, she just gets to relax.” Rolling on top of Nico, Percy traced his fingers along Nico's stomach. “So, maybe we could travel and see the world.”

“I'd like that,” Nico whispered.

Percy pressed a quick kiss to Nico's lips. “You can have anything you want, anything at all.”

Nico sealed their lips together again. “I just really want you.” With smirk, he pecked Percy on the lips. “But I'm sure I can get used to things.”

Chuckling, Percy leaned back. “Glad to hear it.” The young man let out a groan and rested his head on Nico's stomach. “I hate to do this, but I should go see Gaea. But I'll be back shortly before dinner. If you want, I can take you and Luke into Berlin to have some local food.”

Nico bit down on his lip to contain his smile. “That would be great.”

Percy grinned and pecked Nico on the lips before climbing off the bed. “Great! I'll see you later then.”

Nico rolled onto his stomach and waved as Percy went to leave. When the door closed, Nico collapsed onto the bed with a sigh. He was enjoying Percy like this, the young man seemed much more relaxed and happy. If this was what he had to look forward to, then Nico could find a way to endure whatever the next two months threw at him.

After about five minutes, Nico got off the bed to go find Luke. Once he was in the hallway, Nico looked around for a minute. He just didn't understand why there was so many rooms if only three people lived here. Stepping up to the room that Luke had disappeared into, Nico raised his hand and knocked on the door.

After about ten seconds, the door opened and Luke leaned against the door. “What do you want, twerp?”

Nico frowned at the name. “Can't you just call me by my actual name?”

“I could,” Luke tapped a finger to his chin, “but that doesn't sound very fun.” He rolled his eyes and stepped back into his room, where Nico followed him. “Anyways, what do you want?”

Nico fidgeted a little. This room didn't have as much in it, nor did it have all the different extensions. It did come with the walk-in closet and private bathroom, though. It also had a giant TV on the wall opposite the bed, which also had a canopy.

“I was hoping you would show me around.” Nico's eyes slowly drifted across the room. “Percy said he was going to take us into Berlin for dinner.”

Luke grunted with a nod. “Figured.” The blond let out a sigh as he sat down on his bed. “I was just getting comfortable, too. I forget that you need someone to hold your hand in new places.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “You know, we're alone, you don't have to sound like a jerk all the time.”

The blond just smirked at him. “But I am a jerk.”

“Yeah, uh-huh, keep telling yourself that.”

Luke rolled his eyes and opened up his suitcase. “Go put your swimming trunks on, just in case I decide we're stopping at the pool.”

“But it's cold outside,” Nico whined.

“The indoor one,” Luke sighed.

Nico's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as Luke undid his pants and let them drop to the ground with his underwear. Casually, Luke walked over to his suitcase and pulled out his swimming trunks. Clearing his throat, Nico turned around and left the room to retrieve his own trunks.

Percy had left the golf cart for them, which Luke insisted they use. “The place is too big, nobody just walks, unless the place they are going is close by,” Luke pointed out.

They started off touring the golf course, which was mostly being used by older men. Nico's face scrunched up as he watched one man hit the small golf ball. The sport seemed rather dull. “Have you ever played?”

Luke glanced out at the field. “Only if I'm extremely bored. My parents used to take me and Octavian golfing. Especially my dad, when he spent time with his friends.” He gave a casual shrug. “It can be relaxing, though I prefer sex if I'm trying to relieve stress.”

As they passed by the spa area, Nico spotted a very large crowd for yoga lessons. Teenage girls, young women, older women, and even a few men had formed a small army there. It seemed a little odd, until Nico spotted the yoga instructor.

The guy was rather tall and lean, with a smile that could light up the night sky. Black curls sat on top of his head, while a pair of light blue eyes could be found hidden behind some of his curls. He had long legs and seemed to be very flexible.

Nico nudged Luke. “Who is that? Is he a Lost Boy?”

Luke slowed down the golf cart to glance at the yoga instructor. “Yes, his name is Favonius, he's Italian.”

Nico made a face. “I hope he doesn't expect me to talk Italian with him, I'm not that good.”

“Fortunately for you, he doesn't actually speak Italian. His parents left Italy when he was just a baby, and they died when he was pretty young.”

As he stood up from bending over, Favonius took notice of them. He smiled brightly at them and tossed them a wave. Luke raised a hand in a small wave before he drove off.

Nico glanced up at the blond next to him. “So, what really is the difference between our group and the group here?”

“Our group is different than most of the others,” Luke pointed out. “Don't expect any of them to stick their necks out for each other. They are more like friends, instead of being a family.” Luke ran his tongue along his bottom lip. “The German branch has the largest pool of Lost Kids. While they do have close bonds, they are more like cliques. They only help out those that fall into the clique they are in. It's very high school.”

As they passed by the game building, Nico convinced Luke to make a stop. Reluctantly, Luke followed an excited Nico inside the building, which was primarily filled with teenagers and kids. Bypassing most of the arcade games, Nico made a beeline for the counter, where he inspected their assortment of cards.

Sure enough, they did carry Mythomagic. Nico's eyes bulged a little as he looked over their single cards that were on sale, some of which he had only dreamed of owning back when he played. Nico reached for his wallet, until he remembered that he had left it back in Percy's room.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Just tell them to put it on Percy's tab.”

“But-”

With a grunt, Luke placed his hands on the counter. A girl with bright green eyes popped up from behind the counter. Her long black hair fell behind her back like a waterfall. She was rather pale, just like Nico was. There was a small piercing in her nose, while her arm bore a black pentagram tattoo.

Her lips tilted up when she saw the blond in front of her. “Luke! So, the rumors were true, you are paying us a visit.”

Luke grunted. He motioned between the girl and Nico. “Twerp, this is Lou Ellen. Lou, this is the twerp.”

Her eyes widened a little. “Oh, so you're Percy's new squeeze.” She reached out and pinched his cheek. “Cute.”

Nico glanced at Luke. “I thought you didn't like the Lost Kids here.”

Luke tossed him a glare, while Lou cackled. “Ah, well,” she laughed, “I just happen to be one of the few he tolerates around here.” She leaned on the counter with a smile. “Some of us are cool, but others can be...less than pleasant. Michael can be hard to get along with.” Her lips turned up in a wicked smirk. “Clarisse is actually not allowed here at the moment because the two practically trashed the laser tag zone over a competition.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Luke grumbled. He let out a sigh. “Anyways, the kid here was wanting some cards.”

Lou stood up straight and blinked at Nico. “Oh yeah? Which ones?”

“Um, I was just looking,” Nico mumbled. “I don't really play anymore.”

Lou gave a shrug and opened the display case. “No shame in buying cards to collect. Which ones would you like?”

After picking out five cards, Lou put all of them in protector sleeves and handed them over to Nico. As they left the store, Nico looked over each of his new cards in great detail, his eyes wide from excitement. Luke just stared at him and shook his head as they climbed back in the golf cart. There was a very small glove compartment in front of the seat that Nico was in, so the boy shoved them inside. Since Luke had the key to the golf cart, it wasn't like someone was just going to come along and drive off with it.

“Are we allowed to see the Lost Kids' floors?” Nico asked.

Luke just shrugged. “You'll need to be with one of them. I don't have an access card to get us up there, and I doubt Percy would just give you one.” The golf cart came to a stop at the back of the hotel, where the blond climbed out with a towel that he had brought from his room. “Come on, we're going swimming.”

Grabbing his own towel, Nico followed after the other Lost Boy.

The doors swung open for the two Lost Boys as they entered the indoor swimming area. The roof and the walls bordering the outside were entirely made of glass, which made it feel like they were still outside, just in a warmer environment. The pool wasn't overly crowded, though it would be hard to crowd, since it was a pool and a half compared to the one they had back in Los Angeles.

Luke motioned over to where two boys were. One happened to be the Eros boy from earlier, though he was currently too busy on his phone to pay attention to them. The other seemed to recognize Luke.

The guy had dark brown hair that was cut short, with a pair of matching brown eyes that screamed trouble. His skin was fair, while his face was dusted with light freckles. He had a rather lanky body and a toothy grin.

The brunet jumped up from where he was sitting next to Eros. “Luke, so you did make it!”

At the mention of the blond's name, Eros looked up, his sunglasses falling a little to reveal his vivid green eyes. He too stood up, leaning against the other brunet. With his shirt off, Nico could see just how skinny Eros was. He wasn't unhealthy skinny or lanky like Nico, but his hips were practically thin enough that someone could touch their fingers if they placed their hands on both hips. He even had a faint outline of some abs, as well as a 'V' shape to his hips.

Eros pouted and wrapped an arm around the other brunet. “Tu le connais? Il faut qu'on parle.”

The other brunet chuckled and nodded. “Ouai, j'imagine. Sois gentil avec lui, si jamais t'arrives à le baiser.” He winked at Nico and Luke. Grinning, he held his hand out to Nico. “The name's Cecil. I take it you're this Nico we've been hearing about.”

“Yeah.” Nico glanced up at Luke, his brows furrowed.

Luke just shrugged. “Don't look at me, your man is the one that talked about you.” He grinned and clasped hands with Cecil. “How are things?”

“Oh, you know, just keeping everyone on their toes.” The brown-eyed European boy struck a pose. “They just don't know what hits them most of the time.”

“Sounds about right.” Luke, however, had his eyes on Eros, since the French boy was grinning at him like Luke was about to be hit with a water balloon. “Can I help you?”

Cecil snickered. “So, I take it you have already met Eros.” He slung his arm around the green-eyed boy. “He's a handful.”

Eros pouted, shifting his sunglasses to rest on top of his wavy hair. “That is so...hurtful, Cecil.”

Nico couldn't help but sigh, a dopey smile on his face. He could get used to listening to Eros talk, even if he couldn't understand him half the time. He glanced up at Luke, who was looking said brunet over. The blond quickly cleared his throat and broke eye contact with Eros, who just smirked.

Eros placed his hands on his hips, which made Nico hyper aware of the fact that the French Lost Boy was wearing a speedo. A very tight, green speedo. When he saw not only Nico staring, but Luke as well, Eros grinned and bounced on his heels. “You like?” With a sly smirk, the brunet turned his body slightly to give them a view of his ass in the speedo. “Does it not just fit so well?”

“Uh,” Luke fumbled, his eyes still locked on the brunet's very nicely shaped ass. “Yep, they definitely fit nice.” Coughing, Luke looked over at the pool.

Nico gave the blond an odd look. Was Luke actually blushing? Nico blinked a few times. He wasn't sure that he had ever seen the blond blush before.

Chuckling, Cecil patted Luke on the back. “Come on, let's go swimming.” He grinned over at Eros, who narrowed his eyes at the brown-eyed boy.

After a few minutes of swimming, Nico heard Luke let out a growl. Turning in the water, Nico located the blond, who had a grinning Eros at his side near the deep end. “What the hell are you even saying?” Luke finally asked, his voice slightly raised.

Cecil jumped into the pool, where he swam over before emerging beside the two. Nico made his way over as well, curious about what was going on. Cecil moved in between the two boys, chuckling. “What exactly did he say, Luke?”

Luke narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “He's like...trying to ask me for a blowjob in the middle of a public pool.”

Nico arched his brow. “I didn't think you'd turn someone down for sex.”

“It's just weird, because I don't know what he's saying.”

Eros blinked over at Cecil. “He called me weird?” He asked, drawing out the word.

Cecil just grinned. “What did you say to him?”

Eros turned his grin onto Luke, slowly running a finger down his chest. “BG. Je ne vois pas pourquoi ceci est un problème. BG.”

Luke huffed and pointed his finger at the green-eyed boy. “There, see, he said it again.”

Cecil snorted a little. “Ah. Um, yeah, the French 'g' sounds like a 'j'. BG is short for beau gosse.”

Nico blinked at Eros, analyzing the brunet. “He said that earlier.”

“I bet he did,” Cecil grinned. He patted Luke on the shoulder. “You have fun.” With that, Cecil swam off.

Grinning to himself, Eros pulled himself out of the water and sat on the edge of the pool. Nico couldn't help but stare a little, admiring the Lost Boy's wet body. At least he wasn't the only one. Glancing over at Luke, Nico had to reach over and shut the blond's slightly agape mouth.

\--------------------------------------

After dinner, Nico got to watch the performances with Percy and Luke. It was rather nice, not having to worry about performing or customers. Percy and Luke ordered some beer, though Nico declined. However, Percy offered Nico some of his after a few sips.

“You sure you don't want some?” Percy grinned at him. “I mean, you can't just come to Germany and not try the beer.”

Luke inspected his own beer. “It would be like not trying the wurst.”

Nico frowned as he inspected the golden drink. “Well, the wurst I had for dinner was pretty good.” Glancing up at Percy, Nico raised the drink up to his lips. Immediately, Nico's face contorted and he shoved the beer back towards Percy. “It tastes like horse piss.”

Percy laughed as he took a sip of the beer, not even bothered by the taste. Nico wrinkled his nose and pushed Percy away when the young man tried to lean in for a kiss. Not after drinking that stuff.

Luke tossed his beer back, downing half the glass. “And how would you know what horse piss tastes like?”

Nico rolled his eyes at the blond. “It's just an expression,” he grunted. Luke grinned at him. “But you already knew that, asshole.”

The two floors where the Lost Kids performed was a bit bigger than the top floor at the Lotus back in Los Angeles. For starters, there was nothing to divide the girls from the boys, since they performed together on one big stage. Apparently, according to Percy, people in Europe really didn't care as much about sexuality. Percy had agreed to keep an eye on this floor, while Gaea and Athena were a floor below them.

Luke was right about one thing, there were a lot of Lost Kids here. After about thirty minutes of performances, Nico still had not seen the same Lost Kid more than once. According to Percy, they just ran up and down some stairs backstage to get between the two stages. Sounded rather rough, in Nico's opinion.

Their table quieted down as the guitar intro to Marina and the Diamond's “How To Be a Heartbreaker” began to play. The lights slowly brightened, revealing several Lost Boys moving their bodies seductively. The boy in the center, however, was Eros, who bounced on his hip to the beat of the music, an innocent smile on his lips.

As the lyrics began, Eros raised his hand with only his index finger raised to go along with the music. With the word “fun”, Eros leaned back and pressed himself against one of the other Lost Boys. During the next line, the brunet added a second finger and shoved the Lost Boy he had been leaning against away.

The stage brightened even more as the chorus began to play. Several Lost Girls flooded onto the stage as Eros slipped his arms above his head, his lips moving along with the song. All the while, the other Lost Boys flexed and struck poses, while Eros moved flirtatiously across the stage.

A pair of very loose, cotton shorts were on his hips. And with each little movement, it looked like said shorts were about to fall off. One of the Lost Boys pulled Eros in and dipped the brunet, while Eros looked out at the audience and mouthed the words “At least I think I do.”

Pulling away from the Lost Boy, Eros swung around on a pole, the back of his shorts now exposing a hint of his ass. Did he even have underwear on? Once the chorus began again, Eros actually stepped off of the stage and jumped across some of the tables. Everywhere he went, people tried to reach out and touch him, though the boy's only response was to grin mischievously and move on.

A few of the girls joined him, jumping up and down on the tables as the chorus came to an end. As the song slowed down, Eros reached their table and fell to his knees. Slowly, the brunet ran his hands through his wavy hair, biting lightly at his bottom lip. From his hair, the Lost Boy moved his hands down to the hem of his shorts, which he lightly pulled down to expose a jockstrap.

Smiling innocently, Eros rolled onto his stomach and stuck his right leg up into the air. He winked over at Percy, who just gave the brunet a lopsided smile. Nico narrowed his eyes at the French boy, crossing his arms over his chest.

From there, Eros slid off of the table. Directly into Luke's lap. Nico blinked a few times, running over what had just happened. Eros had moved like a snake, slithering its way into the blond's lap. Somehow, he managed to get out of his shorts, which he dropped on Luke's shoulder with a wicked grin. The blond just narrowed his eyes and stared back at the green-eyed boy.

Leaning forward, Eros rolled his hips, which drew a sharp intake of breath from Luke. As the slow part came to an end, Eros began to drum his fingers on Luke's chest. Jumping up, Eros spun around to give their table a nice view of his ass in the jockstrap. And damn, did the boy have a nice ass. It could quite possibly take the cake for the best one that Nico had ever seen, and this included Apollo and Percy's.

Eros actually strutted back up to the stage, where the Lost Boys were still flexing, while the girls just laughed and peeled off some of their clothing. On the final part of the song, Eros stood in the center of the stage and ran his hands across his torso, crotch, and hair. And on the final words, Eros raised a finger to his lips with a childish laugh.

Luke rolled his eyes as customers practically threw money at the French Lost Boy, who was bowing and blowing kisses at the audience. “He seems like a little shit,” the blond mumbled.

Percy shrugged and drank more of his beer. “He can be an acquired taste.”

Eventually, Nico ended up back in Percy's room with the green-eyed young man. Nico sat on the bed, watching Percy walk around the room as he got undressed for bed. When Percy caught sight of him staring, the young man smiled and walked over to the bed.

As he crawled under the covers with Nico, Percy leaned in and sealed their lips together in a quick kiss. After the kiss, Nico slowly opened his eyes with a smile now on his lips. He could most certainly get used to this.

Nico slowly shifted his posture until he sat cross-legged beside Percy. “Can I ask you something?” He blurted out.

Leaning back to lay his head on the pillow, Percy blinked up at him. “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

“Why me?” Nico's brow furrowed as he stared down at the sheets. “What makes me so different? I mean, I get the whole innocent thing we talked about, but why does that make you interested in me?”

A soft chuckle escaped Percy's throat. The young man wrapped his arms around Nico's waist, pulling the boy to lay down beside him. A soft kiss was placed right next to Nico's ear. “That's an easy one. You want to spend time with me.”

Nico blinked in confusion. “What?”

Percy just smiled at him. “It's not always about sex with you.” He grinned and squeezed Nico. “Much better than when you were a virgin, trying to jump my bones at every available opportunity.” Percy caught Nico's wrist as the boy went to smack him. Still grinning, the young man kissed his palm. “You show concern for my well-being, and I think I started liking you truly the night you asked me to spend time with you without having sex.” Percy's eyes seemed to grow distant as they stared up at the top of the canopy. “The other Lost Kids have never really asked that of me before. I mean, I've spent time with them and not had sex, but they have never asked to just spend time with me. You don't seem to have any ulterior motives either, like you don't want me for my money or power.”

“I don't really care about that stuff.”

“I know,” Percy chuckled, “and that's part of why I like you. You're different.”

Nico let out a sigh, a soft smile now playing at his lips. “Thank you for telling me.” Relaxing his shoulders, Nico leaned back against Percy's chest. “Um, but there is something else that I sorted of wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” Percy blinked at him, waiting for the boy to continue.

Nico let out a long breath. “It's about the others. What happens to the others back in California when we actually do move here?”

Pursing his lips, Percy shrugged. “I suppose they will remain there. After all, the German branch already has all the Lost Kids that it needs.” He tilted his head to get a better view of Nico's face. “Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering,” Nico whispered. He chewed on his lip as Percy reached over and turned off the lamp beside their bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Bonjour! Percy m'a si souvent parlé de toi. Tu es encore plus adorable que prévu."  
> \--> Hello! Percy spoke so often about you. You are even more adorable than expected.
> 
> "Putain... Quel BG."  
> \--> Fuck... What a hottie. [BG being short for "beau gosse" = hottie]
> 
> "You know him? We need to talk later."  
> \--> "Tu le connais? Il faut qu'on parle."
> 
>  
> 
> \--> "Ouai, j'imagine. Sois gentil avec lui, si jamais t'arrives à le baiser."  
> Yes I imagine (same meaning as i bet we do). Be nice to him (this is said mockingly) if you manage to sleep with him.
> 
> "Je ne vois pas pourquoi ceci est un problème."  
> I do not see why this here is a problem.


	50. Drunken Insecurities

It was clear that there were some very enjoyable perks to waking up in Percy's bedroom for the rest of his life, as Nico quickly discovered upon opening his eyes the next morning. He cracked an eye open at the sound of the bathroom door opening, just in time to see Percy's nude form enter the room. The young man had a towel over his head, casually drying off his hair. He walked over to his closet and stepped inside, which still gave the boy in bed a perfect view of Percy's very nice butt.

When Percy emerged from the closet with a fresh change of clothes in his arms and the towel around his waist, he smiled over at Nico. “Are you staring at me, Nico di Angelo?” The green-eyed young man asked slyly, grinning.

Nico rolled his eyes and tossed over onto his stomach, crossing his arms under his head. Percy's bed was extremely comfortable, and Nico really did not want to leave its warm embrace. Not to mention the silk sheets felt amazing on his bare body. He had tried to go to sleep with some clothes on, but Percy had quickly done away with them. They didn't have sex, Percy just had a habit of groping Nico's ass during the night and in the morning. Apparently, clothes just got in the way, not that Nico objected.

Percy leaned over the bed and kissed Nico on his forehead. Nico hummed and rolled onto his back, which drew a smile from Percy's lips as the covers fell around Nico's waist. “How long have you been awake?”

The green-eyed young man shrugged. “Not long,” Percy replied. “You looked peaceful, so I thought I'd let you sleep.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “That was so sappy.”

In return, Percy grinned and winked down at Nico. He sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped into a pair of boxers. “You should get up and shower, breakfast will be served soon.”

With a groan, Nico pushed himself up. “Yeah, okay,” the Lost Boy grumbled.

Before Nico could get too far, Percy grabbed the boy's wrist. “Kronos should be here by now.” There was a serious look in those sea-green eyes as he stared into Nico's brown orbs. “Don't forget what I said.”

“I know,” Nico whispered.

He wasn't allowed to be alone with Kronos. It was not like he could forget such a request, nor did Nico want to really be alone with Kronos. The guy made his skin crawl. Percy released his wrist and Nico stumbled his way into the bathroom, his legs still slightly asleep.

After his shower, Nico felt amazing. Percy's shower was a unique design. It was primarily a full body shower, but the shower head above him could be adjusted to be more like a small waterfall or rain. Needless to say, it was relaxing. Nico would definitely be getting Percy in on one of his showers before they left Germany.

When he exited the bathroom, Nico found the room empty. As he got dressed, Nico stared out the window, which had a nice view of the woods and garden behind Gaea's mansion. For a while, though, Nico just remained on the bed, not wanting to go downstairs. It was far too soon, in his opinion, to see Kronos again.

Nico slowly made his way out of Percy's room and down the hall, until he got to the stairs. Taking in a deep breath, the Lost Boy made his way downstairs. Once downstairs, he followed the sound of voices from the back wing of the house.

The kitchen was very intricate. The counters were made of white marble, with a wispy gray pattern across it. The faucet over the sink looked to be touch activated, while all the cabinets were made of glass, so that people would always know what was inside. The refrigerator was made of metal and had three compartments, while there were two ovens nearby. The ceiling also caught Nico's attention, partly made of brick and curving upwards into an arch. Then there was a small door that led onto a patio.

Near the patio door was a booth shaped like the letter 'C', which was covered in food. It was also filled with the occupants of the house. Gaea sat in the very center, currently buttering her toast. Luke sat on her left, a cup of coffee in his hand. However, he did not look so happy. Which was probably due to the person directly across from him.

Kronos looked amused as he stared back at Luke and cut up a pancake on his plate. Much like Percy since their arrival, Kronos dressed more casual. It didn't make him any more pleasing to see. Percy sat beside him, currently busy shoveling food onto his plate. He looked up when he noticed Nico standing there, smiling fondly at the Lost Boy.

Unfortunately, Kronos also took notice of him. “Well, well, looks like someone finally decided to join us.” His eyes flashed dangerously at Nico. “Didn't feel like being on time for breakfast?”

Percy elbowed the young man next to him. “I let him sleep in, so be nice.”

“If that's even possible for him,” Luke mumbled.

Percy picked up a piece of bacon and stuffed it into his mouth. “Can we just eat in peace?” He let out a sigh and motioned for Nico to sit down next to Luke. “Get as much as you want.”

Nico quietly obeyed, sitting down and picking up the empty plate in front of him. It all looked good, so Nico added a bit of everything. He slowly chewed his food, partially savoring it and partially because Kronos's words just hit him. Were they expected to eat meals together on a regular basis while they were here? That would be great, if not for the obvious problem to that situation.

As Gaea poured some cream into her coffee, the woman's eyes shifted over to where the pale Lost Boy sat. “Nico, dear, I was wondering if Percy had you bring anything nice to wear?”

Nico just blinked for a moment. “Um, how nice exactly?” His eyes shifted from Percy to Gaea, and then back again. “Are we doing something?”

“I was going to have one of the Lost Kids here take him to get something later today,” Percy replied. He smiled over at Nico. “On me. It will, however, need to be a suit.”

Nico made a face. “Like black jacket and dress pants?”

Kronos rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Why is he going again?”

Ignoring him, Percy smiled across the table. “We're going to be going to dinner tonight, so you need to look nice.” His eyes widened momentarily. “Not that you don't always look nice.”

A smile touched at Gaea's lips as she sipped at her coffee. “Dinner will be on me, dear.”

“Oh, okay,” was all Nico could get out. He didn't really know what to say. This was all new to him, perhaps a bit strange. He blinked and then turned to Luke. “Did you pack anything?”

“Not going,” Luke grumbled as he took a bite of sausage. “Nor do I really have a desire to go.”

Normally, Nico would think that Luke was just trying to act tough, but something in the blond's eyes said otherwise. Nico suddenly didn't feel so good about this dinner. His forehead scrunched a little as he took a bite of his pancakes. He really did not like dressing up to such a degree.

After breakfast, Percy had Luke escort Nico up to the one of the floors designated to the Lost Kids. Apparently, they were to seek out Eros, who was about to start university in the fall for fashion design. Percy seemed to trust the French Lost Boy to be able to find something suitable for Nico to wear, so Nico did not object. However, Percy would not be joining them, as he had some other business to take care of around the hotel.

Miraculously, Luke did not seem to mind going with Nico to go get fitted for a tux. “More than likely, any store that we go to will serve us wine,” the blond had explained.

Percy had given them a card to get them onto the floor, so Luke swiped it upon arriving at the elevator. They had passed a few of the German Lost Kids in the lobby, and, well, it had not been the most pleasant thing. It was two girls, and they both gave Nico disapproving looks. It only got worse when Luke tried to ask for Eros's room number. Later, when Nico asked, Luke said they had basically told him to fuck off in German. Definitely not as friendly as the Lost Kids back home. And that was saying something, considering how welcoming they had been when Nico first arrived at the hotel.

Fortunately, they ran into Favonius as the Lost Boy was leaving his room. His lips tilted up when he found Luke and Nico looking around in the hallway. “Lost?” He grinned.

Luke rolled his eyes. “I'm supposed to find Eros. Percy wants him to help this brat with dressing up for dinner tonight.” Luke shoved Nico forward, which caused the very tall Lost Boy to look down at him with a smile.

“Ah, so you're Percy's squeeze.” A slight hint of Italian layered the young man's voice, though nowhere near as thick as some of Nico's family. He nodded his head at the suite he just came out of. “As fortune would have it, Eros is my roommate. I believe he's still in bed, though.” Favonius pulled out his keycard and opened up his suite for them, motioning inside.

The suites here were a bit bigger than the ones back home, and this suite was definitely decorated better than Nico's was. The kitchen was sectioned off into its own room, though there wasn't any door between it and the living room area. There was also enough room for a small dining table. Not only that, but they had a small balcony. Back home, only Percy's suite had a balcony.

Favonius banged on the wall in the hallway. “Eros, come and get your ass out here, there's company for you.”

Nico's eyebrows shot up when something hit the floor, which was followed by, what Nico could only assume was, loud French cursing. “Je suis occupé!”

A second later, the door swung open. Eros emerged from his bedroom, his hair heavily disheveled and an annoyed look on his face. The boy lowered a loose shirt over his torso. Aside from that, the only thing that covered him was a very small pair of black briefs. From behind him came Cecil, who was a little less dressed than Eros was, only clad in some old boxers.

Eros did not seem to be that bothered by the fact that Luke and Nico were both staring between him and Cecil. The French boy's annoyed expression slowly faded away. “Ah, Nico!” His sly grin spread across his lip. “What can I do for you, mon chéri?”

Nico felt his face heat up. It was just a language, there was no reason to get flustered. And it wasn't like Nico even felt anything for the French boy, but that accent was very pleasing to listen to. “Um, I need to get something to wear for dinner tonight.”

Visible excitement appeared in those green eyes. “And he asked me to dress you?” The brunet bit down on his lip seductively. “Ça va être amusant.”

Luke just blinked at Cecil. “Were we interrupting something?”

“Nope,” Cecil quickly replied. He grinned mischievously back at the blond.

Eros ran a hand through his wavy hair. “You are welcome to join us.” Green eyes raked across Luke's body. “It would be my pleasure.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “Can we just get going?”

“Dommage.” The French brunet let out a sigh. “I will have need of a shower and to change my clothes.” He wrinkled his nose as he turned to go back to his room.

Favonius shrugged and opened the door to the suite. “Well, I suppose I must take my leave as well.” He nodded his head. “Enjoy your day.”

Luke let out a grunt. Once the door was closed, he turned his attention back to Cecil, who stood there awkwardly in his underwear. “I take it you had a good night.”

Cecil shrugged. “Pretty good. How about yourself?” The brunet chuckled and put his hands on his hips. “We were talking last night, and I ended up falling asleep here.”

“Uh-huh.” Luke arched an eyebrow. “I thought you only really went for blonds?”

A grin spread across Cecil's face. “Aw, don't be so jealous, Luke. Your last visit was quite enjoyable.” With a wink, the Lost Boy brushed past Luke and Nico. “However, you will have to excuse me, I need to get dressed. Lou and I have the day off, so we might join you.”

Luke gave a nod as the brunet slipped out the door. With a sigh, he sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. Nico slowly made his way over, sitting down a couple of inches from the blond. A moment later, the door opened down the hall before another door closed, which most likely meant Eros was now in the bathroom. This was confirmed when the water turned on not long afterwards.

For a moment, the room was quiet. Nico just looked around, until he decided to address the blond beside him. “So, did you and Cecil have a thing?”

Luke rolled his head to the side and gave Nico an irritated look. “No, we didn't. Cecil and I have hooked up before, but that's about it.” He shrugged. “I was just surprised, because he usually just prefers blonds, aside from customers, of course. He reminds me too much of myself when I was younger for me to ever have an interest in. Besides, I don't date, remember?”

“And Lost Kids get time off here?”

“We do back home, don't we?” The blond countered.

Nico shrugged. “Just for a few hours, and usually just on weekends.”

Luke let out a sigh and placed his hands behind his head. “It's a bit different here, since they have a lot more Lost Kids. They are given a full day off every week, around three or four at a time.” Blue eyes wandered up to the ceiling. “I suppose that's something I wish we could do, but I prefer having closer bonds with the Lost Kids at our hotel. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to go out later tonight.”

“Could we go?” Nico asked.

“You'd have to take that up with Percy, kid.”

It took about ten minutes, but Eros finally emerged from the bathroom. However, he surprised them by coming into the living room in only a pair of dark blue briefs that hugged his front rather well. Both Lost Boys on the couch just kind of stared at the brunet, not really saying anything. Eros glanced down at himself, water dripping off his body.

“They look good?” Eros asked after a moment. He turned slightly, revealing the lack of a back on his underwear.

Nico had seen the brunet's ass last night, but it had been rather dark. Now it was in clear view, and it definitely had the ability to catch someone's attention. Nico felt his jaw drop a little. Luke blinked several times, now sitting at attention on the couch.

“Holy shit,” Luke hissed, which Nico barely managed to catch.

Eros grinned wickedly. “I imagine that they are good.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Arrogant little ass.”

The brunet blinked in confusion. He glanced around at his butt. “You don't like my ass?”

Quickly shaking his head, Luke stood up. “Why are we talking about your ass?”

Grinning, Eros placed a hand on his hip. “You are most welcomed to stare at my ass, beau gosse.”

A deep growl came from Luke's throat. “What does that even mean?”

Instead of answering, Eros clapped his hands with a smile. “Shall we go?”

Nico pointed down at the brunet's lower half. “I think you need to finish getting ready.”

Eros's eyes flickered down. His head tilted to the side and he smiled innocently. “Silly me, I suppose you are right.” He held up a finger as he headed for his room. “Une seconde.”

As the two were quick to learn, it took Eros a while to get dressed. According to the French boy, the clothes that he originally picked out were no longer to his liking, so he had to pick out something else. When he finally emerged twenty minutes later, the brunet was clad in a gray turtleneck and a pair of black skinny jeans.

\----------------------

They ended up meeting up with Cecil and Lou in the parking area. Lou offered to drive them into Berlin, which had them piled into a rather small car. Nico remained quiet through most of the ride, too busy staring out his window. No matter how long he lived here in the future, he wasn't sure that he would ever get used to how beautiful the countryside was in Germany. He would definitely be taking Percy up on that offer to tour Europe.

He asked if they could tour the city a bit while they were out, but Luke pointed out that they didn't have time. “Percy will probably take you on a tour later,” the blond grumbled when Nico pouted. Though, his attention was soon diverted when he had to swat Eros's hand off of his leg. The brunet just grinned sheepishly and winked. “I'm starting to have a distaste for the French,” Luke muttered as he crossed his arms.

They ended up parking outside of a stone building with a lot of windows. There was one word above the doors, and luckily Nico could read it.

Boss.

Instead of looking around downstairs, though, the group was ushered upstairs. Nico felt a little uncomfortable as he was pushed into an area that almost resembled a lounge. Luke quickly sat down in a black leather chair and popped open a bottle of wine that had been placed in a bucket of ice. There was a changing area in the room, which was sectioned off with a curtain. There were mirrors practically everywhere, and soft music played in the background. It was easy to say that Nico felt out of place.

A rack of suits was rolled into the room. A young woman that probably worked there talked quietly with Eros, who slowly poked through the selection that had been brought up. Whatever they said, Eros pointed over to where Nico stood. The girl nodded and took her leave, leaving the five of them alone in the dressing area.

Eros snapped his fingers, his back to Nico while he looked through the suits. “Nico, come.” The brunet made a foul face at some of the selections. “We should choose the dark colors. Black and gray go good on you.” He turned to Nico, blinking. “Do you agree?”

“Um, yeah,” Nico managed to get out, several suits now being shoved into his arms. He glanced over his shoulder at Luke as Eros shoved him behind the curtain. Luke just raised a glass of wine at him and took a drink.

When Nico emerged in the first suit, Eros wrinkled his nose. “Non, pas comme ça! Les Américains ne savent-il pas comment porter des costumes?” He quickly moved forward and tried to adjust the jacket on Nico. There was a lot of murmuring while he fidgeted about Nico, though the pale Lost Boy was unable to catch any of it. Finally, Eros let out a sigh. “You need more confidence, Nico.” He grabbed Nico by the chin and directed his face towards the others. “He is adorable, no?”

Cecil and Lou nodded with smiles. “He's something,” Luke grumbled.

Eros narrowed his eyes at the blond. With a huff, he held out a hand in Luke's direction, covering the blond from Nico's view. “Do not make attention to him, mon chéri. You are an image of beauty, and you should flaunt that for everyone to see it.” The brunet bit down on his lip and placed his hands on his hips. “You need to attract the attention. For example, you see how your blond oaf is currently staring at my ass?”

With a grin, Eros turned to look over his shoulder. Blinking, Nico leaned around the brunet to get a look at Luke. The blond quickly looked up, his brows furrowing. “I was not,” he grumbled, slumping down in his chair.

Nico let out a sigh as he looked down at himself. “I guess I'm just not that self-confident. I think I barely manage putting on the act for the customers.”

A sigh escaped Eros and he directed Nico back behind the curtain. Nico's shoulders slumped as he looked at some of the others that Eros had selected for him. This just wasn't him. Did Percy expect him to dress like this on a regular basis? Chewing on his lip, Nico peered at a price tag, his eyes instantly bulging.

“Holy shit,” the boy hissed. If he converted the price right, the suit costed over six hundred dollars. That was like a good portion of his paycheck!

When he emerged, the boy let out a sigh as he spun around for the others to see, his arms stretched out at his sides. Eros slowly shook his head from where he sat perched on the arm of Lou's chair.

The green-eyed French boy hopped up, pacing Nico slowly. Lou smiled softly. “Don't be so hard on him, Eros.”

Eros just gave her a dry look. He placed his hands on Nico's shoulders with a frown. “Why don't you act like a real model for us?”

“I'm not, though,” Nico complained. “I couldn't be.”

Eros wagged a finger. “Do not think such things. Many of the Lost Kids here in Europe do modeling on the side. I am sure that you could also, if you really wanted to.”

“I don't.” Nico looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't think he looked that bad, the suit just felt awkward on him.

While still staring at Nico, Eros snapped his fingers. “Some music, if you please, Cecil.” He held up a hand before Nico could complain. “You must do a fashion show for us, Nico. I will not accept a refusal from your part.”

Cecil ended up settling on Madonna's “Vogue”, which made Nico roll his eyes. He did a little spin before walking forwards with a slight mock to the way he moved. It managed to make Cecil and Lou laugh, and even drew a snicker from Luke. Eros, however, was not quite as amused.

The brunet jumped up again with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he moved to stop Nico. “I tell you what, I will do it with you.” He motioned for Nico to go back into the changing room.

When Nico emerged again, he found Eros missing. He looked around for a minute, until the changing room beside him swung open and the brunet emerged in his own tux. Biting down on his lip, the brunet placed a hand on the doorway of the changing room. Lou let out a whistle, while Eros grinned and seductively adjusted the cuff of his shirt.

To the music, the brunet moved across the floor, sliding along the tiles with a huge smile on his face. Every now and then, the Lost Boy stopped and posed for the group. But when he noticed that Nico was just standing there, the brunet sighed.

He motioned for Nico to join him. Nico quickly shook his head. “Come, Nico, you can't be so shy, not with our profession. This should not make you uncomfortable.” Eros placed a hand on his hip. “Work your sex appeal.”

When Nico didn't move, Eros ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. Pursing his lips, the French Lost Boy moved behind Nico and swayed the boy's hips. “Wh-what are you doing?” Nico gasped.

“You need to decontract!”

Nico's brow furrowed as he turned to look at the brunet. “I need to what?”

Cecil fell back in his chair, laughing. “He's saying that you need to loosen up,” he explained. Eros gave a nod of confirmation.

“He's right, Nico,” Lou chuckled. “If not tonight, you will eventually wind up in front of the media's cameras. You have to look confident.” She laced her fingers in front of her face as she leaned forward. “Don't be so tense.”

Over the course of five minutes, Eros worked on correcting Nico's posture. He forced the boy to stand up straight and worked on teaching him how to stand. Honestly, Nico didn't see how standing would be important. But, eventually, Eros let him change again, though this time was a bit different.

Eros came back with him, sitting Nico down in a chair, while he sorted through the remainder of the suits. He finally handed an all black one to Nico. However, Eros was unwilling to let Nico dress himself this time. He stood behind Nico and moved around the boy as he worked on getting Nico into the tux. The only thing Nico was able to put on himself were the shoes that went with it. When he was finally content, Eros pushed back the curtain and guided Nico out for the others to see.

The jacket fit him rather nicely, though the black tie felt a little uncomfortable around his neck. The black dress shirt was actually comfortable, much to his surprise. And the dress pants clung to him in all the right places. Well, for the most part. It was like they knew his size perfectly. Really, it wouldn't surprise Nico by this point if he were to find out that Percy had called them with Nico's measurements.

However, Nico wasn't given the luxury of getting comfortable. A woman came in a moment later and took over for Eros. She guided Nico in front of a mirror, while the others watched. She had a small cart with her, which contained a grooming kit.

While the woman worked on fixing Nico's hair, a few other girls came in and worked on his nails while he was still standing. The boy gulped and looked at the others for help. This was not what he had signed up for.

Luke, however, was too busy glaring at Eros, who had perched himself across the blond's lap and had stolen the wine Luke had been drinking. “There are plenty of other places for you to sit,” Luke huffed, pushing the brunet off of him.

Eros bit down on his lip as he bent forward, placing his palm on the seat cushion directly between Luke's legs. The blond leaned back with a gulp, his eyes a little wide as he stared into Eros's bright green eyes. “Don't pretend that you didn't like to have my ass on your crotch.” His eyes flickered down to Luke's lips as he leaned in further, until there was only a few inches between him. “It sure felt like you enjoyed it,” he whispered before pulling away with a smirk.

Cecil leaned back in his chair with a smirk. “Why don't you two just shag?”

“Shut up,” Luke grumbled.

Nico smirked. “People used to say the same thing to me and him.”

Luke narrowed his eyes at the back of Nico's head, but the Lost Boy caught it in the mirror. The pale boy winced as the woman working on grooming his appearance took a brush to his hair, trying to get rid of the knots in his dark locks. Whoever said that beauty was pain was so right.

By the time they left the store, Nico was starving. Fortunately, the others felt the same way, so the three European Lost Kids set out on finding a place for Luke and Nico to try. Nico had a hard time looking away from his reflection in the mirror. His hair had been gelled to the side, and he had been forbidden to remove his shirt without help to prevent it from being messed up. His face still tingled from where the women at the store had washed it for him.

They ended up sitting outside of a restaurant that Nico had an impossible time pronouncing. Lou described the food for him and even conveyed his order to their waitress when the time came to order. Nico ended up with something called sauerbraten, which Lou said was a sour pot roast. Though, the sauerkraut and dumplings did give him pause for a while.

As luck would have it, the three were planning on going out tonight. “Yeah,” Cecil nodded, “I think we were going to go out to a club.” He glanced at Eros and Lou for confirmation. Both of them nodded. “Yeah, you two should come with us.”

“Um.” Nico glanced down at his plate. “Aren't I a little young?”

Lou grinned. “Not here. Technically, though, you would need to be out of the club by midnight, but most clubs don't really care.” She shrugged. “You can even drink, so long as one of us buys it for you.”

He did want to experience things here, so he supposed he might talk to Percy about the possibility of it later. Nico just hoped that he wouldn't get separated from the group and lost. That would not go well, especially if Bianca found out Percy let Nico get lost in Berlin.

When it came time for dessert, all of them except Eros split a small German chocolate cake. Nico frowned at the brunet as he ate a piece. Eros just sat there, his chin propped up with his palm. The way he stared at the cake was like the dessert had publicly offended him. Nico tried to offer him some, but Eros quickly shot him down.

“Infect,” Eros mumbled in French. The brunet wrinkled his nose and shoved the plate away from him. “It is not surprising you Americans have a obesity problem, you eat this stuff.”

Cecil blinked at the green-eyed Lost Boy with a fork in his mouth. “I thought the French loved chocolate?” He mumbled.

Eros eyed the cake with distaste before standing to his feet and turning around to place a hand on his ass. The boy gave his buttocks a squeeze, huffing. “This ass is too good to ruin on such a foul thing.”

Nico chuckled a little at that comment, though Cecil and Lou didn't seem to find it as funny. Lou's brow furrowed as she stared across the table at Eros, who refused to meet her gaze as he went back to blankly staring off into space. Nico glanced over at Luke for some help, but the blond was too busy stuffing his face with cake. Eros's green eyes flickered over to the blond, his nose wrinkling and his tongue sticking out in disgust.

“Tu manges comme une vache affamée,” the green-eyed boy muttered as his eyes flickered back to the streets.

\------------------------

That evening, Percy offered to help Nico change into his suit. Percy had been a little busy when they came back and had been in the process of talking to someone that was probably very important. Not that it really stopped Eros from interrupting when Percy failed to comment on Nico's appearance. Nico's entire face lit up as he was forced to stand there in embarrassment as Percy and the person at the table with Percy stared at him. Percy's lips had tilted up in a warm smile. “You look beautiful.”

Now they stood in Percy's bedroom, in front of a mirror, with Percy helping Nico into his dress shirt. They managed to avoid messing up Nico's hair when they pulled off the boy's T-shirt, thankfully. With a smile, Percy leaned in and pressed his lips to the crook of Nico's neck, drawing out a sigh from the Lost Boy. Percy's arms tightened around Nico's waist.

This forced Nico to bite down on his lip. They didn't have time for this, much to his disappointment. “We have to go.”

Percy chuckled. “We're fine,” he replied.

Percy was already dressed, and did he ever look like the embodiment of sex. If they weren't about to go out for dinner, Nico would have ripped the suit right off of Percy and dragged the young man to the bed. There was just something about the way that Percy's dress pants hugged him that made Nico want to constantly stare at the green-eyed young man's butt. The dark blue shirt conformed to fit Percy's chest to absolute perfection. Though, unlike Nico, his hair wasn't gelled, just swept to the side. But Nico really wanted to grab the guy's tie and just yank him down for a kiss.

So, when Percy finally got Nico's shirt on, this was exactly what the Lost Boy did. Percy's eyes widened momentarily, but his hands soon found their way to Nico's waist and he kissed Nico back. When he pulled back, the young man hummed lightly. “It seems like someone is in the mood,” Percy chuckled.

“Maybe.” Nico bit down on his lip, still holding on to the young man's tie. “Um, I was wondering if you were busy tonight?”

Percy blinked, tilting his head to the side. “I'll be with Gaea and Kronos, watching the performances.”

“Oh.” Nico released the tie and turned to stare at himself in the mirror. “Eros, Cecil, and Lou invited me to a club tonight.”

“Oh?” Percy fixed his tie before walking over to a desk, where his jacket was perched on the chair. “As long as you are careful and don't wander off.” Swinging the jacket around him, Percy easily slid his left arm into the sleeve and let it settle across his torso as he worked on getting his right arm in the sleeve. “And remember not to drink anything that anyone else offers you.” His eyes narrowed. “Or that Cecil offers you.”

Nico smiled a little. “Thank you.” He leaned up and pecked Percy on the lips. “But you can't come?”

Percy let out a sigh. “Sorry, I can't. But you should go and have fun.” He handed Nico his jacket. “Just don't tell your sister I let you wander into a Berlin club without my supervision, or just in general.” He grinned down at the boy. “You know, she's probably going to find out that you're about to start dating your boss.”

Nico glared up at the green-eyed young man as he worked on getting his jacket on. “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Thankfully, there was no media when they walked out of the hotel and got into the limousine. Gaea and Kronos sat in the very back seat, while Athena took the seat on the right side of the limo for herself. Percy helped Nico to get inside and guided them over to the left seat.

The others all seemed so causal about being dressed up and going to some super expensive restaurant in the back of a limousine, but not Nico. The boy fidgeted with his hands for most of the ride, while staring out the window in wonder. Berlin had been beautiful in the day, but it seemed even more so at night. Unfortunately, though, Percy was kept preoccupied by one of the other people in the car, so his attention was rarely able to be on Nico.

Not that Nico wasn't used to this sort of thing, it was fairly normal for how they usually were back home.

Nico was forced to take deep breaths as time went on. He really didn't think that something like this would ever happen to him. Never in his life had Nico imagined that he would end up in front of cameras, but somehow that was exactly what was about to happen. Maybe they wouldn't pay attention to him, though. It was Percy and Gaea that they cared about, right? Nico was just a nobody in their shadows.

Finally, the limo began to slow down in front of a bright restaurant at the corner of a street. Nico inhaled deeply as he stared out the window at the line of reporters and photographers that had gathered around the restaurant's entrance. A little concerning was the fact that there was no rope to keep the media separated from Gaea and the group. When the limo came to a stop at the curb, the herd only gathered closer.

Gaea fixed her hair with a sigh, a look of detestation on her face. But as soon as the door opened, she smiled brightly and climbed out, giving small waves to the crowd of media. Athena followed right behind her, her face neutral and her eyes watchful of their surroundings.

Kronos shot a smirk over at Percy before he followed after his mother. The young man adjusted his jacket once he was standing, smiling like some movie star and gladly accepting pictures being taken of himself.

Percy gave Nico's hand a squeeze before he motioned for them to get out. Nico gulped and filed out of the limousine, sticking close to Percy's back. Percy rolled his shoulders and fixed his jacket like some model at a photo shoot, throwing on a million dollar smile for the crowd. The questions were immediately thrown at him, though Nico was unable to understand any of it. Even if the questions had been English, Nico had the feeling that he wouldn't be able to keep up with all the questions that were being hurled at the green-eyed young man.

Percy did his best to answer as many questions as he could, while moving slowly towards the restaurant. Nico had to cover his eyes most of the time, due to all the cameras flashing in his and Percy's direction. It was partially why Nico tried to hide behind Percy the best he could, not that the young man seemed to notice. The good news was that the media was at least nice enough not to crowd them, keeping several feet in between themselves and Percy.

As they were nearly there, Percy pulled Nico close for a picture with him, Gaea, Kronos, and Athena. All of them managed to look so glamorous for the cameras, but Nico was barely to keep himself from shaking. His eyes were probably wide, showing how scared he really was.

Gaea finally moved to enter the restaurant, and Kronos and Athena quickly followed after her. Percy smiled down at Nico, and, with the cameras still flashing at them, took the Lost Boy's hand in his and headed for the restaurant. Nico raised a hand to cover his face as more cameras started to flash.

Nico's nerves only calmed down when they were seated at their table. The restaurant was dimly lit, much to Nico's relief after so many bright lights had been flashed in his face. Percy ordered for him, which Nico really didn't mind at all. He let the others talk, keeping quiet as much as possible.

Was this what his life was going to be like from now on? Something about that scared him. He knew that the media back home in the United States was much worse than it was here. Were they going to show up at his school? Why did Percy have to hold his hand out there? Nico slumped down in his chair.

“Stop worrying so much,” Percy whispered, leaning in close to the Lost Boy. His warm hand squeezed Nico's leg under the table. “Don't worry about the media, you shouldn't care what they think.”

That was easy for Percy to say, Nico thought to himself.

“So, what were they asking out there?” Nico asked when the other members of the table were distracted in their own conversation.

Their food had arrived a few minutes earlier, so Percy had been a little distracted with his meal. The young man glanced over at him, a little sauce dripping from his mouth. Nico smiled, remembering why Percy wasn't completely like the life he lived in.

“Oh.” Percy swallowed his food. “They were just wanting to know how I was handling the news of my promotion. Um, things like that. A lot of it was them just asking if they could ask me questions.”

“Really?” Nico arched a brow.

“Yeah,” Percy chuckled, scooting a little closer to Nico. “Um, the media isn't nearly as intrusive over here, like it is back in America.” He eyed Nico carefully. “If it gets too bad when we get back, tell me and I'll handle it.”

“What, are you going to shoot them all in the knees?”

“No.” Percy rolled his eyes. “But I might have Jason or one of the others keep a close eye on you before and after school.” A grin spread across his lips. “Though, their jobs could come into question if they fail to leave you alone.”

“How sweet,” Nico said dryly with a roll of his eyes.

Much to Nico's relief, the media was gone by the time they left the restaurant. When they got back in the limousine, Nico leaned against Percy's shoulder as the young man spoke to Gaea about some business partners that he would have to contact about his promotion.

Part of Nico just wanted to go back to Gaea's mansion with Percy and help the young man get out of his clothes. When they arrived back at the hotel, Percy got out of the limo and began to loosen his tie, which was a little arousing to watch. However, what they found in the lobby proved to be a little more entertaining.

“What are you even saying?” Came Luke's angry shouting as soon as they walked in the doors.

Nico's eyes widened as he came to a stop at the entrance of the lobby. The two were already dressed to go out tonight. Luke hadn't put much effort into what he wore, but Eros had. If it was possible, his jeans were even tighter than the ones he had on earlier, and these were slightly ripped in places in the front. His shirt was of the same ripped condition, exposing hints of the brunet's torso. Luke was standing there with his arms crossed and his nostrils flared. In front of him was Eros, who grinned innocently back at the blond. The two had managed to cause several guests to stop and stare.

“You know I don't speak French, so why do you persist on following me around and muttering in the language?” The blond growled.

“On baise?” Eros giggled, sticking out his tongue a little, like some amused child. He crossed his arms like Luke and imitated the blond's irritated demeanor. The brunet was a very brave soul indeed to antagonize Luke, even though it was clear that the blond was on the verge of wringing his neck. “On baise?”

Right before Luke could get his hands on the brunet, Percy intervened by stepping in between the two. He glanced over to Gaea, giving the woman a nod. She blinked once before leading Kronos and Athena over to the elevator.

Percy let out a sigh. “What is going on?”

Luke growled and pointed his finger in Eros's direction. “Tell me what this fucker said. If he's got a problem with me, I want to know.”

Eros blinked innocently up at the blond, making a show of batting his eyelashes. Percy just rolled his eyes at the brunet. “Qu'est-ce que t'a dit, Eros?” The young man asked.

The green-eyed brunet tilted his head to the side and raised his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “J'ai juste demandé s'il voulait coucher avec moi. Je trouve ça juste tellement marrant qu'il ne me comprenne pas, cet idiot d'Américain.” He winked over at Luke, who narrowed his eyes at him. “Il est potable.” With a grin, he looked the blond up and down. “Je le baiserais bien.”

Percy began to laugh, which caused Luke to drop his irritated demeanor. Nico's eyebrows shot in the air as he stared up at the young man. What had Eros said? For a moment, Percy just chuckled and shook his head. Letting out a breath, his lips tilted up and he patted Luke on the back.

“Have fun at the club,” he laughed before walking towards the elevator, leaving a baffled Luke behind him.

Nico quickly recovered and walked after the young man. “What was that about?”

Percy glanced down at the Lost Boy. “You should change if you're going to a club.”

Before Percy could reach the elevator, Nico tugged on his shirt. “Come back to your room and keep me company while I change.” Really, Nico just wanted some privacy with Percy for a little while. They didn't have time for sex, but Nico could still get his message across that they would not be sleeping when he returned. “So, what did Eros say?” He asked when Percy smiled and motioned for them to walk.

At the back of the hotel, Percy held the door open for Nico and collected a golf cart for them. “It's nothing bad,” the green-eyed young man chuckled. Percy hummed as he started to drive them to Gaea's mansion. “I suppose I should make sure Luke's room is stocked with some condoms, unless they use Eros's room.”

Nico's eyes widened drastically. “Wait, Eros wants to have sex with Luke?”

Percy nodded with a smile. “Beau gosse, the thing he keeps repeating to Luke, is French slang for calling a boy hot. But now he's just tormenting Luke, since Luke doesn't speak French.” The young man shrugged. “Back there, he was asking Luke if he wanted to have sex. Probably after the club, if I had to guess based on Eros's behavior when I was here a few months ago.”

“Oh.” Nico's brow furrowed. “So, did you and him...”

It took Percy a moment, but he eventually turned his head towards Nico, which caused the golf cart to jerk. “What? Oh! No, we didn't have sex.” The young man's lips tilted up. “Uh, no, I just got along really well with Eros. At most, I see him as the younger brother that I never had.” He chuckled at Nico's pouty expression. “Were you jealous of him?”

“No, don't be ridiculous.”

Percy slowed down as they neared the mansion. “I told you,” he said softly, parking the car and turning to face Nico, “sex with others is usually just business. And if I don't have to, I won't do it.” His thumb brushed against Nico's cheek. “You're the exception to that rule, as I've purposefully sought you out to have sex.”

Leaning in towards Percy, Nico closed his eyes and pressed their lips together. With a little help from Percy, Nico climbed into the young man's lap and cupped his face. They should probably go inside, but Nico didn't want to wait. Percy, however, still had his senses.

“Not that I really object to messing around out here, but we should probably get inside so you can get ready,” Percy chuckled. “I imagine the others will want to leave soon.”

Nico took hold of Percy's tie and crashed their lips together again, rolling his hips into Percy's lap, which pulled a moan from the young man's lips. Percy's hands came to rest on Nico's hips as the young man guided Nico's hips into a rhythm. “Or we could just stay in your room for the rest of the night,” the Lost Boy whispered.

With a groan, Percy held Nico back by the shoulders. “Believe me, I really want to, but I don't get that luxury until I take over.” He gave Nico a brief kiss on the lips. “When that time comes, we can stay in our bed and have sex as much as you want.”

Nico's cheeks flushed. Our bed, Percy had called it their bed. “What about when I get back?”

Grinning, Percy lifted Nico out of his lap and got out of the golf cart. “If you're still in the mood when you get back, and not exhausted, then I'm perfectly willing to oblige your request.” He winked as he opened the door to the mansion. “But if that happens, don't expect to get much sleep.”

“Worth it,” Nico muttered as he followed Percy into the house.

\------------------------

Nico had never been to a club, but it was not so different than what he was used to, working the top floors of the Lotus. Just more crowded and even louder music, and a lot of flashing lights. But there was alcohol and dancing, so it felt right at home. Not that it made the Lost Boy comfortable in the slightest, though.

Lou was going to be the designated driver, so it did not take Cecil and Eros long to find some alcohol upon their arrival. Somehow, Eros had coerced some guy that looked a few years older than Percy into buying him something to drink after only being in the club for five minutes. Nico would have to ask the guy for some pointers later. Not for getting alcohol, but just some tips to make things more interesting with Percy.

Nico tried to stay close to Luke, who had taken up a spot at the bar. Unlike normal, Luke didn't complain at all about having Nico stick to his side. Which Nico appreciated, since they were in a different country and Nico really didn't want to get kidnapped.

Cecil, Lou, and Eros had gone onto the dance floor, though Nico could clearly see them from where he and Luke stood. They tried to motion him over, but Nico just shook his head. Performing was one thing, but Nico had never danced like this before. He watched with interest as the other three danced on each other. With his back to Lou, Eros rolled his body against her and let his hands wander back to feel her head. Cecil was much the same, though the brunet danced behind the Lost Girl. The way they moved seemed free, almost uncaring of what others thought of them. But it did look provocative, which Nico supposed was the entire point.

Eros, however, did not seem content with letting either of them just stand at the bar. The brunet appeared at their side, his bangs slightly sticking to his head from sweat. With one swift move, he grabbed the beer in Luke's hand and took a long drink from it. Luke narrowed his eyes and went to snatch it back, but Eros disappeared back onto the dance floor. With a growl, Luke went after him. Nico, with no other option, chased after the two of them.

Nico moved in between people until he found Lou and the others. Luke had managed to get a hold of Eros, though the brunet seemed like that was his exact intention as he giggled and held the bottle away from Luke. Eros ground his front against the blond, which caused Luke to freeze while reaching for the bottle. Grinning and knowing that he had won, Eros brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig. He willingly offered it back to Luke when he was done, though the blond made no move to leave the dance floor.

Lou grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him in to dance with her and Cecil, though the pale boy's dark eyes kept wandering back over to Luke and Eros. The French boy now had his back to Luke and an arm wound up around the blond's neck. A little to Nico's surprise, Luke had a hand in the hem of Eros's pants. Catching Nico's eye, Eros winked over at the raven haired boy. Using his arm that was around Luke's neck, the brunet pulled Luke down and stuck his tongue into the blond's mouth.

“That was fast,” Lou chuckled and held out a hand to Cecil.

Grumbling, the brunet pulled out some money and slipped it into Lou's palm.

As the night went on, they managed to lose Eros for about half an hour. Cecil didn't seem that worry. “He'll pop up eventually,” he had chuckled. The rest of them sat at a table, resting so they could do more dancing.

Luke and Cecil had let Nico try some of their drinks, but Nico hadn't really liked either of them. They offered to buy him his own drink, but Nico had declined the offer. He knew that he was safe with them, but Nico didn't want to get drunk in a club in a foreign country.

Nico was, however, the first to spot Eros. The brunet had perched himself in some guy's lap and was cheerfully accepting the drink offered to him. None of the other guys at the table even seemed to care that there was another guy sitting in their friend's lap and flirting with him.

Nico's brow furrowed. “This isn't a gay club, is it?”

Lou blinked and followed Nico's gaze over to Eros. “Oh, no, it isn't. But, I mean, gays and lesbians do come here.” She waved a hand over at the French Lost Boy. “You'll find that European boys aren't as homophobic, and a good portion of them will even kiss other guys. It would probably be much easier to talk a straight guy out of his pants in Europe, rather than one from back home.”

Nico glanced back over to Eros, who was sucking a lime from the guy's mouth. The brunet grinned wickedly as the guy groped his crotch. Interesting, Nico thought to himself.

Twenty minutes later, Eros was with a different guy. This one had not seemed as willing to accept the brunet's advances, but then Eros had leaned in and whispered something to him. Nico had watched as the guy's eyebrows rose up and then eventually hand Eros a drink. And the guy just stuck his hand down the back of Eros's pant as the brunet happily sipped at the newly acquired drink. Nico shook his head in disbelief. How the hell did Eros even manage this? Nico was still amazed he could seduce Percy, and here Eros was getting straight guys to buy him drinks and hit on him.

After a few more hours of dancing and drinking, Lou decided it was time for them to head back. The problem was they hadn't seen Eros in a good hour. They scoured the dance floor and double checked the bar, but the brunet wasn't there. Lou sighed and pulled out her phone, dialing the brunet. He didn't pick up.

Nico glanced over at Luke, who was sternly staring at a doorway in the back. “Where does that go?” He asked.

Lou pocketed her phone. “Oh. Um, people go back there to hook up.”

With a nod, Luke started directly towards the door. Nico decided to follow after the blond, while Cecil and Lou continued to search the dance floor for their friend. Luke pushed his way past a few couples in the hallway, and completely walked between what looked like a threesome about to happen. Their search, however, was not in vain, as they managed to find their target at the very end of the hall.

Eros was up against a wall, a guy that Nico had not seen him with sucking on his neck. The brunet's pupils were heavily dilated and an empty beer bottle rested lazily in his hand. The guy worked on unbuttoning Eros's jeans as the brunet tilted the stranger's head to the side and sucked on his lips.

Luke grumbled to himself, rubbing his forehead. “Eros!” He yelled over the loud music. Neither of them acknowledged the blond's presence. “You fucking French twat, get your ass moving, we're ready to leave!”

The guy pulled away from Eros. The brunet blinked at Luke, though he seemed rather dazed. His wavy brown hair was tousled and wet from sweat. “But...sex...” His eyes were dark with a mixture of lust and alcohol as he pulled the tall guy back in for another kiss. “And he is...how to say...hot.”

Luke moved forward and grabbed Eros's head, tilting the brunet's chin up. “How much have you had to drink?”

Eros smacked his hand away, glaring up at the blond. “Leave me alone.”

“You heard him,” the guy latched onto Eros said, his accent a thick German one.

Luke's eyes momentarily flickered to the stranger before returning to Eros. “You're drunk.”

“I can help him out.”

Luke's eyes blazed at the other guy. “Yeah, I can see that. He's drunk, and you're taking advantage of him. Where I come from, that's rape.” With ease, Luke ripped Eros away from the other guy. The brunet stumbled until Nico helped steady him. They other guy moved to get Eros back, but Luke shoved him away, shoving a finger in the guy's face. “Don't fucking touch him,” the blond growled.

“Whatever,” the guy mumbled. Bumping Luke's shoulder, he left and headed back to the dance floor.

Nico put an arm around Eros, while the brunet loosely hugged him, his body slumping. Luke's eyes studied the brunet for a moment before helping Nico walk him back to the others. Right before they left the hallway, though, Eros's legs crumpled. Before Eros could fall to the floor, Luke had bent down and scooped the brunet up bridal style.

Lou's eyes widened a little when she spotted them. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah,” Luke muttered. “Can we go?”

When they got back to the car, Eros clung to Luke's neck as the blond tried to put him in Lou's car. “Do you want me?”

Nico froze at the tone of the brunet's voice, almost like a frightened child. It was...startling. In the short time that he had known Eros, Nico had never heard him talk with such a lack of confidence. And the way he stared up at Luke, like he might break if Luke didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear.

Luke's brow furrowed. “No, you're drunk. Get in the car and shut up.”

With a little help from Nico and Cecil, Luke was able to get Eros in the car and buckle him in. During the drive, though, Eros's head fell on Luke's shoulder. The blond glared down at the French boy, but let the boy's head remain on his shoulder. Nico leaned forward to look at Eros, but the guy's eyes were closed. Had he fallen asleep?

Once they were back at the hotel, the four of them helped get Eros into the hotel. Cecil smiled and waved at the woman behind the desk, who had stopped typing at the computer to gawk at them. They let Lou and Cecil carry Eros the rest of the way once they were at the elevators.

“He'll crash with me tonight,” Cecil said. “I'll make sure that he is taken care of.” His eyes flickered up to Luke. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Luke grumbled.

Cecil gave the blond a knowing look. As far as Nico knew, the European Lost Boy hadn't seen what went on, but it was like he knew what Luke had done. “Come by in the morning.”

“Why?”

Rolling his eyes, Cecil hit the button to their floor. “Just do it and stop sounding like a prick.”

Once they got back to Gaea's mansion, Nico opened the door with a key that Percy had given him before they left for the club. They quietly walked up the stairs and headed for the left wing, though Nico stopped Luke before the blond could disappear into his room.

“You never quite cease to impress me,” the younger Lost Boy said.

Luke narrowed his eyes. “We are not speaking about this again.”

Nico's lips tilted up. “It was the right thing to do, and very respectable.” He tilted his head to the side. “I won't go ruining your badass image, but I thought you should know that. You're a great guy, even if you don't want to admit it to yourself.”

Luke let out a breath through his nose as he quietly stared down at Nico. “Whatever, brat,” he mumbled before disappearing into his room and shutting the door. Nico stood there and smiled for a moment before continuing to his and Percy's room.

The room was dark when he opened the door. Checking the time, Nico figured Percy would be back shortly. Closing the door behind him, Nico yanked his shirt over his head. He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a quick shower to get the smell of the club off of him.

When he emerged from the bathroom completely naked, Nico was delighted to find Percy waiting for him on the edge of the bed. He smiled over at Nico, beckoning him to the bed. Nico closed the gap between them, sliding into Percy's lap. Percy's hands wasted no time in feeling Nico's naked and still wet ass.

With their lips only a few inches apart, Percy grinned. “I take it you're still in the mood?”

Nico bit down on his lip and nodded. Percy sealed their lips together, his finger brushing against Nico's entrance. In one swift move, Percy had Nico on his back. The young man trailed his fingers along pale, slightly wet skin. Nico's hand gripped Percy's tie, pulling it loose and letting it fall to the side. From there, he worked on unbuttoning Percy's shirt, while the young man entertained himself with Nico's body.

Once they were both completely naked, Percy crawled on top of Nico and slid their lower halves under the sheets. With a grin, he got up on his knees. Normally, Nico might complain about Percy pulling away when they were about to have sex, but not at the moment. Right now, he was just enjoying the great view of Percy's nude form, taking in every inch of the young man's torso and eventually letting his eyes wander down to Percy's manhood.

Percy reached over and turned off the light before leaning down and sucking on Nico's neck. Nico might have been exhausted when he got back, but this was completely worth losing sleep over. Percy lifted him off of the bed and pressed the boy's back against one of the posts of the canopy bed. Nico wrapped his legs around Percy's waist as the young man dug around in his drawers for a condom and lube.

Wrapping his arms around Percy's neck, Nico leaned in and kissed the young man, running his tongue along Percy's bottom lip. With a moan, Percy opened his mouth and let Nico explore his mouth.

Pulling back, Nico grinned as he eyed the contents of Percy's hand. “I do hope you have plenty of condoms.”

Percy chuckled. “Don't worry, I brought plenty.”

“Good, because I don't plan on going to sleep anytime soon,” Nico whispered into Percy's ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Je suis occupé!" [I'm busy!]  
> mon chéri (my dear/darling)  
> Ça va être amusant. [This will be fun]  
> Dommage. [Pity]  
> Une seconde. [One second].  
> Non, pas comme ça! Les Américains ne savent-il pas comment porter des costumes? [No! not like that! Do Americans not know how to wear suits?]  
> Infect.[Revolting]  
> Tu manges comme une vache affamée. [You eat like some overly starved cow]  
> On baise? (Wanna fuck?)  
> Qu'est-ce que t'a dit, Eros? [What did you say, Eros?]  
> J'ai juste demandé s'il voulait coucher avec moi. Je trouve ça juste tellement marrant qu'il ne me comprenne pas, cet idiot d'Américain. [I just asked if he wanted to have sex. I just find it amusing that he can't understand me, the silly American.]  
> Il est potable (He's fuckable. Literally: He's drinkable)  
> Je le baiserais bien(I'd fuck him) {Not necessarily meaning Eros wants to be the top}


	51. Beating the Master at Her Own Game

Perhaps Nico should not think with his hormones, as the Lost Boy was finding out the next morning. He definitely did not get much sleep last night, if the pain in his lower back was any indication. The brown-eyed boy laid splayed across Percy's bare chest, while the young man had his arms wound loosely around Nico's waist. Really, Nico didn't want to even up his eyes, let alone move. He felt exhausted.

Even so, that did not stop him from waking up slightly aroused from being pressed up against Percy's body.

Five minutes after waking up, Nico finally pushed himself up to try and climb off of Percy, though he did not get far. “Where do you think you're going?” Percy mumbled, grabbing Nico by the waist and spooning the younger boy. The young man rested his nose in Nico's hair. “It's still early.”

Nico's eyes drifted over to the clock. “We're five minutes late for breakfast.”

A hand covered Nico's eyes. “Irrelevant. Go back to sleep.”

With a pout, Nico pushed the young man's hand away from his face. He rolled his head to the side and pressed his butt against Percy's crotch. “Well, you know, it might be a bit easier to sleep if I didn't have something poking me the whole time.”

A grin spread across Percy's lips and the manager finally opened his eyes. “Just comes naturally when I wake up to someone beautiful.”

Nico rolled his eyes and batted Percy's hands away. “You must wake up hard a lot then.”

“Hey,” Percy said, reaching out again, “don't be like that.” He pulled Nico into his lap. Percy grew hard, which caused Nico to bite down on his bottom lip to suppress a moan. “Do you feel like round number four?”

With a chuckle, Nico shook his head with amusement. “I'm starting to wonder if your whole business thing just made sure your sex drive was kept in check.”

Percy's lips tilted up in grin as he laid Nico down on the bed. “Can I take that as a 'yes'?” He asked. With a sigh, Nico nodded his head and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. Leaning down, Percy devoured Nico's lips in a heated kiss, his hand already snaking its way down between them to wrap around the Lost Boy's hardened erection.

Nico let out a gasp as a finger pressed against his entrance. Reaching over Nico, Percy grabbed the bottle of lube they had been using last night and coated his index and middle finger. With another kiss to Nico's lips, Percy went ahead and inserted his finger into Nico. The boy bucked his hips as he reached down and worked on rolling a condom onto Percy's erection.

Since they had only had sex a few hours ago, Nico did not need as much preparation this time. Percy grabbed Nico by his ankles. Nico's eyes widened a little as Percy pressed his feet to the mattress above his head. In all honesty, the Lost Boy did not even think he was that flexible; Percy proved him wrong. With one hand still holding Nico's ankles together, Percy used the other one to guide his erection into Nico.

Unlike the first time they had sex last night, Percy didn't remain still after getting it in. Instead, he gave a long thrust that had Nico's toes curl and the boy's head toss back in a gasp. Grinning to himself, Percy leaned down and kissed along Nico's neck. And then, without warning, Percy bit Nico's shoulder.

Nico's nails dug into Percy's back as the Lost Boy let out a loud moan that probably could be heard down the hall. Percy finally released his ankles and grabbed the boy by his hips. In one swift motion, Percy had Nico on his stomach and was positioned between the boy's legs. Nico's fingers curled in the sheets.

Percy pressed a kiss between Nico's shoulder blades. “Get on your knees.”

Doing as he was told, Nico got up. He reached behind him to guide Percy's mouth to his for a kiss. Nico moaned into Percy's mouth as the young man reached around and stroked Nico a little. Kissing Nico's shoulder, Percy grabbed onto Nico's hips and slammed into the thin boy. Nico screwed his eyes shut as he leaned forward and grabbed one of the posts of the canopy bed for support.

Sweat slowly began to form on Nico's brow as Percy slowly thrust into him, the young man's fingers digging into his waist. Biting down on his lip, Nico rested his head against the post. This was the fourth time they had had sex in under twelve hours, yet Nico did not find himself complaining.

Percy's fingers grabbed onto Nico's hair, tangling in his dark locks. With a small yank, Percy pulled the Lost Boy back by the hair and leaned in to latch his mouth onto Nico's throat. Nico's eyes rolled into the back of his head as Percy's teeth pressed against his throat with a deep thrust.

Percy rolled his hips slowly into Nico in long, deep thrusts. It felt amazing, but so very agonizing. Since it was the fourth time, Nico's legs began to shake. Percy's hand pressed to the small of Nico's back, urging the boy to arch his back a little.

By the time that Nico was nearing his orgasm, he was certain they weren't going to be making it to breakfast. Which partly made him wonder if Gaea or Kronos would come looking for them. At least Percy's door was locked, which would prevent Kronos from barging in on them...again.

When it was over, Percy cupped Nico's face with both of his hands and gave the boy a long kiss before getting off the bed. Nico fell back, his arms spread out at his sides and a huge grin on his face. He could most certainly get used to living with Percy in an actual relationship.

Rolling his head to the side, Nico watched Percy's firm ass as the young man padded into the bathroom. Percy stopped at the doorway and turned back to look at him. “Care to join me?” The green-eyed young man asked with a smirk.

Nico shot up, but stumbled due to his legs basically being limp noodles. Percy chuckled and helped the boy up. With a kiss, he swatted Nico's ass and sent him into the bathroom. A few seconds later, he joined Nico in the bathroom with a new condom.

“Really?” Nico asked, arching an eyebrow. “Five times?”

Percy just placed the condom on a nook in the shower before turning on the water. “After you,” he said, motioning into the already steaming shower. Once Nico was inside, he stepped in and closed the glass door behind them. Percy took his bottle of shampoo in hand and lathered up his hair. “And it's up to you. I don't want to wear you out too bad.”

It took about all of two minutes for Nico to get Percy to pin him up against the shower wall with his legs around the young man's waist. Nico wrapped his arms tightly around Percy's neck as the young man fucked him up against the shower wall with hard, rough thrusts. Several moans escaped Nico's mouth, until Percy leaned in and covered it with his own. Hot water hit them from everywhere as Percy slid his tongue into Nico's mouth, his hands tightening from where they held the boy's legs under the knees.

When they were done and went to get out of the shower, Nico's legs nearly crumpled underneath him. Percy caught him with a chuckle, helping to guide the boy back into the bedroom. Nico pouted as the young man dropped a towel on his head.

“Well, perhaps five times was too much for you,” the green-eyed manager assessed.

“Says you,” Nico replied, rolling onto his stomach and crossing his arms under his chin. His eyes followed Percy's nude form as the young man dried off and walked over to his closet. “You're leaving?”

Percy turned to glance at the boy for a moment. “Well, yeah. I have business that has to be taken care of. You and Luke are the ones on a vacation, not me.” He smirked at the frown on Nico's face when he emerged from the closet. “You're very cute when you pout.”

Nico let out a sigh. “When will I be seeing you?”

“Probably after dinner.” Percy pulled out a pair of pants and some underwear from the drawers in his closet. “Gaea's having dinner with some very important clients, and I need to be there.” The young man sat down at the foot of the bed. “You're more than welcome to come, but I didn't want to bore you with all the financial talk.”

Letting out a sigh, Nico nodded his head. “Yeah, okay. I'll see you after dinner then.” His dark eyes raked across Percy's torso as the young man worked on buttoning his shirt. Biting down on his lip, Nico reached out and hooked his fingers into the hem of Percy's pants.

Percy let out a soft chuckle as Nico slid across the bed, still on his stomach, and undid the button on his pants. “Still horny?” He laughed. “I thought you'd be burnt out by now.”

Nico's eyes just flickered up to meet Percy's sea-green ones. “Thought I'd give you something for the road.” Still holding Percy's gaze, Nico unzipped the young man's pants and pulled out his manhood.

Percy arched an eyebrow as he went back to buttoning his shirt. “I can't get undressed again, and I don't have time for more sex.”

“Good thing you don't have to do anything then,” Nico said, flicking his tongue across the slit of Percy's erection. The Lost Boy tilted his head to the side as he watched Percy just stand there. “Well, carry on with getting ready.”

Percy rolled his eyes as Nico slid his lips across the young man's arousal. One of Nico's hands slid up the bottom of Percy's shirt to caress the abs that could be found there. While Nico serviced Percy, the green-eyed young man reached over and grabbed his watch from the nightstand and put it on his wrist, though he really did not seem to be in a hurry anymore.

Nico hummed lightly as he took in as much of Percy's cock as he could. With a soft moan, Percy leaned over Nico and groped the boy's pale ass before placing a hand on Nico's head and guiding the Lost Boy down onto his shaft.

Taking it out of his mouth, Nico wrapped a hand around Percy's arousal and ran his tongue along the base of the shaft, his dark eyes clouded with lust as he stared up at the young man. But, finally, Percy finished buttoning his shirt. With a smirk, the young man fixed his hair a little before removing his cock from Nico's mouth.

Leaning down, he gave Nico a quick kiss. “I really do have to go.”

Nico pouted and sat up. “But you're hard, you should finish.”

“I'll be fine,” Percy chuckled. He buttoned and zipped his pants. “Try to get some more rest.” He pointed a finger at Nico as he backed towards the door. “I mean it, you need to rest. Feel free to mess around in the entertainment room. What's mine is yours and all that stuff.” He smirked as he opened the door. “And don't forget that you can order room service to be delivered over here. Also, you look very appealing right now and I'm sorry I have to leave.”

Nico let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Well then, I hope you suffer in your meetings while thinking about it.”

“Ouch.” Percy winked. “That's just so hurtful. What have I ever done to you?” He asked with a huge grin.

“Ha ha. You're so funny, Percy Jackson.” Nico flopped onto his stomach. “I wouldn't dare bring up the countless months of torturous teasing you put me through.”

With a wink, Percy closed the door. Nico groaned a little as he let his forehead fall against the mattress. Now that his hormones were gone, Nico was fully aware of how exhausted his body was, not to mention the sharp pain in his lower back. Perhaps five times really was too much.

A little over five minutes later, the door swung open. Nico looked up, expecting Percy, only to find Luke. “Haven't you ever heard of knocking?” Nico asked, flinging the covers over his naked body.

Luke arched an eyebrow and stepped inside. “Not like I haven't seen you naked before, kid. I know it probably slipped your mind with all the awesome sex you've been getting from Percy, but we did have sex.”

Nico sat up, straightening out the covers across his lap. “It's not like it's hard to forget. I did enjoy it, I will not lie there.” He let out a breath. “Anyways, what's up?”

“I need you to get dressed.”

The raven haired Lost Boy arched a brow. “For?”

Digging around in Nico's suitcase, Luke tossed some clothes at the other Lost Boy. “You're coming with me to see Cecil, since I apparently have to go check up on the French lightweight.”

Nico let out a sigh as he scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up. Grabbing his underwear, the Lost Boy slid them on. “And you need me to come with you...why?”

“Because, for some reason, the little asshole seems to like you.” Luke rubbed at his temple. “Just come, it's too early for this anyways, and I really don't feel like dealing with him. I'm hoping to distract him with your presence.”

For a moment, Nico just stood there and stared at the blond in the room. After giving Luke an odd look, Nico threw his shirt over his head and then put on his pants. “Can't you just...I don't know, be sociable with him?” A smirk spread across Nico's lips. “Who knows, you might enjoying what happens.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” Nico chuckled as he slipped on his shoes. He patted Luke on the shoulder as he walked over to grab the key to Gaea's house from a small table by the door. “Nothing at all, Luke.”

When they knocked on Cecil's door, the brunet answered it with a glass of water in his hand. “Bonjour, mis amigos.”

Luke shot the brunet an annoyed look. “That's not even the same language.”

“So you do know some French,” Cecil chuckled as he stepped aside to let them in. The Lost Boy's head tilted to the side as he stared at Nico. “Did you get attacked by a dog since I saw you last night?”

Nico's face turned completely red. “Uh, no.”

A sly grin appeared on Cecil's face. “Then I can only assume you had a great night.”

A door down the hall slowly creaked open and a disgruntled Eros came out, dragging his feet behind him. He let out a long groan as he rubbed at his eyes. “Quel heure est-il, Cecil?”

The other brunet checked his phone. “A little after nine.” With a grin, he handed Eros the water and two pills that had been in the palm of his hand. “Take this. You need to shower and get something to eat, you have work in a few hours.”

Eros tossed back the pills and downed them with half the glass of water. With a very heavy sigh, the green-eyed boy shoved the water back into Cecil's hands. It was then that his eyes shot over to where Luke stood, his green orbs narrowing in anger. “You! Qu'est-ce que tu veux, bordel? J'essayais de pécho hier soir, et t'arrives et tu gâches tous!”

Luke crossed his arms and opened his mouth, though nothing came out. His face contorted in confusion before he turned to Cecil. “Um, what did he say?”

Cecil just shook his head and patted Luke on the shoulder. “Eros, en Anglais, s'il te plaît,” the brown-eyed boy muttered.

With a huff, Eros marched up to Luke and poked the blond's chest. “You are a fucking dick, ruining perfectly good sex like that.” Eros rapidly flailed his arms. “Did you see the muscles he had, he was going to give me rough sex. Cecil, tell this oaf how much I love the rough sex.”

It was apparent that Cecil was trying very hard not to laugh. “Oh yeah, it's his favorite.” He wagged his eyebrows at Luke. “If only we knew someone that was rough in bed, eh?”

Yet again, Nico was astounded to see a faint blush appear in Luke's cheeks. Coughing, Luke smacked Eros's hand away from him. “You were drunk, excuse me for stopping the guy from taking advantage of you.”

“You're excused,” Eros shot back, crossing his arms with a huff. His green eyes narrowed up at Luke, who was a little under a head taller than the brunet. “And what do you mean 'take advantage of me'? I seduced him, thank you very much. What does it do if I was drunk?”

Nico tilted his head to the side as he watched the two. “Congratulations, Luke, it looks like you've found someone to argue like an old married couple with now, too.”

Luke nearly choked. He whipped around to glare at Nico, who only grinned. “Don't fucking compare me to blondie and Santa's favorite helper, twerp!”

Out of nowhere, Eros grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him away from the blond. “Do not speak to him like that, American swine.” With a final glare towards Luke, Eros opened the door. “Come, Nico, you can accompany me to find food before my shift starts.”

Luke's brow furrowed as he took a step towards them. “Wait, wha-”

Eros shut the door, his eyes closed in a smile. “There, that's better.” He released Nico's arm and headed to the elevator. “Come, Nico, I must dress myself quickly, then we shall find something to eat.”

The French Lost Boy didn't take as long to get ready today, which was probably due to the hangover he was probably experiencing. Now that he was not arguing, Eros clutched his head a lot and hovered over the table they now sat at.

Eros's green eyes flickered over to two passing Lost Kids, at least Nico thought they were Lost Kids. Resting his chin on a palm, Eros let out a whistle. “Medea!”

It was the girl that stopped to look at them. She rolled her eyes and said something to the Lost Boy she was walking with before coming over to their table. She was very thin, with long, red fingernails. A tight black shirt rested over her torso, while a short skirt covered her lower half. The Lost Girl's black hair had been tied up in a bun and her arms were decorated by a lot of diamond bracelets.

She huffed and placed her hand on her hips. “What do you want, Eros?” She asked, narrowing her dark green eyes.

With a pout, Eros ran a hand through his hair. “Medea, my sweet, I don't suppose you would mind covering my afternoon shift for me, would you?” He batted those long lashes at the Lost Girl, who did not seem to be ensnared by the boy's charms in the least. “It was a very long night.”

“Aw, I'm sorry to hear that, Eros,” Medea said in a sickeningly sweet British accent. She ran her fingers through the Lost Boy's wavy hair until she took a firm grip of the back of his scalp. “Do I look like I give a damn? Get off your bum and do your own work.”

Eros flipped her off as she left. “Quelle salope.” The brunet cracked his neck as he raised his coffee to his lips. “I see you have a...” Eros motioned to Nico, “limp.” The French boy winked. “You had a good night, no?”

Nico speared a pasta noodle and shoved it into his mouth, his ears burning a little. “Something like that,” he mumbled. Eros arched an eyebrow at him. The pale Lost Boy rubbed his neck with a sigh. “I was hoping to talk to you about Percy, actually.”

“Oh?” Eros plucked a strawberry from a crepe that he was eating and bit down on the tip. “Ask me anything.”

“Well...where do I even start?” Nico sighed. He pursed his lips for a moment, trying to think of the best angle to come at this from. “Percy told me that he liked me when he returned in February.”

“Of course, I told him to grow some boules and get it off his chest.” Eros didn't even look surprised, just waited for Nico to continue.

Nico cleared his throat, his brow furrowed. “Anyways, it feels a little weird what's going on between us right now. It feels odd, because Percy isn't this affectionate with me normally. He's acting like an actual boyfriend would.”

Eros blinked a few times before his eyes started to dart around. “I fail to see the...how to say, dilemma here, mon petit.” The brunet rubbed at his eyes with a yawn. “Do you not wish for your prince to enter and sweep you off your feet and ride into the sunset?”

“Uh, in a place like the Lotus, I don't really see things like that happening.” Nico stared down at his food. “I'm just confused as to what brought it on. You seem to be good at...getting guys, even straight ones, so I thought you might could help.”

A smirk touched at Eros's lips as he cut up some of his crepe and placed it in his mouth. “I would suggest speaking to Percy himself.” The green-eyed Lost Boy crossed his legs, placing his hands in his lap. “I am quite certain that Percy is the only one to give you the answer you seek. But I am also certain that it is nothing for you to worry that pretty little head over.”

“I wish I could have your confidence,” Nico mumbled.

Eros's eyes seemed to dull, his lips tilting down. For a moment, he did not move, staring blankly into space. And then he cleared his throat and stared down at his lap. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Well, there is another problem.” Nico let out a breath. “It's about a Lost Kid from back home. I'm not quite sure what to make of her at this point, she's confusing.” He poked at his food, though he made no attempt to eat it. “She's been at our hotel even longer than Percy has, and she has feelings for Percy. I'm not quite sure how deep they are, but she definitely has feelings for him. And, well, she wants me out of the way.”

A spark ignited in Eros's eyes and his lips tilted back up into a grin. “So, you wish to crush her, yes?”

“Uh, well, I wouldn't go that far.” Nico cleared his throat. “I would just like some...safety precautions. I don't want her trying to ruin anything.” The boy shook his head. “What I really want is for Percy to bring the others here, even though I know it's just wishful thinking. Not to mention that Annabeth would then come with them.”

Eros tapped a finger to his lips. “Well, perhaps you should use your greatest weapon to get what you want.” The French Lost Boy tossed a wink across the table. “Perhaps you should use your...how to say, assets,” he stuck his tongue out playfully at Nico, “to get what you want.” 

“You mean, seduce Percy into it?” Nico asked, his brow furrowed. “Would that work?”

“Ah, perhaps you do not realize the power you have, mon chéri.” Eros tilted his head to the side. “Percy might have grown up in this life, learned all the tricks of the trade, but he is still a man. He still has a penis, and he is very attracted by you. So, I would say, yes, work your magic on Percy to get what you want.”

Nico leaned on the table. “Well, that doesn't really help me with the more pressing issue. I couldn't just flat out ask Percy to keep Annabeth in America, if I wanted to bring the rest here.” His brow furrowed. “Though, she is under consideration to be the next branch manager.”

A devious smile was on Eros's lips when the other Lost Boy looked up. “That is quite easy. As you said, she is a potential candidate. However, I would suggest knowing all you can on your enemy before attacking.”

“Luke's brother suggested something similar.” Nico let out a sigh. “Well, he wanted me to talk to Luke about Annabeth. Apparently, Luke knows her very well, but Octavian seemed concerned about her past.”

“Excellente idée. Sounds to me like you already have a plan.” Leaning back in his chair, Eros lifted his coffee and took a long sip. “Though, I must ask something on your blond traveling companion.”

“Luke? What about him?”

Without missing a beat, Eros replied, “How is he in bed?”

Nico nearly fell out of his chair. “What?” His eyes bulged a little. “What makes you think I would know?”

Eros just blinked at him. “You implied it yourself. Yesterday, when we were dressing you up, you mentioned people told you and him that you two should have sex. I assumed that they no longer said it because you two did it like two animals in heat.” The brunet sat up in his seat, leaning slightly against the table. “So?”

“Uh, well...”

\--------------------------

It was a little before business hours concluded that Percy, Nico, and Luke left. Luke ended up going back to his room, which left Percy and Nico to walk around the golf course alone. For a while, Nico just stared up at the sky and admired the stars. It wasn't until he felt Percy lace their fingers together that the Lost Boy looked down.

“So, how's your vacation going?” Percy asked.

Nico felt his lips tilt up into a smile. “It's great, thank you for bringing me.” The boy gave a shrug, staring down at the grass. “Perhaps a little strange, at least with you.”

Percy seemed to be surprised by that remark. The young man came to a halt, tilting his head to the side. “What am I doing to confuse you?”

“Just, um...” Nico motioned at the young man. “I don't know, just the way you're acting. You're being very affectionate.”

The corners of Percy's lips tilted up and he took a step closer, wrapping his arms around Nico's waist. “And that bothers you?”

“Well, you're not usually like this.”

Percy let out a chuckle. “I'm sorry.” Reaching up, the young man brushed some of Nico's hair out of his eyes. “Well, I don't have any responsibilities right now, not exactly anyways. I thought I could let you see how things will be when we move here.”

Nico pressed his lips into a thin line, not looking up to meet Percy's gaze. “And I am coming here with you?” His brow furrowed as he rested both of his hands on Percy's chest, taking a firm grip of the young man's shirt. “Or are you considering what Annabeth said? I want to come here with you, Percy, if that's what you're worried about.”

Percy tilted his head to the side. “I would just want what was best for you.”

As his eyes grew angry, Nico shoved Percy away. “No!” He finally looked up, his eyes burning with a deep irritation. “Don't talk to me about the future if you can't promise me that there will be a future for us! That's not fair to me, if you're planning on leaving me behind.”

Percy's eyes widened at Nico's outburst. Frowning, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I'm not going to stop you from coming with me, even if I think you might be better off with your sister.” The green-eyed young man reached out and tilted Nico's chin up. “You make your own choices. If this is what you want, it's what you'll have.”

“And what about what you want?”

Percy's hand slid up to cup Nico's cheek and he leaned in to press a quick kiss to Nico's lips. “As I said, I want you. I'm acting this way with you, because I thought it was what you wanted.” He let out a chuckle. “If you haven't noticed, I haven't even touched a Lost Kid since we've been here. If I didn't want to kiss you, I wouldn't. If I didn't want to touch you, I wouldn't. You are what I want, Nico. You make me happy, and I feel better about things when I have you around.” Smiling, Percy ruffled Nico's hair. “However, if you do want to come to Germany, I'll need you to tell your sister. You.” He held up a hand when Nico opened his mouth. “Those are my terms. If this is what you want, you have to be the one to lay it out for your sister. If you want to stay with me, I won't let her take you, but this is something you have to do.”

Letting out a breath, Nico gave a nod. “I know.” He chewed on his lip for a moment before looking into those sea-green eyes. “I will tell her, I just need to find the right time.”

Percy kissed Nico's temple. “Don't wait too long. I think it would be better the sooner you did it.” Taking Nico's hand in his again, Percy started to walk. “Just...keep in mind things will need to be toned down some when we get back home. So, enjoy the affection while we are here, but we still have to be professional back home.”

Nico let out a sigh. “What will be different?”

“This.” Percy held up their hands. “It's not that I'm ashamed of you or don't want to, but you're still my employee that has to do their job. The closer we appear, the more certain clients will seek to exploit a weakness. I'm planning on reducing your time as time goes on, but clients will probably request ridiculous amounts of time with you. The picture of us together the other night probably won't help matters, to be honest.”

“I understand,” Nico whispered.

“Good.” Percy's brow furrowed. “No kissing in public, or just don't expect much of it at all.” He glanced at Nico when the boy came to a stop.

“Why not just let me quit now then?”

A sigh came from Percy and Nico glanced up at him. “Because, I don't want it to seem like you're just quitting because you're with me now. I don't think you want the others to think that of you either. But, if that's what you want, I can allow it.”

For a moment, Nico really did consider it. “It'll just be less as time goes on, right?” He mumbled. Percy gave a nod. “I suppose I can deal with it for another two months.”

“Month.”

“What?”

Percy rubbed the back of Nico's hand with his thumb. “I only ask a month. I'll give you the rest of your time in Los Angeles preparing for finals and getting things in order.” He let out a sigh. “And, if I'm not busy with one of the others, you're welcome to come sleep with me.”

That made Nico smile for a little while, until Eros's words from earlier came back to him. “I'm fine with that, but I have my own conditions.”

“You do?” Percy arched an eyebrow at him. “I wasn't aware that we were up for negotiations on your part.”

“Well, we are.” Standing strong, Nico crossed his arms and stood up straight, even though it didn't make him near as tall as Percy. He still just barely fit underneath the young man's chin. “If you're asking all of this from me, then I feel it only fair that I do the same to you.”

Percy smiled a little, which made Nico melt. “Okay, go ahead.”

“As this time passes, and my time is reduced, then you have to conduct hour negotiations with the other Lost Kids less. Well, at least in your usual fashion.”

For a moment, Percy was his usual unreadable self. He just stared at Nico with his sea-green eyes boring into Nico's very soul. But then he smiled, which eased Nico's nerves a lot. “You have yourself a deal.” Reaching out, he shook on it. “However, you suck at negotiations, since I was already planning on doing what you just asked of me.”

It was Nico's turn to smile. Percy really was amazing. It was true that the young man could be terrifying when he wanted to be, but Nico stopped being afraid of him a long time ago. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and leaned up for a kiss. Percy's hands found their way to Nico's hips and the Lost Boy let out a sigh of contentment.

Pulling back, Nico opened his eyes to stare into Percy's eyes. Their faces were still close, Percy even had his forehead resting against Nico's. And, for the first time in months, Nico said the one thing that he had once been terrified to say to the young man.

“I love you.”

He didn't care what Kronos said anymore, Nico had moved past that. Perhaps when he first said it, the Lost Boy didn't know if he truly meant what he said, but now he did. Nico did love Percy. Not only that, he was in love with him. He wanted this, his heart wanted it. He wanted all of Percy and to never let him go.

Percy smiled and kissed Nico's nose. “I know,” he said, adding another kiss to Nico's lips. “I really do care about you, Nico.”

For some reason, it didn't sting when Percy didn't say it back this time. Percy had come a long way, and Nico knew he was the first person that Percy had really had romantic feelings for. He could understand if Percy was still trying to sort through some of his feelings. This was all new to the green-eyed young man and Nico would happily wait patiently for it to be said back to him.

And, once again, Nico had to wonder if Percy was able to read his mind. The young man cupped the boy's face. “I just... I don't want you to think that I'll never say it back, I just need some time.” With a sigh, he finally released Nico and took a step back. “You mean a lot to me, Nico, and I promise you that I will say it to you eventually. But only when I'm ready.”

A wave of warmth coursed through Nico's body. “I know,” he said softly. “Take your time, it's fine, really.” He offered Percy a reassuring smile. “I do understand, believe me.”

For a while, Percy and Nico just walked in silence. They didn't hold hands, but their shoulders brushed from time to time. Given what all he just heard, Nico had a lot on his mind. It was a lot to take in. Everything was falling into place, and it looked like he could have the happy ending with Percy he had always hoped for. There were just two pressing issues that he still needed to address.

“Um, there's something else,” Nico finally confessed. “It's about the others back home.” Letting out a sigh, Nico came to a stop and looked up at Percy. “Would it be possible for them to come here when we move, if they wanted to?”

Percy blinked and scratched his cheek. “Well, I mean, there are a lot already here. I can't just up and move them, there needs to be Lost Kids back in Los Angeles. I'm not sure if the ones here would want to leave.”

“But isn't it possible?” The Lost Boy pursed his lips. “You'll be in charge, don't you make the rules? If they wanted to come, couldn't you arrange for it?” He lightly shook his head. “I don't want to lose all of them, I don't want to say goodbye to them. Can't they come? Or at least some of them? There has to be a way.”

Crossing his arms, Percy looked down at their feet. “Is this what's been bothering you?” He asked. Nico nodded. Percy clicked his tongue and rubbed at his jaw. “Nico, you're asking something very big here.”

“Please?” Nico pleaded, reaching out to take Percy's hand. “I really want them to come. Can you please do this for me? I won't ask for anything else, I promise.”

Percy chuckled and reached up to run his fingers through Nico's hair. “Don't make promises that you know you can't keep.” He let out a sigh when the pleading look in Nico's eyes did not go away. “I'll think about it. I will talk to them and see what they want. If they do-”

“Yes!” Nico shot his hands into the air.

Percy narrowed his eyes. “If they do, I will try and work something out, so they can be transferred to the German branch. But you realize that this will mean rooting up a lot of Lost Kids from here to make this happen, right?”

“Yes,” the brown-eyed boy said softly. “I just...don't want to lose our family. More family, for me anyways. I know I have to give up my sister, but I'd like to keep the family I've made at the Lotus.” Nico's eyes sparked with intrigue, his lips settling into a thin line. There was one last thing he needed to do. “And what about your position? I was curious if you figured out who you would choose.”

Letting out a long breath, Percy massaged his neck. “I think you're going to give me sore muscles from stress, if you keep up with these questions.” He let out another sigh and fixed Nico with a look. “It's still possible that I could change my mind, but I think I have my choice.”

“And?” Nico blinked curiously. When he first arrived at the Lotus, there was no way Nico could have pulled off such a poker face. Yet here he was now, doing exactly that. If Percy saw through it, though, he showed no sign of it. “I mean, Annabeth seems like the best choice to me. She's really smart, not to mention she already works to keep the Lost Kids in line. She's been at the hotel a long time, and I think she would be a natural at the position.”

“Do you?” Percy arched a brow at him.

Nico gulped. Was Percy on to him? “Yeah, of course. Don't you agree?”

Percy's lips tilted up and he placed an arm around Nico's back, guiding the boy back to Gaea's mansion. The fact that he didn't say anything, though, worried Nico a little. This was what he needed. If Nico wanted to ensure that Annabeth couldn't screw up Nico's relationship with Percy, she needed to be out of the picture. She needed to be put in a position that kept her far away from Percy, at least for the majority of the year. All that was left was to uncover her story, which meant Nico needed to talk to Luke.

As it turned out, that conversation would have to wait.

The amazing night Nico was having quickly came to an end when they found Luke and Kronos at the foot of the stairs inside the mansion. It didn't matter that there wasn't shouting, Nico knew nothing good could come from those two being alone together. And Nico's concern only grew when he saw the dark look in Luke's eyes and the manic grin on Kronos's face.

“Luke?” Nico called out as Percy shut the door. The blond didn't turn around. His jaw clenched as he glared at Kronos, his fists tightening at his sides. “Luke, come talk to me, I need your help with something.”

But as Nico reached out for him, Luke ripped his arm away. “Don't touch me,” he growled, causing the brown-eyed boy to draw back in surprise.

Instead of saying anything, though, Percy just stood there and watched. His eyes shifted from Kronos to Luke, his lips tilting down into a frown. Kronos just smiled innocently back at the young man, as if he had done nothing wrong at all. However, Nico's concern remained with the blond, who was currently on his way out the front door.

Without waiting around, Nico went after the blond, leaving Percy to deal with his brother. Nico doubted Kronos would get punished or anything, but he did hope that Percy chewed him out a little. Wishful thinking, even if he knew it probably wouldn't happen.

Luke kicked harshly at the grass beneath his feet. “I don't want to hear it.”

Nico pressed his lips together. “Do you want to talk about it? What did he say?”

“It doesn't really matter, now does it?” Luke whipped around and glared down at the other Lost Boy. “Why don't you just leave me alone? You know, since this is your fault.”

Nico's eyes widened a little. “How is it my fault?” He asked in surprise.

“Because,” Luke yelled, “you're the one that brought me to this godforsaken hellhole!” With his eyes blazing in anger, Luke pointed back at the house. “You're the one that had me get invited on the trip, the one that brought me around him!”

“I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to make up for your lack of a birthday.” Nico rubbed at his arm, unsure of what else to do. “It's only a few more days.”

“Yeah, and you don't have to deal with him. He's not bothering you.”

That was actually very true. But, if Nico had to guess, it was probably due to the fact that he was usually around Percy. If not Percy, Nico was usually with someone, and Kronos seemed to target people more often when he could catch them alone. And Nico had really not been alone once since he got to Germany.

With a grunt, Luke turned and shoved his hands into his pockets, heading away from the mansion. Nico blinked a few times before taking a few steps after him. “Wait,” the raven haired boy called out.

“No.” Without warning, Luke stopped, turned around, and pushed Nico away. “Stay away. I'm going to the arcade, you can just go back inside and enjoy the rest of your night. Now get the fuck away from me.”

Nico did not try to follow this time when Luke walked off. He let out a heavy sigh before he turned around and headed back inside. This sucked. Why did Kronos have to be here?

When Nico stepped inside, he found Percy sitting on the stairs. The young man smiled and stood up, offering his hand out to Nico. “Everything okay?”

“No,” Nico whispered. He took Percy's hand and let the young man lead him upstairs. “Luke is upset, said he was going to the arcade.”

Percy nodded. “He just needs to cool off.” He glanced at Nico from the corner of his eyes. “If it's really bothering you, we can check up on him in the morning, after he's cooled off.” A smile spread across the young man's lips. “I have the day off, so I thought I'd take you around Berlin. You should actually see the city while we're here, not just see it through a car window.”

Nico let out a breath. “I'd like that.”

\--------------------------

The next morning turned out to be quite eventful. Percy had let Nico sleep in, which meant that Nico missed breakfast. However, the way that Percy finally woke him up had been very enjoyable. But it was not until Nico and Percy knocked on Luke's door that Nico got the start to his very interesting day.

It took a few knocks, but Nico finally heard movement from inside Luke's room. The door finally opened, revealing a dark room and Luke, who was clad only in his boxers. His hair was a complete mess and...were those scratch marks on his chest? He didn't look irritated anymore, though, which was a relief.

“Um, good morning?” Nico mumbled, partially looking around Luke's room.

Percy had a slight smirk on his face. “Have a good night there, Luke?”

Stretching his arms over his head, Luke gave a shrug. “I suppose.”

“Uh-huh.” Arching a brow, Percy reached around the corner and flipped on the lights.

The bed looked like a complete disaster area. The comforter was mostly on the floor, which also contained clothes. Not just Luke's clothes either, but a second pair. Which brought Nico's attention to the brown head of hair that poked out from the mass of sheets that had been bunched up around the person laying there, who seemed to still be asleep.

It took Nico a moment, but then it hit him just where he'd seen that hair before. “Is that...Eros?” He asked, pointing to the bed.

Percy slipped his hands into his pockets. “I guess you did have a good night.” He grinned and kicked at Luke's shirt, which was still on the floor. “Mind explaining why your clothes are wet?”

Coughing, Luke rubbed at his arm. “We had a late night swim?”

“In your clothes?” Percy replied, unconvinced. “Eros would swim naked, so I'm not sure I buy that.” With a grin, he shook his head. “But I am glad to see that you're enjoying yourself.”

Nico was still having a hard time just wrapping his head around all of this. Luke...and Eros...had sex? The guy that Luke said irritated him? Well, he knew Eros had been interested in getting Luke into bed, so it seemed like he succeeded in his endeavors.

“Um,” Nico managed to finally get out, “I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to the arcade? Percy has some things he has to take care of, then we were going to go into Berlin, if you wanted to join.”

Uh...” Luke glanced over his shoulder, scratching at his head. “Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up.”

Twenty minutes later, Nico and Luke were out the door. Eros must have left at some point, because when Nico came back to fetch Luke, the brunet was gone. Luke had yet to comment on the whole thing. In fact, the blond barely took his eyes off his feet.

However, Nico came to a stop when he found the second part of his interesting morning. Across the way, several men were in the process of pulling a golf cart out of the pond that was between Gaea's mansion and the hotel. When he noticed it, Luke's ears turned slightly red. Nico just glanced between Luke and the pond. Oh yeah, they had a late night swim all right.

They had about an hour to kill in the arcade, which was just fine with Nico. But it seemed like more maintenance people were in the arcade as well. Lou was staring at the men as they worked on a pinball machine, which had its glass barrier cracked, like something heavy had been dropped on it. The back legs had also been broken, which seemed to be the primary concern of the maintenance workers.

“Something happen?” Nico asked the Lost Girl as they walked up to the counter.

Lou simply shrugged. “I found it like this when I came in this morning.”

Nico glanced over at Luke, who was not even bothering to pay attention to Lou or the machine. “Luke, didn't you come here last night when you got upset? Did you see anything?”

Slowly, Luke shook his head. “Nope, can't say that I did.”

And then walked in the cherry to Nico's morning. Eros came in with a huge smile on his face, his arms stretching over his head. He walked straight up to Luke and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck from behind. “Alors, on retourne sur le lieu du crime?”

Whatever Eros said, Lou narrowed her eyes at the two of them. “Did you...?” She shivered. “Gross. Come on, Eros, this is my work place.”

The brunet pouted, not even bothering to release Luke. “It's not like I have never covered for you before. And I didn't stop you when you-”

“Okay!” Lou's face turned a little red. She let out a sigh and rubbed her temple. “I'm going to have to sterilize that when they fix it.”

Sticking his tongue out at the girl playfully, Eros nuzzled against Luke's back. Finally, Luke huffed and pried himself free of the brunet's arms. “I don't recall signing up for all this affection when I fucked you.” The blond's blue eyes darted over to a woman that gasped and covered her son's ears as she passed them. “I don't like the touching.”

Biting down on his lip, Eros trailed a finger down Luke's chest. “That's not how it was last night.” The brunet rubbed at his back. “Though, I am still a little sore from the first and third time.” With a devilish grin, he winked at the blond. “Though, you were very gentle when you took off my wet clothes after getting back to your room. And you seemed to really enjoy the way I used my tongue to-”

“Shut up,” Luke growled clamping a hand over the brunet's mouth. “No more talking, asshole.” He glared down at Eros, who seemed much too pleased with himself. “Anyways, what the fuck are you doing here?”

“Oh.” Reaching under the counter, Lou pulled out a laser tag gun. “Eros monitors the laser tag area once or twice a week.”

With a grin, Eros pointed his newly acquired gun at Luke. “Pew pew.”

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. “Why did I have sex with you?”

Eros bit down on his lip and held the gun behind his head. “I thought it was because I have a great ass and am amazing in bed, which we seem to have in common.” He only grinned more when Luke shot him an annoyed look. “So, my room or yours tonight?”

“Neither,” Luke grumbled. “It was just one night.”

Eros just tilted his head to the side. “We shall see.”

“Come on, twerp,” Luke muttered, taking Nico by the arm and taking him to the other side of the arcade.

Nico glanced at the blond as he started a Pac-Man game. “Um, I didn't think you would turn down sex.”

“Don't want to talk about it.”

“I mean, if you enjoyed it...” Nico trailed off. His brow furrowed when Luke didn't answer. “I think Eros likes you, or at least likes having sex with you. Well, I mean, he's been kind of taken with you since we first arrived.” Still nothing. He let out a sigh. “You're not interested at all?”

For a brief second, Luke glanced at Nico. “It was just sex, no need to go and add that feelings shit you're so passionate about.” Cracking his neck, Luke went back to his game.

Nico actually smiled at that. By now, Nico knew Luke well enough to see through his little act. Deep down, even if he didn't want to admit it, Luke had to have some sort of interest in Eros. Perhaps it was just sexual, or maybe there were real feelings involved. Either way, this was the blond's normal defense mechanism.

Which then made Nico frown. What was Luke worried about? Why did he feel the need to feel defensive? The raven haired boy's dark eyes watched the blond carefully. Well, perhaps there were two things that Nico needed to talk to Luke about now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Quel heure est-il, Cecil? [What time is it, Cecil?]
> 
> You! Qu'est-ce que tu veux, bordel? J'essayais de pécho hier soir, et t'arrives et tu gâches tous ! [What the fuck do you want? I was trying to get laid last night, and then you go and ruin it!]
> 
> Eros, en Anglais, s'il te plaît. [In English, please, Eros]
> 
> Quelle salope. [What a bitch]
> 
> boules[balls]
> 
> mon petit [my little one]
> 
> Excellente idée [An excellent idea]
> 
> Alors, on retourne sur le lieu du crime?[Back to the scene of the crime?]
> 
> \---
> 
> Right, so I will go ahead and confirm that Eros is supposed to be Luke's love interest. Originally, the character(I didn't have a name for this character back then) was supposed to only show up in the last two chapters, but I molded things around a bit. And I know that they have had a lot of attention on them, but keep in mind that Eros won't be in the story until the last few chapters after the next chapter or two. Also, I'm debating writing a one-shot about what happened between Luke storming off and then being found in his room. We'll see. I don't think I've mentioned it on here yet, but I am planning a spinoff after I'm done with Children of Loss, and it'll be told through Luke's perspective. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.


	52. Planning For Your Future

Getting out and actually seeing Berlin had been an incredible experience. He got a few souvenirs to take back, mainly for Bianca and Daedalus. But it had been even better that Percy had been the one to show him around. The one problem had been with Luke, who had pretty much kept to himself the entire time. Really, it seemed like the blond had a lot on his mind. Considering the events that had happened earlier that day, Nico could only assume they had to do with Eros.

Nico let out a sigh and sank further down on the couch, his body pressed firmly against Percy's as they sat on the couch in Percy's entertainment room. Without saying anything, Nico reached over and scooped out some popcorn from the bowl that rested in Percy's lap.

Taking the night off, Percy let Nico pick out some movies for them to watch. And, well, Nico was not about to let a night with Percy go to waste. Their talk from last night came to mind. Once they left Berlin, Nico really would not get Percy to himself like this. Really, they would not get to be a real couple again until halfway through the month of May. Which, in reality, did not sound so bad when Nico said it out loud. It was just a month, the brown-eyed boy could deal with that.

Their movie eventually got interrupted by Percy's phone. Nico groaned as Percy got up from the couch, handing the Lost Boy the bowl. “Sorry,” Percy apologized, delivering a quick kiss to Nico's temple.

Nico pouted to himself before he sat up and paused the movie. He tossed a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth as Percy answered the phone. Nico was not looking forward to going back home, to be honest. Going back meant his life would become a war zone.

The smallest issue was probably going to be talking to Bianca about him moving to Berlin. That was one thing, but from there it got worse. Not only was he going to have to tell her that, but Nico was also going to have to confess that he and Percy were having sex. He could not really see his sister taking the news that his boss was having sex with her little brother that well.

Next was was the media. Europe's media did not seem that bad, but Nico doubted things would go this smoothly back home. Really, Nico was just glad that he didn't have his phone on him. Because, if he had, the Lost Boy was scared that his sister might have seen an article or photo by now. Was he going to be harassed at school? Nico had to tell Bianca about his relationship with Percy before it got out. But he did not want the attention, he did not even think about it when he chose Percy. Would they uncover what he did for a living?

No, surely not.

But then there was the biggest issue of all. Annabeth. There was no telling what she had been up to while Nico was away, but as long as she did not suspect him of fighting back, there was no need to worry. She probably did not even consider Nico a threat, which would probably be his biggest advantage. The most important thing was getting Percy to replace himself as branch manager with Annabeth.

“Leo, calm down,” Percy chuckled as he plopped back onto the couch. Nico gave him a curious look, but Percy didn't notice. “I am listening, but you are talking very fast. And you're sort of swapping back and forth between English and Spanish, just so you know.” Percy let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead. “And why is that an issue? Yes, I know the situation. I think you're being a little overly dramatic, Leo.” The green-eyed young man let his head fall back with a small laugh. “It'll be fine, stop worrying about things. No, I don't think this is just a game. Yes.” Percy rolled his eyes, a smile still on his lips. “Goodnight, Leo.”

As Percy hung up the phone, Nico settled back against the young man. “What was that about?”

Percy started the movie back up and took the bowl of popcorn back from Nico. “Nothing to worry about, just something amusing that came up back at home.” But the look in Percy's eyes as he stared back at Nico made the boy wonder just what Leo had said. “Nico, if I wasn't an option, who do you think you'd be happy with?”

“What?” Nico's brow furrowed. “Why are you even asking?”

“Just curious,” Percy replied, his face unreadable.

Letting out a sigh, Nico looked away for a brief second. “Um, I don't know. I thought Will once upon a time, but I don't think he's quite over his past yet.” Nico's eyes scanned Percy's face again, though the results did not improve. “I guess, if I had to pick someone that wasn't you, I'd go with Jason.”

“Why?”

Really, what was Percy's game with this? “I don't know...we just get along really well.” Nico's brow furrowed. He just wished Percy would tell him the reason behind this sudden question. “I think, once he works past his issues, Jason will be a great guy. I just... I think I'd have a hard time being around the Lotus and not being able to be with you, though.”

Percy just blinked once. “So, you'd leave?”

“Percy, I don't like where this is going,” Nico replied, slightly irritated. “Just tell me what this is about?”

Leaning in, Percy kissed Nico's cheek. “It's nothing to worry about, I promise. I figured you'd pick Jason out of the Lost Kids.”

“Why did you think that?”

Percy shrugged. “Well, there was a time that I was actually hoping you'd pick Jason. I thought he might be good for you.” Percy smiled at the irritated look on Nico's face. “I thought he'd be healthier for you.”

“I-” Nico let out a groan of frustration. “Why not Will, though? I said I wouldn't go with him simply because I already knew the truth. But it sounds like Jason was your choice for me for some time now.” More than a little frustrated, Nico attempted to get off the couch.

Reaching out, Percy took Nico's hand. “Sit back down,” Percy said softly. Nico huffed, but let Percy pull him into his lap. “I figured Will was imprinting his feelings on you. Don't forget that I know my Lost Kids, I know their issues. Luke? You remind him too much of a younger Octavian. Apollo ruined your trust, plus he's not over Robert. Not to mention that he has unresolved feelings towards Leo. Jason was the only logical choice that I saw.” He squeezed Nico around the waist. “I just wanted you to be happy.”

Nico blinked a few times, still rather irritated. “So, what changed then?” He didn't touch Percy in any way, not really sure he wanted to at the moment. He was just scared that Percy was going to keep him in America, even after their talk. “Why change your mind? Why did you stop trying to hope I'd choose Jason?”

Percy let out a long breath. “I stopped wanting you to leave. I had every intention of getting you out of the hotel by this summer when you first arrived, I thought it would be best for you to be far away from me.” Reaching up, the young man brushed some of Nico's hair out of his eyes. “I realized that you do belong at the Lotus...just not how I imagined it. You're good for the others, and I realize that now. Even if they were hostile about it to begin with, I think they have realized this as well. You help and look after them, it's why I let you become a big sibling.”

Nico let his shoulders relax a little, but did not reach out for Percy. “That does not answer my question, not really anyways. You could have pushed me towards Jason and not wanted me to leave, you didn't have to reach out for me yourself. So, what changed?”

“We've had this discussion,” Percy chuckled. “I still don't think I'm what is best for you, but you make me happy. And I seem to make you happy, which makes me happy as well.” He let out a sigh, fiddling with them hem of Nico's shirt. “I'm like venom, Nico, and I constantly worry that you're going to get bitten one day. This is a dangerous life, one that I'd never pick out for you, if I was given the choice.”

Finally, Nico looked down at his lap. “I really wish you'd stop talking about yourself like some kind of monster.”

Percy smirked a little. Letting out a sigh, Nico leaned in and captured the young man's lips. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck, letting the young man lean him back onto the couch. When they pulled back, Percy propped himself up on his elbows.

“I don't think you give yourself enough credit,” Nico continued. He reached up and ran a hand through Percy's dark locks. “Even living in this life, being groomed for running this business, I can still see the real you under all that. Maybe it's just glimpses from time to time, but I can still see you have a heart, I can still see that you care. I still see that lost, little boy that dwells in those sea-green eyes of yours, especially when you get that mischievous look in your eyes.”

Percy smiled back at him before burying his face into the crook of Nico's neck. Nico let out a sigh and reached up to run his fingers through Percy's hair, the movie long forgotten. This was what he had always wanted. Not the being with Percy part—even though that was a major plus—but because Percy was finally opening up to him. He wanted to see more of that mischievous boy that he knew still laid within Percy. He wanted to know everything that Percy was willing to share with him.

\---------------------------

Thursday morning, Nico sat at the breakfast table with Gaea, Percy, and Kronos. He wasn't quite sure where Luke was, but Percy didn't seem that concerned by the lack of the blond's presence, so Nico did not bring it up. At least it put Luke far away from Kronos.

Unfortunately, this still left Kronos around Nico.

It could have been much worse, though. Kronos was being quiet, which actually did make Nico slightly nervous. For the longest time, Kronos just stared across the table at him, like he was contemplating all the different ways he could use a knife on Nico. It had been like this ever since Percy had sat down beside the Lost Boy.

But the silence could not last forever. After chewing some of her food, Gaea wiped her mouth. “Nico dear, I was wondering if you had given any thought as to what you were going to do with your life after Percy moved you out here.” She smiled when Percy looked over at her. “Will you be attending a university?”

“Well,” Nico glanced down at his food, “I was planning on continuing my education, but I don't exactly speak German, so I'm not sure how easily I could do that now. I guess I'm still trying to figure that out. Percy said I could learn German.” Glancing up at Percy from the corner of his eye, Nico chewed on his lip. “I suppose I'll figure something out.”

Percy smiled at him and squeezed Nico's hand. This, of course, did not sit so well with Kronos, who just had to contribute to the conversation. “He will probably just end up mooching off of Percy's money,” the pale young man added, cutting up a piece of sausage.

Nico's food turned sour in his mouth. He didn't like to think like Kronos just suggested, it made him feel like a burden to Percy. But that was exactly what he was going to be, wasn't it? Nico's brow furrowed as he looked down at his orange juice in his hand. What was he supposed to do with the rest of his life?

Percy grunted as he drank some coffee. “I already told Nico that he wouldn't be any kind of burden on me financially.” The young man shrugged. “He only buys things he needs, I don't think any of us at this table could really say the same.”

Kronos just rolled his eyes. “Since when have we ever cared about spending money?”

“I'm just saying that Nico can do whatever he wants,” Percy added. “If he wants to go to school, he can. I've already agreed to pay for his tuition, and I don't plan to back out on my agreement. But if he just wants to relax around here, I'm also fine with that.” Percy shrugged, biting off a piece of toast. “He's had a hard life, cut him some slack.”

“Whatever you say, Percy,” Kronos muttered, sipping at his coffee.

Later that night, Nico walked over to the booth that Percy had reserved for them tonight. He had fallen behind Luke and Percy to go to the bathroom, which left him feeling a little awkward when it came to walking around the floor that the Lost Kids' performed at. Nico got all sorts of looks, most likely due to the fact that he looked very young. But Nico really wasn't sure what to think about most of the stares. It was possible that some were just curious about why a kid was running around this floor, especially one that wasn't dressed like the Lost Kids.

“I was going to tell you.”

Nico slowed down until he came to a complete standstill at the sound of Percy's voice. As people walked by, Nico did his best to stay in place without being seen. Percy and Luke were talking at the booth, though the blond did not look that pleased by what was being said.

“When exactly were you going to do that?” Luke asked with a scowl, downing a glass of beer.

Percy let out a sigh, rubbing his temple. “I was going to wait until we got home, because I did not want to ruin your potential vacation time.” Pressing his lips together, the young man sank down in his seat. “It will only be for a day or two, you have my word.”

As Nico moved closer to sit down, Luke huffed and got up from the booth, nearly knocking his drink over in the process. Nico pursed his lips together and slid in beside Percy. “What was that about?”

Percy grunted and took a drink from his own beer. “Personal issues.” He hummed for a second before offering some beer to Nico. “Want some?”

Nico wrinkled his nose, but took the beer anyways. He had only taken a sip when his face contorted in disgust and he handed the glass back to the green-eyed young man. Percy smiled fondly and took another drink. “I don't see how you like that stuff,” Nico practically coughed.

“I should take you to Russia and have you try their vodka.”

“No thanks.” Nico glanced out at the tables, his brow furrowing. People were still staring in his direction. “Why is everyone staring at me?”

Percy just shrugged and took another drink. “Probably due to the fact that the photos from our dinner the other night were released across Europe today. I'm sure they will get out to the rest of the world within another day, two at the most.”

“Comforting.”

“Just stating the obvious,” Percy said with a smile. “They recognize you from the pictures, which means they probably realize that you are with me.”

For a moment, Nico just mulled that over in his head. He had never really imagined himself getting recognized by random strangers, yet now that was exactly what was happening. It really did not make him feel better about going back to work next week, since clients there would probably have seen the photographs. His only hope was that the special clients at the hotel would not make the connection that there was something actually going on between him and Percy.

Managers took Lost Kids with them places, right? Surely that was all people would think it was. At least, Nico seriously hoped it would be that way. The Lost Boy shuddered at the thought of what might happen if those customers were to figure out the truth.

As a little time passed, Nico began to get worried about Luke. His brow furrowed as he scanned the crowd, but found no trace of the blond. As two Lost Kids on the stage finished their performance, Nico slid out of the booth.

“Where are you going?” Percy called after him.

Nico leaned back into the booth. “I'm going to look for Luke.” Percy gave the boy a nod and Nico headed off in search of the blond.

There really weren't that many options. Luke wouldn't just go up to any of the customers and sit down with them, let alone allow them to pull him aside. So, it only stood to reason that Luke was with the few Lost Kids that he liked here, or he had just gone back to his room. Nico figured that he would start with the first option.

Favonius was delivering food and drink orders, so Nico figured he would start with him. “Hey,” the boy said, pulling the European Lost Boy to the side. “Have you seen Luke anywhere?”

Favonius was quiet for a moment, and then he tilted his head to the side. “Not for a while. I saw him go backstage earlier, he might still be back there.”

Nico gave a nod and a smile. “Thanks.”

It was not really hard to find Luke when he got backstage. Well, it was sort of hard to miss the guy with his pants undone and another guy on his knees in front of him. Luke stood behind some curtains, mostly out of view to the Lost Kids backstage, but it just so happened to leave him in view of anyone that came through the door.

Luke seemed to be enjoying himself, one of his hands pressed against the wall beside him, while the other was tangled deep into a mass of hair. It just so happened, though, that the hair belonged to Eros. The brunet opened his eyes, his mouth wrapped tightly around Luke, and stared up at the blond. Luke's head fell back as his body began to spasm. It took Nico a second, but he realized what was happening when he saw the Adam's apple in Eros's neck bob.

Nico's face reddened a little. Oh. As Eros pulled off of Luke, the blond zipped up his pants. Wiping his mouth, Eros stood up and winked at Luke. He leaned in and whispered something to the blond, giving Luke a final squeeze to the crotch before he went off to get ready.

Luke, watching Eros walk away, nearly tripped over Nico. The brown-eyed boy grinned up at him as Luke nearly stumbled backwards. “What are you doing back here, twerp?”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “I was looking for you, since you disappeared for a while.”

“I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself.”

Nico hummed and tapped a finger to his lips. “Looks more like Eros was taking care of you.”

\-------------------------------

Friday afternoon, Luke and Nico had lunch, while Percy went to some meeting that Nico didn't really ask about. By now, Nico was learning that Percy was pretty much just sparing him a few hours of boredom by not inviting him to these things. 

Either way, it was perfect, because Nico seriously needed to talk to Luke before they went back to the United States. Tomorrow was their last full day here, and Nico really felt like there was so much left that needed to be done. And Luke just so happened to be at the center of most of those topics.

So, Nico took a chance and cleared his throat. “Luke?” He asked. The blond grunted at him, not really paying attention to Nico. The brown-eyed boy frowned and tried to spot what Luke was staring at, but was unsuccessful. “Luke, I need to talk to you about something.” He sighed when Luke still did not look at him. “Luke.”

“Let me guess, this is about Annabeth.” Luke finally turned to face Nico, his eyes dark as they bore into Nico. “Her and Thalia were my first friends at the hotel, so why would I want to tell you anything that you might turn around and use against her?” He narrowed his eyes, pressing his finger firmly against the table. “I know my brother put you up to this, I'm the one that told him to work with you. So, yeah, I figured he might turn around and have you seek out personal information about her. But me shielding you from your own blindness and me helping you sabotage Annabeth are two different things.”

“I'm not-” Nico shut his mouth, his brow furrowing. “She is trying to keep me in Los Angeles, trying to get Percy to leave me behind.” Nico leaned a little closer, lowering his voice. “I just want to know what her story is, that's all.”

Luke pointed an accusing finger at Nico. “I haven't told her anything that she could use against you, so why would I do the same for you? I've known her longer. I haven't even told her that I had Octavian help you out. You're asking too much this time, kid.”

“She's going to tear me apart when we get back!” Nico hissed, his fist clenched tightly around his napkin. “All I need from you is her story. I need to understand why she's doing this.” Rubbing his face, Nico leaned on the table. “Luke, please, just this one favor, it's all I ask for. She won't find out that you told me, I swear.”

Luke never answered. He just looked off again, his chin propped up by his palm. Nico let out a sigh and followed Luke's gaze, not very surprised to find it to be on a very familiar brunet. Nico's brow furrowed as he looked back to the blond. They only had two more days after today, Luke needed to sort through whatever was going on with Eros.

It was a very intense stare that Luke gave the green-eyed Lost Boy, like he was observing Eros's every movement. Nico glanced over again. Eros chuckled as he ate with Lou and Favonius, nothing really out of the ordinary.

Finally, Nico let out another sigh. “Why don't you just go talk to him?”

Luke shot Nico a glare. “Shut up, you don't know what you are talking about,” the blond shot back. Nico opened his mouth to object, but Luke cut him off. “Look.” He motioned over to where Eros sat.

At first, Nico didn't really notice anything. He watched in silence as Eros listened to Lou talk, cutting up his food into small pieces. And then those small pieces became smaller pieces, though they did not go into Eros's mouth. The brunet just nudged them with his fork and moved them around on his plate. But it wasn't until Eros got up and went to the bathroom that it really clicked in Nico's mind as to what it was that Luke was trying to get him to notice.

Nico turned back to Luke with wide eyes. “Does he...?”

“Have an eating disorder?” Luke mumbled, eyeing the direction that Eros had just gone. “More than likely, anorexia. Not entirely uncommon with Lost Kids, but Percy has worked to treat any at his hotel that develop an eating disorder.” Luke's brow furrowed as he turned back to Nico. “We talked for a while the night we had sex, and it was just something that I noticed.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered.

Luke arched a brow at him. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

Nico let out a sigh. “Because, you like him.” He didn't even let Luke open his mouth. “I mean, it's a little obvious. You stare at him a lot. I'm just not sure why you are pushing him away, because it's pretty clear that he likes you back, or at least desires you on a sexual level.”

“I do not like him.”

Nico held his hands up in defense. “It's fine if you don't want to admit it to me, but you shouldn't lie to yourself about it. You don't tell anyone, so why are you resisting this? Even if it's just for the sex, I don't see why this is bothering you. It doesn't make any sense, really.” Nico smiled a little, ignoring the glare from Luke. “You deserve to be happy, Luke.”

“It doesn't really matter, now does it?” Luke muttered, tossing a fry into his mouth. “If you haven't noticed, we sort of live on different continents.”

Nico had to smile a little in victory. He didn't bring it up, but he had gotten Luke to vaguely admit that he had some sort of feelings for Eros. It was a huge victory for Nico, considering who he was dealing with. Still...

“Well,” Nico began, “Percy might be considering allowing Lost Kids to transfer hotels.” Nico quickly picked up his drink and took a sip, looking innocently off to the side.

Luke frowned, though his attention was soon taken away by Eros's return. His blue eyes followed the French boy until he sat back down at his table. Lou leaned over and whispered something that made the brunet frown. Luke drummed his fingers on the table as he continued to watch the green-eyed Lost Boy.

“And why would Percy consider doing this?” He asked.

Nico chewed on his lip, doing his best to look innocent. “I might have suggested it to him,” the boy mumbled. He chuckled nervously when Luke narrowed his gaze in Nico's direction. “I mean, only if the Lost Kid wants to transfer, it's not like anyone is going to be forced to do it.”

Luke grunted, though his eyes did not return to Eros. For a moment, he just sat there, tapping his leg anxiously. “You realize that, if Annabeth doesn't get picked for branch manager, she will want to be transferred, right?”

“I'm aware,” Nico whispered with a nod. “I'll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

For a long time, Luke just sat there with his jaw clenched. His eyes briefly flickered over to Eros again before they focused on Nico's face. “Annabeth's parents divorced when she was little.”

Wha-”

“Shut up, or I won't continue my story.” Luke glared at Nico until he sat back in his seat and shut his mouth. “Her mother was a brilliant woman, someone that Annabeth has always aspired to be like. Her father was a smart man, a genius in his own trade. However, her father remarried. Her father and the new wife ended up having twins a few months after Annabeth's tenth birthday.” Blue eyes fell away from Nico, full of betrayal. “Annabeth's stepmother was insane, though Annabeth didn't really see it until it was too late. She was still young, what was she supposed to do?

“The new Mrs. Chase wanted Annabeth to refer to her as 'mother', even though Annabeth was very adamant that she would do no such thing. She was a very jealous woman, one that pretty much hated Annabeth's real mother. The woman blew up whenever Annabeth's father even spoke to her, even though they never took their relationship beyond platonic again.” Luke took a breath, glancing over at Eros again. “Her parents liked talking about their trades, discussing architecture and science, or anything else that might interest them on that given day. But it didn't really seem that way to the crazy bitch.

“Annabeth woke up one particular night to two gunshots. Her father came up the stairs, yelling, and then she says that there was another gunshot. When she came out of her room, she found her stepmother standing over her father's body, while the twins had been shot in their bed.” Luke pressed his lips firmly together, somehow appearing more vulnerable than Nico had really ever seen him.

“Oh my god,” Nico whispered. “And the stepmother didn't shoot her?”

“No,” Luke whispered, shaking his head. “She said that they could be a family now, in a place where Annabeth's 'bitch of a mother' could not interfere in their lives anymore.” Luke let out a long breath before he continued. “Annabeth was devastated, having to see her father and brothers murdered like that. But Mrs. Chase said that there was just one thing that needed to be done first. She waited, keeping Annabeth close to her the entire time. Annabeth says it was the last time she ever really felt afraid, but it was the worst she's ever experienced.

“That bitch waited until Annabeth's mother came to pick her up for the weekend, and then shot her. Annabeth bolted while her mother was dying. She's still alive, in some asylum.” Luke clenched his jaw again, squeezing his fist on the table. “Yeah, so, I'm sure you can imagine why she might not want to talk about her past. I'd also hope that you have enough human decency to not use any of this information against her.” He narrowed his icy blue eyes at Nico. “Because, if you do...you won't make it to move to Germany, I'll make sure of that myself.”

Nico gulped and nodded his head. “Understood,” he replied quietly.

With a final glare, Luke got to his feet. He took a few steps before he turned back towards Nico. “I do not want to get dragged into the middle of whatever war is about to unfold between the two of you, and I'd suggest to keep it away from Percy's ears.” He glanced Nico over for a second. “Don't think I wouldn't make the same threat to her. In case you've forgotten, I was the one that made that deal to try and keep you out of our life.”

“You're also the one that tried to bully me into it by calling me a baby.”

“If the shoe fits.” Luke smirked at the irritated look on Nico's face. As the smile faded, he nodded his head and tapped his hand against the back of the chair he had been using. “But you have done a lot of growing up, and I honestly did not think you could handled all that you have. We're supposed to look after our own, remember that.” He rolled his eyes at the smile that made its way across Nico's lips. “Do not get mushy on me, twerp,” Luke sighed, slipping a piece of gum into his mouth, “you're still annoying.”

As Luke went to leave again, Nico stopped him. “Thank you.”

Luke popped his lips and turned back to face Nico. “Do not thank me, because this conversation never happened.”

Nico nodded, a small smile on his lips. As Luke turned to walk away a third time, Nico glanced over at Eros. Nico chewed on his lip. “Talk to Eros. Soon.” Luke stopped at Nico's words. “If you don't do it before we leave, you're going to regret it.”

Without saying anything, Luke left the restaurant. Nico frowned as the blond left, but did not pursue the older Lost Boy. Nico let out a long sigh before he got up and left the restaurant as well. As soon as he stepped out the door, the boy jerked back when snot flew across his face and chest.

A young boy stood before him, his nose dripping in snot. Nico looked shocked and a little disgusted as a woman, most likely the mother, came over and pulled the boy away by his arm, lecturing him about covering his nose as they went.

“Tissue?” Came Percy's voice. Nico looked up, wiping some of the boy's snot off of his shirt. “Perhaps a change of clothes as well?”

Nico slowly nodded, accepting the box of tissues from Percy. “How was the meeting?” He asked as he dabbed at his face.

“It was okay. How was lunch?”

“Well, it was going fine, until I decided to leave.” Nico made a face as he dropped the snot-filled tissue into the nearest trashcan. “I need to be sanitized.”

Percy chuckled. “I'm sure you'll be fine.”

\-------------------------

On their last full day in Germany, Percy pretty much had them take the day off. Which was fine with Nico, because they ended up at the pool, and that meant that Percy was shirtless. Nico sat on the edge of the pool as Percy did a few laps, watching Percy's muscles in the water very intently. Maybe it was a little sad, since Nico could pretty much seen Percy naked whenever he wanted, but the Lost Boy really did not care.

Percy emerged from the water, directly between Nico's legs. He smirked up at the pale boy, resting his arms across Nico's legs. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Enjoying the view,” Nico teased. Smiling, Nico ran his fingers through Percy's wet hair. “Can't we just stay here?”

Percy took Nico's hand and kissed the boy's knuckles. “Very soon.” Winking up at Nico, Percy moved slightly to the left and climbed out of the pool. Nico bit down on his lip as he watched Percy's arm muscles tighten. Percy walked over to a chaise lounge chair.

Percy did not even have to say anything to get Nico to come over to him, he just simply patted the space between his legs. Nico jumped up and walked over, pulling his relatively small swim trunks down around his thighs. Nico's face flushed as Percy unabashedly looked his body over. Eros had given them to him after their last pool day, and Nico was not sure how comfortable he felt in them. They were basically boxer-briefs that gave his ass a nice lift. But Percy seemed to like them, so Nico would gladly wear them whenever the young man wanted.

Taking in a breath, Nico turned around and slid in between Percy's legs, humming lightly as Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. He let his head rest against the green-eyed young man's torso. It was so relaxing...until Luke came in.

Nico didn't even notice that the blond was there, until he shoved Eros, who had been following behind him, into the pool. Nico shot up when water splashed across his face. Eros surfaced with a pout, while Luke just narrowed his eyes down at the brunet. Eros climbed out and sat down in the empty lounge chair beside Percy and Nico. Percy handed the boy a towel, while Luke sat down on the opposite side of Percy and Nico.

“Is there a problem?” Percy finally asked.

“He is accusing me of vile things,” Luke replied, nodding over to where Eros sat. “And, now, he's being ridiculous, pestering me about coming to his room.”

“Tu es un sale menteur,” Eros mumbled. He cut his green eyes over to Percy. “This one was already in my room. He just freaked out when Cecil came in and found us cu-”

“We were doing no such thing!”

Eros let out a breath. “Cuddling,” he continued. Eros stuck out his tongue when Luke glared at him. “I do not see why you are ashamed.” Huffing, Eros got up and dove into the pool.

Nico scowled over at Luke. “Really? You got upset because someone caught you cuddling with Eros?”

“We were not cuddling!” Luke hissed.

“Were so,” Eros called from the pool. “After sex, you and I were cuddling.”

Luke's body tensed. “Shut up, stop announcing such things to the world.”

Nico stared at the blond in disbelief. “Luke, you realize we are leaving tomorrow.” He glanced at Percy before he continued. “I thought we talked about this?”

“About what?” Percy kissed Nico's shoulder blade.

“Nothing,” Luke mumbled. “He's been following me around for the past ten minutes.”

Nico let out a sigh. “Maybe because he wants to spend time with you on your last night here.” He narrowed his eyes at the blond. “I saw you eating dinner with him last night.”

“Cecil was there.” Luke let out a grunt. “It wasn't like a date or anything.” He glanced at Eros, who was watching them from the edge of the pool. “Maybe someone should lock their door.”

Eros just stuck his tongue out at the blond. “You were the one that came to my room last night.” Eros smirked as Luke's ears turned pink. “You were also the one that initiated sex with me the past two times, also asking me to give you head backstage.”

Nico glanced at Percy, who was watching the entire thing from over the pale boy's shoulder. Percy looked rather amused, though it did not look like the manager was planning to intervene anytime soon. Nico leaned in and pressed a kiss to the young man's forehead.

“He has also not been complaining about my company,” Eros added. When Luke chose to not respond, Eros sighed and sank beneath the water.

Leaning over, Nico smacked Luke on the arm. “Ow!” Luke frowned, rubbing his arm. “What was that for, twerp?”

“For being an idiot,” Nico mumbled. “Go talk to him again. Stop trying to screw yourself up, Luke, just try and be happy.” He held up a finger when Luke opened his mouth. “I will not accept 'no' as an answer. We only have one more day here, and I know you like him. You glanced over at him when we were talking about that thing yesterday.”

“What thing?” Percy asked, his brow furrowed.

Nico shoved the young man back. “Nothing, don't worry about it.” Percy pouted, but Nico ignored him for now, focusing his attention on the blond instead. “Luke, I'm serious, this is ridiculous. Nobody back home has to know, and I doubt Cecil thinks less of you. Now,” Nico pointed to where the brunet was swimming, “go and enjoy the rest of your afternoon with him.”

Luke just glared at Nico for a long time. He glanced over at Percy, who just smiled and shrugged. Letting out a sigh, Luke got to his feet and stripped himself of his shirt. Without another word, Luke jumped into the pool. Eros eyed him warily as the blond swam over to him.

Nico let out a heavy sigh and fell back against Percy's chest. “Why must he be so difficult?”

“It's just the way Luke is.” Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. “I don't think you need to worry, I'm sure Luke will get things sorted before we leave. He likes Eros more than I think he's willing to admit, probably because Eros doesn't actually put up with his bullshit. I'm sure they will be good for each other.”

Nico glanced up at the raven haired young man. “Maybe Luke could move to the German branch, then they could be together?”

Percy kissed Nico's forehead. “I'll see what I can do.”

“Goo-” Nico cut himself off with a sudden sneeze, which was followed soon after by another one. Nico batted Percy's hand away when the young man tried to feel his forehead. “I'm fine, I'm fine.”

Percy stared at him in amusement. “I do believe that kid from yesterday got you sick.”

Nico paused for a second and then scowled at Percy. “Don't be ridiculous, I'm the epitome of health.”

\------------------------

Nico sneezed into a wad of tissues that he had grabbed from Percy's room before they had left the hotel. It was time to go back home, but Nico really just wanted to go to sleep. He had felt awful when he first woke up, so Nico would probably just pass out for most of the plane ride back to Los Angeles.

Kronos had left last night, much to Luke and Nico's relief. Not that Nico had seen much of Luke since they left the pool. In fact, when they left the hotel had been the first time that Nico had seen the blond in almost a day. It really did not take much to figure out where Luke had been, especially with the limp that Eros was sporting.

While Percy said goodbye to Gaea, Nico got pulled into a hug by Eros. “I will miss you, mon petit.” He refused to let Nico go, which made the brown-eyed boy smile a little. As loud of a personality that Eros had, Nico had actually come to enjoy the brunet's company. It was going to suck to not see him for a while. “Take care of yourself.” Grinning, Eros slid an arm around Nico's shoulder and had them face where Luke was standing. “And take care of him for me. Be sure he messages me, or I will jump on a plane and come hunt him down.”

Nico chuckled. “I'll do my best. “So, you two worked things out?”

Eros gave a small nod. “He told me what you told him.” Green eyes studied Nico's face carefully. “Is it true? He will be able to transfer here?”

“I'm hoping so,” Nico replied.

Eros pressed his lips together, though Nico could tell the brunet was happy. “I suppose we will see what happens in the summer then.” He winked at Nico. “And I will see you at the end of May.”

Nico's brow furrowed, titling his head to the side. “Wait, what?” He blinked twice. “Why will I be seeing you?”

Eros's eyes widened a little. “Oh. Apologizes, I thought Percy had already told you.” Eros popped his lips and placed a hand on his hips. “There is a political conference in Los Angeles at the end of May, and Gaea offered your hotel as its host. So, naturally, Gaea will be there, and I will tend to her while she is visiting.”

Nico was not that thrilled by this turn of events. It was not that he didn't want to see Eros again, it was just curious after what he overheard Luke and Percy argue. “Political,” Nico whispered. “Do you know if Luke's mother will be attending?”

Eros slowly shook his head. “I am sorry, but I do not know who his mother is.”

Nico let out a sigh and nodded. “It's fine, I'll ask Percy about it later.”

As they were getting ready to board their flight, Eros yanked Luke by his collar and pulled the blond down for a searing kiss. Nico coughed and acted like he wasn't paying attention. Luke seemed a little shocked, but he still kissed the brunet back. Though, when he remembered that people were staring, he quickly pulled away. Nico just grinned up at him when the blond glanced down at him.

“Not a word, twerp,” Luke growled as they entered the terminal.

“I wasn't going to say a word.” Nico sat down in his seat. “But I am happy that you worked things out with him. Did he tell you that he will be coming in for the conference next month?”

Luke tensed up at that, though Nico was not quite sure it was due to the news about Eros. “Yeah, he told me. He's going to be crashing in my suite.”

“More like your bed,” Percy teased as he took his seat as well. He grinned innocently when Luke scowled at him. “You realize that Eros will probably have no shame in sticking his hand down your pants...in public...regardless of who is watching, right?”

Nico did not really understand, but it seemed like Luke did. His eyebrows raised and he soon wandered into his own thoughts. Nico let out a yawn and slid down in his chair, letting his head rest against Percy's shoulder. It was going to be a long flight, and, if he was lucky, he would be able to sleep through the entirety of it.

And that was exactly what Nico did.

When he woke up, Percy was shaking him with a smile. Nico rubbed at his eyes and looked out the window. They had landed in Los Angeles, by the looks of it. Yawning, Nico got up and grabbed his carry-on bag.

Rachel picked them up from the airport and delivered them back to the hotel. Percy, true to his word, did not have as much physical contact with Nico as they had been back in Germany. It felt so weird being home after a week, though it was not necessarily a bad thing. Nico had really missed everyone.

However, it was a little awkward when Luke and Nico bumped into Annabeth upon arriving at their floor. She hugged Luke first, a genuine smile on her face. She kept smiling when she moved on to hug Nico, but the Lost Boy could see that it was not so authentic. It was confusing, because it did seem like she liked Nico, but saw him as a threat at the same time. From what he had pieced together, Nico felt he could understand why Annabeth had attached herself to Percy so strongly.

Percy had put her stepmother in that asylum, locked her away so that the woman could never hurt Annabeth or anyone else ever again. He honestly felt a little jealous of the blonde, being able to have been around Percy when he was a little younger. Nico wondered what Percy was really like back then.

“I'm so glad you guys are back,” Annabeth said as she released Nico from a hug.

Before Luke or Nico could respond, however, a door down the hall opened. The pure sight of it made the two Lost Boys that had just gotten back stare at each other in confusion. From Apollo's suite came Leo, limping heavily and adjusting his shirt.

When he spotted them, the Latino's eyes widened a little, like a child caught opening his presents on Christmas. “Hey, guys! When did you two get back?”

Luke arched a brow. “Just a moment ago.” He blinked a few times. “Were you...?” Luke couldn't even finish his sentence, too confused by the entire thing. Nico could easily relate.

As if on cue, a shirtless Apollo emerged from the suite. “Hey, Leo, you forgot your...” His cheeks flared up at being caught. Coughing, he held out his hand, handing Leo his wallet. “Um, you forgot this.”

Luke just arched an eyebrow at the other blond. “Yeah, whatever.” He let out a sigh and shoved Nico in Apollo's direction. “Percy wants the kid to see Will. Apparently, twerp here has caught a cold.”

Nico glared, rubbing at his runny nose. Apollo chuckled and nodded. “Come on, Will can fix you up,” the blond said. Pouting as he sniffled, Nico let the blond guide him down the hall and into his suite.

Once the door was shut, Nico arched a brow at the curly haired blond. “I see things happened while I was gone.”

Apollo shook his head innocently. “I don't know what you're talking about.” He pushed Nico onto the couch. “Shut up, I don't want to hear it.” The blond let out a sigh. “We just worked things out a few days ago, and I really can't say what's going to happen. I do need to talk to you and catch you up, though. A lot happened for me while you were gone.”

Nico slowly nodded. “Okay.” Unable to hold it back any longer, Nico coughed a few times. “Can you just go get our resident doctor?”

Apollo chuckled and disappeared down the hall. Nico heard a door open and then hushed voices. A few seconds later, Will poked his head around the corner, a huge grin on his face.

“Nico!” He cried, practically jumping across the couch. However, the second Nico sneezed, Will lifted his shirt to cover his mouth and nose from Nico's germs. “Well, you look like crap.”

Nico pouted and slumped down. “Thanks a lot,” he mumbled. Well, at least he was home. It wouldn't be long now until his real life began, but there was so much that needed to be taken care of in that time. With another sneeze, Nico groaned. All of it could wait until he felt better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> Tu es un sale menteur (You are a dirty liar)
> 
> \-------
> 
> I have a one-shot out on what happened with Luke during the last chapter, if any of you are interested. You can find it here on AO3.


	53. Love is like a Wild Rose

One thing that Nico would never understand was why Wile E. Coyote did not just take his business elsewhere, since the Acme Corporation clearly was not getting the job done for him. This was what ran through the Lost Boy's head as he sat on the floor, watching TV, with a glass of orange juice next to him and a blanket wrapped tightly around him. He was still sick, so Percy had kept him home from school under Will's orders. It wasn't so bad, at least not until Nico had to take his medicine.

The stuff tasted like the bottom of someone's foot.

Was it sad that Nico knew what that tasted like? His time with Kronos in charge had not been a pleasant one, not with some of the weird things that the clients down in the kink rooms wanted. At least that stuff was over.

Nico broke eye contact with the TV when the door opened. His lips tilted up at the sight of Percy coming back to check on him. Percy had let Nico sleep with him the night before and made Nico remain in his suite while the young man was at work.

Percy sat down on the couch beside Nico and the boy let his head fall onto the green-eyed young man's leg. “How are you feeling?” Before he even got an answer, Percy placed a hand on Nico's forehead. “You're still a little warm.”

Nico pouted as he tilted his head back to look at Percy, the blanket falling off of his head in the process. Percy smiled down at him and leaned in for a kiss, but Nico pulled back. “Are you trying to get sick?” Nico huffed.

Percy let out a sigh. “Well, not if you don't let me kiss you.” He rolled his eyes and grabbed Nico's head, holding the boy in place while he leaned down and pressed an innocent kiss to Nico's lips. “I'll take my chances. But you should go back to bed, if you're still feeling bad.”

“I'm fine.” Still leaving his head on Percy's leg, Nico turned his attention back to the TV. He smiled as he watched the coyote plummet off a cliff.

Percy grunted and leaned back against the couch. “Your sister is coming by after school,” the green-eyed boy announced. A very undignified noise escaped Nico's throat, which made his face turn red. He sounded like some pathetic baby animal. “She wants to check on you, since you're sick, and to see how your trip went.” Percy made Nico look up at him. “If I were you, I'd use this as a time to talk to her about moving. You're sick, she's not going to get angry with a sick person.”

Nico whined again, which did not sound any better than the last noise he made. He pouted when Percy laughed at him. This wasn't funny.

“Especially if you sound like that,” Percy continued.

Nico sighed and removed his head from Percy's leg. Glaring at nothing in particular, Nico pulled the blanket back over his head. “You're mean.”

Percy fell onto his side, so that his head was now on Nico's other side. From the corner of his eye, Nico could see the wicked grin on the young man's face. “And you're very cute when you're sick.”

Nico reached up and rubbed his nose. “Shut up,” he mumbled. The boy let out a breath and turned to face his sort of boyfriend. Nico really was not sure what he was supposed to call Percy for the time being. “Can I ask you something?”

Percy's eyes widened a little, blinking at the boy. His grin slowly slipped away. “Anything.”

“It's about this conference coming up.” Nico fiddled with a fraction of his blanket to avoid eye contact with Percy. “Luke's mother is going to be there, isn't she? That's what Kronos was tormenting him about, right?”

When Nico finally chanced a look, Percy had his brow furrowed. The young man reached and pushed the blanket off of Nico's head, letting his fingers tangle in strands of Nico's hair. “Yes,” Percy replied softly. “They'll probably see each other, but I've assured Luke that it would be for no more than a day or two. Plus, I will make sure they are kept apart as much as possible.”

“She doesn't know that her sons live here, does she?”

Percy slowly shook his head. “Not even an inclination.” He brushed a strand of Nico's hair out of the boy's face. “You shouldn't worry about it, I have everything under control.”

As Percy sat up, the young man pulled Nico into his lap. Their lips met and Nico let out a breathless moan. When they pulled back, Nico smiled a little. He maneuvered himself so that his head was in the young man's lap, his body completely relaxing when Percy slowly began to trace his fingers along Nico's shirtless back.

Later that afternoon, Nico laid on the couch in his suite. Why was he now in his suite? Because Percy apparently didn't want Bianca to have access to his floor after she heard Nico's news. So, he sent Nico back to his own suite around two hours ago with some medicine and the promise that Nico could come back to Percy's floor after it was over.

Coward.

Not that he was much better. The Lost Boy instantly tensed when there was a knock at his door. With a deep breath, Nico slowly got up and walked over to open the door. Bianca smiled at him and enveloped him in a tight hug. “I'm so glad that you're home,” she said, squeezing him even tighter.

“I feel like we're back to where we started a few months ago,” Nico wheezed out.

“Sorry.” Bianca chuckled and released her brother. “So, what did you get me?”

Nico rolled his eyes and motioned to the coffee table, where he had placed Bianca's souvenirs. He got her a coffee mug, a new purse, some postcards, and a new dress. The last one definitely caught her attention, if the size of her eyes was anything to go by.

“Nico, how much did this cost?” She asked, holding the dress up to her body.

Her brother just shrugged, rubbing at his neck and keeping his eyes on the floor. “It's really not important.” He had been smart enough to remove the price tags earlier. She probably would have had a heart attack if she learned the price.

Her eyes narrowed and slowly drifted over to her brother's nervous face. Nico pursed his lips tightly and tried his best to look innocent. This was not good. “Nico, does this have anything to do with those tabloids that I've been seeing? Daedalus got harassed at school because people wanted to know where you were.” She let out a sigh and put the dress down. “You are on the front pages and even on the occasional news program. Dad was very furious when he saw that, but his new girlfriend-”

“Persephone.”

Bianca blinked at him. “Right, I forget that she's the reason Dad found out.” The girl shook her head lightly. “Either way, you can thank her for talking our father out of calling the police to inform them that Percy is having his way with you. That's what he thinks anyways.” Her dark eyes narrowed when Nico averted his own eyes. “Nico...please tell me that your boss is not being inappropriate with you. Daedalus told me that you had a crush on Percy in the beginning, is that true? Has he touched you? Is he taking advantage of you?”

Nico gulped. His sister looked ready to murder. “Um, well,” the Lost Boy rubbed his neck, “I wouldn't really say that he's taking advantage of me.” He chewed on his lip for a second before chancing a glance at his sister. The look of madness that they had inherited from their father was there in full force. “I do like... Um, well, he's being really sweet, and-”

“Is he having sex with you?”

Well shit. This could only end badly. It was nice knowing you, Percy. Hell hath no fury like Nico's sister. Better Percy than Nico, right? Percy would be fine. Probably. Hopefully.

Nico's hesitance was clearly not the right answer. Before Nico even realized what was happening, Bianca had the door open and was heading out into the hall. The brown-eyed boy shot into the hall and grabbed his sister's arm.

“B, where are you going?” He asked.

She whirled around on him. “To kick your boss in the balls. That way, he will be reluctant to take his junk out of his pants whenever he sees you.” She marched onward to the elevator. “He'll remember that my brother should not be used like this, simply because he offered you a place to live. You can just move in with Daedalus until you graduate, if that's the issue.”

Nico began to panic. “Bianca, wait!” That got her attention. His older sister came to a halt and slowly turned to face him again. Nico took in a deep breath. “It's not like that. Can we just...go back to my room and talk? Please?”

She complied, though the girl was clearly not happy about it. Bianca followed Nico with her arms crossed over her chest. When they got back to his room, Nico closed the door. Bianca was already pacing furiously at the foot of Nico's bed.

Nico took in another breath and motioned for Bianca to stop her pacing. “Percy is going to be taking over the hotel chain, just like the media has been saying. Yes, I've been working here and doing things that I know you don't approve of, but the situation has changed. Is changing.” Nico relaxed his shoulders. “Percy offered me a committed relationship. He wouldn't be taking advantage of me, I wouldn't even have to keep working like I am. I would be taken care of.” He searched his sister's eyes, but they were unreadable. “I care about him a lot, B, and he likes me back. So, I accepted his offer when he asked. It was my decision, one that he offered me. Percy has never forced himself on me, or even done anything that I didn't want. If anything, you should be mad at me. I'm the one that tried to get into his pants to begin with.”

“You can't be serious!” Bianca replied, throwing her hands into the air. “Nico, you are underage. He could go to jail, I don't understand why he would suggest something like this. He could just be using you.”

Nico snorted. “For what? I don't have anything valuable to offer him, B.” The raven haired boy plopped down on his bed. “And I don't think he's too concerned about the police, to be honest. Really, it's fine, you don't need to worry.”

Bianca let out a long sigh and sat down beside her brother. “I will always worry about you, twerp.” She placed a soft hand on his back and rubbed small circles. “You don't have to do this regardless, because you could just go to school and leave this place behind. You don't have to have Percy to get out of this life.” Her brow furrowed as she studied his expression. “Tell me that you were planning on leaving.”

“Um,” Nico licked his lips, “about that.” He let out a long breath, his shoes suddenly very interesting. “See, Percy is going to be moving to Germany when he takes over.”

Bianca just shrugged. “Then you shouldn't worry about him, he'll be half a world away.”

This was much harder than he realized it would be. “Bianca...”

His sister's face paled. “Nico, please tell me you're not about to say what I think you are.” When no answer came, she placed her hands over her face and took a deep breath.

“I want to move, B. It would be a fresh start. I could be so far away from our father, and I wouldn't have to worry about surviving. Percy isn't going to hurt me.” Nico pressed his lips together, his brow furrowed. “Well, not intentionally. He wouldn't mean to hurt me. Really, Percy actually tried to push me away, thinking he wasn't good for me.”

Bianca had her lips tightly pursed. She didn't look at Nico, wouldn't look at him. Nico felt a lump in his throat. “I...” Bianca began. “Well, I guess I can't stop you, and I can't make decisions for you your whole life.” She lowered her gaze. It hurt a little that she wouldn't look at him, but Nico knew how hard this probably was for her. They wouldn't see each other but a few times a year. “If this is what you really want...”

A smile became plastered on Nico's face. If anything, this was the closest he could get to parental consent. It was really the only family member's opinion that Nico cared about. “Thank you!” He threw his arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I promise that you don't need to worry about me.”

Bianca rolled her eyes and patted her brother's back. “Yeah, yeah. Just tell Percy that he better take damn good care of you, or I will come hunt him down in Germany. I don't care how rich and powerful he is, I'll cut his balls off if he hurts you.”

Nico slowly pulled back. “Are you sure you're okay with this?”

“The Germany part? Not so much.” She let out a sigh. Much to Nico's surprise, a smile formed on her lips. “However, I am glad that you are happy. With him, not this place. And he better not have you still strip. You best be keeping your clothes on now, aside from Percy. No point in telling you not to do that, since you two have already did the deed.” She ruffled her brother's hair. “He does make you happy, right?”

Nico nodded with a smile. “Very much.”

Bianca nodded and stood up. “I think I'm going to go for a long walk, maybe take up drinking.”

Nico snorted. “Thank you, Bianca.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don't forget about how awesome I am.” She smiled and leaned down to kiss her brother on the top of his head. “Make sure you call or message me somehow once or twice a week while you are over there.”

“I will,” Nico assured her.

With a final nod and a hug, Bianca left and Nico was left alone in his room. The boy let out a long breath, falling back on his bed. He needed a massage. That had been way too stressful, but at least it was over. And Percy still had his balls. That was always a plus, Nico supposed.

His head fell to the side, his eyes opening on his closet. The boy blinked, his brow furrowing when his gaze locked on to a small box on the top shelf of the back portion of his closet. Nico slid off the bed and entered his closet. Standing on his tiptoes and stretching his arm, Nico pulled the box down. It was rather small, but Nico still remembered it.

It was strange to think that something so small could cause so much distress. When he had gotten the box, Nico had refused to open it. The thing just sat on his dresser, taunting him. When that got to be too much, Nico had stuffed it into his closet and had long since been forgotten. At least until now.

Scrunching his lips, Nico debated just leaving it unopened. It wasn't like he would probably use whatever it was. And if it was something out of the ordinary, Nico would just go back to being afraid that he had one of those creepy obsessed people for a client.

No, Nico was stronger than this, he was better than this. Without any more hesitation, Nico tore off the top of the box. His eyes fell upon the object inside and the Lost Boy just blinked at it. Reaching in, Nico pulled out a laced red thong.

Nico snorted and dropped it back into the box, sealing the lid back on it. Not so much something from an obsessed person, but rather someone that just wanted to see Nico in something perverted. He would not be using them. Nico groaned and dropped the box in the trash. When all of this over, he would probably toss out about half of the underwear he had.

The briefs, boxers, boxer-briefs, and things like speedos were fine. Thongs just were not Nico's thing. Even after adjusting to this life, Nico hated putting them on. It wasn't about his masculinity, Nico had never really figured trying to preserve that image was important. No, it was just the simple fact that Nico did not find thongs appealing.

He would much rather wear something that hugged his ass tightly, than have something that worked like dental floss when he walked.

\------------------------

Nico did not get to go upstairs for the performances that night. Percy had forbid it, so that Nico did not risk getting the clients sick. Great priorities. It was so nice to see what was truly important. Percy had just grinned when Nico had told him all that. But Percy was happy to hear that Bianca had given Nico her blessing to move to Germany.

Still, Nico was dragged to the conference room across from Percy's office after all of the Lost Kids were done for the night. It was time to announce Percy's replacement. Nico could not help but watch Annabeth very carefully as they waited for Percy to arrive. Her face was blank, but she tapped her finger insistently on the wooden table. The question was: Was she doing it because she wanted the promotion, or was she anxious because she was hoping Percy would pass her up?

The other Lost Kids really did not seem concerned over it, save for Octavian. The blond had his arm rests in a death grip. The twins had busied themselves with trying to toss jellybeans into each other's mouths. Then there was Luke, who was too busy staring at his phone to even look up when Percy entered the room.

Other than Leo and Rachel, Nico was the only one that knew that Percy actually had two things to tell everyone. Luke knew that the subject was up for debate, but the blond did not know that Percy had made up his mind. It would make things more difficult with Annabeth when she learned. What if she got the position and gave it up?

Could she do that?

Percy shifted his weight onto his right hip and placed his hands behind his head. “So, as you know I need to name my replacement.” The young man popped his lips. “However, it's not the only thing I need to tell you about.” His eyes flickered over to where Nico sat, and the look in those sea-green eyes let the Lost Boy know that Percy had not told him everything. “There are two other things.”

Nico sat up in his chair. Two? Percy had not mentioned anything else. What the hell did Nico not know? Was this going to screw things up for Nico's plans?

Percy blew out a breath. “So, I guess I should start with the replacement.” He nodded his head lightly. “It really wasn't that hard of a decision. Annabeth,” Percy said. The blonde tensed and held her breath. “You will be an amazing branch manager, Annabeth.”

Nico released a sigh of relief. Everything was good. Annabeth would stay here and Nico could be happy. He had won. And Annabeth did not look happy about that. She did smile, but the look in her gray eyes clearly told a different story.

“But...”

Nico felt his face pale. This was not going to be good. The raven haired boy buried his face into his hands.

Percy pointed over to Ocatvian. “However, there was something else discussed at the manager meeting. Athena wants to retire in another year or two.” Percy lifted his hands in a shrug. “So, Octavian, it might be possible for you to get that position, if you wanted it. You speak plenty of languages, so it's not like you aren't qualified.”

Nico was not sure if he wanted to be relieved just yet. While everyone else was focused on Octavian or Percy, Nico had his gaze trained on Annabeth. The blonde did not seem so irritated any longer, and Nico had a good hunch as to why.

“But, of course, the position will be picked from all the hotels, so there's no sure guarantee,” Percy continued. He scratched at his cheek. “The other part is something for all of you, except Annabeth, since she will be taking my place here.” A smirk touched at the young man's lips. “I want to open the doors for transfer. This can apply to any Lost Kid. From any hotel, to any hotel. If you want to come to Germany with me and Nico, you are welcome to put in an application.

“I will work with the particular branch manager and work out arrangements for swapping Lost Kids. Like, say that five of you want to come to Germany, I will have to make sure five get placed here from the German branch, unless Annabeth can round five new Lost Kids up around here. Everything still needs to be balanced, just keep that in mind.” Percy smiled over at Nico, which some of the Lost Kids did seem to catch. “I want this to be sort of a new day for the Lotus Hotel. Leo and Rachel will make sure that forms are available in my office in the next week or two.” Those green eyes slowly moved their way around the room, giving each of them an unspoken message. “Some of you may finally be able to be where you want to be, maybe even with someone that you want to be with.”

When he said that, Percy had looked straight at Hazel. The girl did her best to suppress a smile. She wanted to go be with Frank. It made Nico a little sad to realize that, knowing that he wouldn't get to see her after they moved if that was the case. He just hoped that some of the others would take the offer.

“Wait,” Annabeth said, holding up a hand. “You said that you and Nico would be moving to Germany.”

That definitely caught everyone's attention. Will glanced over at Nico, his brow furrowed. The twins grinned wickedly. “Is the boss finally settling down?” They both asked in unison.

Percy let out a sigh and rubbed at his neck. “I was going to bring that up later. Um,” his eyes flickered up to where Nico sat, “yes, Nico is going to be moving to Berlin with me. Um, I, sort of...like...him.”

Nico was really not sure if he had ever seen Percy blush like this before. The young man's cheeks were a bright pink, which really amused Nico. The tables had turned.

“So, you're going to have an open relationship?” Annabeth asked. “I mean, you have business to conduct here and all. And what about when you move?”

“Uh,” Percy chuckled, rubbing at his neck. “Well, I guess the way I conduct business here with all of you is going to be coming to an end over the next few weeks. Nico and I talked, and it was something we agreed on. And, of course, there is no need for me to be anything but committed once we move.”

“No more sex?” Drew shrieked. “That is so unfair!” She shot Nico a dirty look. “Percy's body is too hot to not share with the rest of us. Totally selfish.”

Will looked like someone had kicked his favorite puppy. Nico would have to talk with the blond soon, clear the air between them. But the majority of the Lost Kids did not seem that concerned. Thalia even patted Percy on the back, congratulating him. Beckendorf gave Nico a thumbs up and a wink.

“Okay, everyone settle down,” Percy said above all the commotion. “It's late, we all need some sleep. Just remember about the forms and be thinking it over.” He snapped his fingers and motioned towards the door. “Meeting adjourned.”

As they all filed out, Nico managed to catch Luke. “Hey,” the shorter boy said quietly.

Luke just grunted at him, not even bothering to look up from his phone. “What do you want, twerp?”

“I wanted to know if you decided on the transfer thing.”

“Not sure.” For a brief second, those cold blue eyes flickered over to stare at Nico. “It really doesn't matter.”

Nico pressed his lips together. He held his tongue until they were on their floor and could talk without everyone else listening to their conversation. It was really just a miracle that Luke didn't leave Nico standing there in the hall.

The brown-eyed boy tilted his head to the side when the last door closed. “What about Eros?” He asked, studying Luke's face.

The blond paused. His lips tilted down and he pocketed his phone. “It was just sex. Why have you been trying to make such a big deal out of it? We only knew each other a week.” The older Lost Boy shook his head. “Just let it go, kid.”

Nico let out a breath and nodded. “I know, but that doesn't mean you can't like him. I think you're afraid to like someone.” He shrugged. “It's understandable. I mean, you got hurt the last time you did.”

“Shut up,” Luke growled.

Nico bit down on his lip, taking a step back. “It's fine, Luke. All of that is in the past, you don't need to get angry about it.” Nico swallowed a lump in his throat. He waited for Luke to blow up at him, but the blond just stared down at him with an icy gaze. “You should at least try. See where it goes. Who knows, you might actually be happy. There's no harm in trying. If you moved, there would be nothing stopping you from trying.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “And if nothing comes of it, then I moved for nothing.”

Nico simply shrugged. “You can still have sex with him, since you did seem to enjoy that.”

Luke just grunted and opened his door. Before he disappeared inside, though, the blond glanced over his shoulder and studied Nico for a moment. His brow furrowed, and then he was gone. The door closed gently behind him. Nico let his head fall back with a sigh of relief. Luke really did deserve to be happy. Maybe it was just sex, but that didn't mean something couldn't grow from it.

It wasn't long after Nico got back to his room that Percy opened his door. He smiled at Nico as he closed the door behind him. Nico smiled back, busy working on getting his pants off. He just wanted to crawl under his covers and pass out until he felt better.

“Feel better?” Percy asked.

Nico shrugged. “A little.” His fever had gone down, and now Nico was just left with a mild headache and a runny nose. “Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”

Percy chuckled. “I'll let you have another day off, but you do need to go back by Wednesday.”

“Technically, Wednesday is tomorrow.”

The young man shrugged. “You're the one that said tomorrow, I said I'd let you have another day off.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Touché.” He let out a sigh and leaned back on his palms. “So, what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Just wanted to check on you,” Percy replied. He reached out and brushed Nico's bangs away, feeling the boy's forehead. “I have some business to take care of, or I'd let you sleep upstairs.”

Nico felt his smile falter. “With one of the Lost Kids, you mean,” he muttered.

Percy let out a sigh. “We talked about this, Nico.” His brow furrowed and he slipped his hands into his pockets. “Why is it bothering you?”

“Talking about and going through it are two different things.” Nico chuckled to hide the pain that he felt right now, though it probably did nothing to convince Percy. “Can't you tell them no and let me come sleep up there? I'm sick.”

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “You are just trying to play the guilt card now. That's low.” The young man tugged at a strand of Nico's hair. “Don't be like this. It'll all be over soon and we can go back to how we were last week, forever.” Smiling, Percy leaned down and kissed Nico on the lips. “Smile.”

Nico threw on a fake one to appease the young man. With a grunt, Nico rolled onto his side and turned his back to Percy. It was probably Annabeth, trying to ruin Nico's victory.

Percy opened Nico's door. He let out a sigh when Nico did not roll over to look at him. “In case you've forgotten, I don't kiss the others outside of sex. Just something to think about.” With that, he shut Nico's door and left the suite.

Nico rolled over and frowned at the door. His shoulder slumped with a sigh. Maybe he was acting like a child. He just really wanted for this to be over and the rest of his life to begin.

\-------------------------

There was nothing Nico wanted more than to stay inside Jason's car when they arrived at school on Wednesday morning. Not only was nearly the entire student body waiting in the parking lot, but so were a mass of media and press. Before Nico could even get out of the car, there were cameras flashing in his direction.

Nico lifted an arm and did his best to hide from the cameras, but they came at him from all sides. There was a faint ringing in his ears as the hoard descended on him, trying to yell over each other to ask Nico an endless stream of questions.

“Is it true that you are in a relationship with Percy Jackson?”

“Where are your parents? Do they not care?”

“Over here! Are you aware that having sex with you could mean that Percy would go to jail?”

Nico felted his legs sway as he tried to squeeze through them all. He nearly walked into a pole because of the blinding lights of the cameras. Escape, Nico wanted to escape. This was too much. How was he supposed to live like this?

“Is it true that Percy is taking advantage of you as a minor?”

“How did you meet?”

“What is Percy Jackson really like? Give us the scoop.”

If it weren't for Jason and Daedalus, Nico probably would have collapsed on the spot. The two grabbed him and shoved their way through the crowd, knocking several reporters over on the way. It didn't get any better, though. After the media came the students, who all had their phones out to take pictures or record Nico.

Why were they doing this? Nico was a nobody. He wasn't important, he was just involved with someone important. Why did they have to harass him? Nico had been invisible before this.

It did not get better as school went on. Before his classes and in the halls, people would come up to Nico and ask for a picture with him. Even though he managed to complete all his missed homework, his teachers all told him not to worry about it. This new treatment really did not sit well with him. He just wanted to be normal again.

At lunch, Nico, Jason, and Daedalus were joined by Kelli and her little group. Unlike before, Kelli and Tammi seemed a little too friendly towards Nico. “Nico, we're so glad you're back,” Kelli said in a sweet tone.

“We hope you're feeling better. Did you have a fun break?” Tammi added.

“Cut the crap,” Jason mumbled. Kelli shot the blond a dirty look.

Tammi rolled her eyes. “Nico, if you ever need a lift or anything, just let me know. I can give you my number. I'd be so happy to come pick you up.”

Jason chewed his food, giving the cheerleader a dull look. “They wouldn't even let you in the lobby.” He glared back at the two when the cheerleaders gave him another dirty look.

“That's really not necessary.” Nico poked at his food, trying to do his best not to make eye contact. “I just find it funny how everyone is interested in me now that they think I'm dating a millionaire.”

“Billionaire,” Daedalus coughed.

Kelli rolled her eyes, inspecting her nails. “I mean, it's not like we didn't know you were super gay.” The girl tried to reach over and take Nico's hand, but the Lost Boy drew it back. “My cousin is totally gay, so I'm cool with it.

Dylan, who had too busy eating to contribute, finally decided to weigh in. “I don't understand why you didn't tell everyone you were dating a rich person a long time ago. Everyone would have been your friend.”

Jason aggressively bit off a carrot from his fork. “Maybe because he's not shallow and isn't trying to impress anyone.” He dropped his fork on his tray and leaned back in his chair. “It's not like anyone would have believed him anyways.”

“Besides, nobody knew who Percy Jackson was two weeks ago,” Daedalus added.

Nobody unimportant, Nico added in his head. Only people that seemed to matter to the Lotus's business seemed to know who the branch managers were, and they also knew to fear them. The general populous did not know that information, which Nico knew could lead to very dangerous situations for some of those media vultures that were still circling the school.

Around two, Nico got pulled out of class. Since the press was still outside, Ethan had been sent to pick Nico up from school. Nico remained quiet through the entire car ride, his brain too exhausted to think of something to talk about. He was just thankful to be away from school, at least until tomorrow.

How was he supposed to get by like this until May?

Once he was back at the hotel, Nico stopped by Percy's office. The young man was on the phone, but Rachel let him go in and wait. Percy smiled across the desk at him as he finished up his phone call, but his smile slowly fell as he took in Nico's exhausted appearance.

“I'll have to call you back,” Percy said to whoever he was talking to. Hanging up, Percy leaned on his desk. “Is everything okay?”

No, not really. Nico's entire body was sore from the stress of today. Nico slumped down in the chair and groaned. “Are you concerned at all about the media? They wouldn't leave me alone today.”

“I know, which is why I had you picked up early.” The young man spun his chair from side to side, giving Nico a lopsided smile. “It'll get easier, I promise.”

In response, Nico dropped the latest tabloid with them on the cover onto Percy's desk. “I don't see how. They are asking questions about my sex life.”

Percy simply shrugged, lacing his hands together in front of him as he rested his back against the chair. “I'm not concerned, and you shouldn't be either. Just don't admit to actually having sex with me.” With a long groan, Percy propped his feet up on his desk. “Not that I'd be worried if any of the press did try to insinuate such a thing, it would just mean the end of their career. The same applies to any cop stupid enough to try and arrest me. However, it would be easier if they didn't have your statement on the matter. They can't really do anything about us seeing each other, so long as it's innocent, unless your father pressed charges. Which, really, it wouldn't get him very far either.”

“You're so reassuring,” Nico droned. He pouted and dropped his head onto Percy's desk. “Do I have to go to work tonight?”

“It's just the floor, Nico,” Percy reminded him. “It's not like you'll be taking your clothes off.”

“But I can still be taken to the back rooms.”

Percy pressed his lips together. “I'll give it another day or two for that, just to be sure about your cold.” He rolled his eyes when Nico smiled at him. “You're welcome.”

“Thank you.” Standing up, Nico leaned over the desk and kissed Percy briefly. “And I'm sorry about the other night.”

Percy waved it off. “Don't worry about it.” He nodded to the door. “Go relax, enjoy yourself until work.”

Not going to argue, Nico ended up at the cabana to get a smoothie from Ganymede. “Cutie, you're back!” The man greeted him. “I heard you have been sick and confined to your room.”

Nico nodded. “Yeah, but I'm feeling better. It's just school, it was horrible today.” The Lost Boy rubbed at his neck, wincing at the tight muscles he felt there. He really needed a massage. “The paparazzi won't leave me alone.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about your little media explosion in Europe.” Ganymede grinned at him as he worked on making a smoothie for the raven haired boy. “Congrats on reeling in Percy.”

The brown-eyed boy chuckled a little. “Berlin was actually a lot of fun, though. I made three friends and I'll get to move over there once I finish high school.”

Ganymede pouted as he slid the smoothie across the counter. “Aw, I'll miss you, cutie. What will I do without you around?”

“Carry on like normal, I'd imagine.” Nico took a long sip. “I feel like I missed a lot around here while I was gone, though.”

“Not too much excitement,” Ganymede assured him. “Apollo and Leo seemed to work through things, though Robert has been around a lot. I feel like tensions are high right now between the three of them.” He grinned. “Try to keep your head down. Zoë has had Thalia over for a night or two, or so I hear. Possibly some romance there, maybe?”

“Really?” Nico scrunched his lips and then shrugged. “Good for them.”

“Annabeth and Octavian were nervous about the job thing, but I think Octavian has gotten over it.” The dirty haired blond leaned on the counter, resting a rag on his shoulder. “Jason and Will hung out a lot, mostly basketball.” The man snapped his finger suddenly. “Ah, yes, how could I forget? So, you didn't hear it from me, but word is that Beckendorf bought a ring. There might be some wedding bells in the future.”

Nico couldn't help but grin. “That's great! Nobody has told Silena?” He asked. Ganymede shook his head. “Do you know when Beckendorf is going to ask her?”

“Not a clue.” The man tapped a finger to his lips. “Probably soon, if I had to guess.”

While at work, Nico's fatigue did not go away. It was kind of hard to, when customers were always demanding service and beckoning him over. He really wanted school to be over, so that this could all be behind him. He could be relaxing by the pool in Germany right now if that were the case. Instead, Nico settled for rubbing his neck and dropping off the latest set of drink orders for Dionysus to fill. He didn't even wait around for the man to make some backhanded remark to him.

And then came the surprise. He got to his newest table, where a man sat alone. There was nothing unusual about the guy. His hair had a slight curl to it and his skin was a light bronze. His hands were also nearly double the size of Nico's. But it was what he gave Nico that caught the boy off-guard.

Nico blinked down as the man held out a single red rose. “Um, thank you?” He said with a smile, accepting the flower. Nico turned it slightly in his hand. “It looks really pretty.”

“I thought you might like it,” the man replied with a warm smile. “You always look quite handsome, and tonight I felt brave enough to give you that.” The man chuckled and leaned on the table. “I must confess, I'm not used to places like this, but I would not mind entertaining you some night.”

Nico smiled and looked down at the rose. The man seemed nice enough, so Nico let the comment about having to have sex with the guy slide. “Perhaps we can work that out.” He glanced up again, studying the man's face. “I just don't remember seeing you around here before.”

It was strange, because the guy said tonight he felt brave enough to give Nico the rose. Something like that made Nico think the guy had been here for a few times and had admired Nico, but the Lost Boy had never noticed him. The man had definitely never requested time with the brown-eyed Lost Boy. Perhaps he had just admired Nico from afar, maybe even asked one of the other Lost Kids about him? Hell, for all Nico knew, this guy had given him that present.

“I don't suppose you've given me anything before, have you? Maybe just not in person?”

The man shook his head. “No, can't say that I have. But I definitely have my eye on you now.” He smiled warmly again. “I wouldn't expect you to remember my face anyways, it's not that memorable. Besides, I'm sure you have to deal with a lot of people around here.”

Nico lifted the rose with a nod. It was true, he supposed, the man's face was not very unique. He looked normal, not even that old. Judging by his appearance, Nico guessed that the guy was just a few years younger than his own father. “Thank you again for the rose.”

He ended up putting it in a glass of water and placing it in the small fridge they had in the bar room. Nico would probably take it back to his room later. He wasn't sure if he should really keep it, but the boy did not see any real harm in it. It was a pretty rose. Standard, but still beautiful.

Octavian took Nico aside later in the night. “What's up?” Nico asked after they had moved close to a wall.

The blond rubbed lightly at his forehead. “I just have to ask, what happened in Germany?” Octavian tilted his head to the side. “I just don't understand it.”

“What do you mean?” Nico arched a brow. “I thought Percy told you all, we are-”

“Not about you and him,” the blond hissed. He rolled his eyes at the raven haired boy and pointed to his brother, who was currently on the stage. “What happened with Luke? He's barely put his phone down since he got back. And just yesterday, I caught him taking a picture of his dick. If it was for someone here, Luke would have just gone and messed around with whoever it was.”

Nico couldn't help but smile. His dark eyes traveled up to the stage to watch the blond slowly work his way out of his clothes. Nico knew full well who Luke was messaging, not that Luke would ever admit it. But this was good, very good. After his long day, Nico felt a little better.

Whether he knew it or not, Luke had given Nico the answer to his question the other night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, everyone gets to know what the present was several chapters back. Like I said, it wasn't really anything important. I never even intended to come up with something in my head for what it was, just that it wasn't important to the story. And sorry for the wait on this chapter, I had other stuff to work on. My other fic, In My Time of Need, was giving me a hard time, but it had been two months since I updated it, so I had to get a chapter done. And the other part is that I've started writing an actual book, which will probably start to take up a lot of my time. Just so all of you know why updates might be taking a while. However, since CoL is almost done, it'll still get a high priority.


	54. Before the Fall

It did not get much easier at school for Nico as the week continued. On the bright side, it was finally Friday, which meant that Nico could stay out of the public eye for two full days. He probably should have just gone straight home after school, but Bianca and Daedalus had convinced him to go down to the beach with them. Naturally, Jason had volunteered to come along, since he was actually Nico's ride back to the hotel.

While the others had gotten into the ocean to swim, Nico remained on the shore and worked on a sandcastle. One thing was for certain, Nico didn't see himself becoming an architect anytime soon. The boy smiled a little when he noticed Bianca waving at him happily.

He had almost finished the northeast tower of his castle when Jason sat down across from him. “You going to join us?” The blond asked, running a hand through his short blond hair. “Unless you're finally trying to get some color in your skin.”

Narrowing his eyes, Nico tossed a handful of wet sand at the blond's bare chest. “Never heard you complain about how pale I am.”

“It does suit you, I suppose.” Jason grinned and adjusted some sunglasses across his face. Apparently, the blond had also gotten himself some glasses while Nico had been away, though he only wore them at school or when they weren't working. Will had claimed it was due to some possible abuse from Zeus, though it eventually came to light that Jason had once had an accident involving a brick. Nico felt it best not to question it. “Anyways, you coming in?”

Nico lightly shook his head. “I think I'll pass. Water and I never really got along, at least not the ocean. Give me a pool any day.” Letting out a breath, the brown-eyed boy went back to scooping up some wet sand for his castle. Nico let out a grunt as Jason placed his sunglasses on top of Nico's head.

As Jason got up to return to the others, Nico looked over his shoulder with a frown. He chewed his lip for a moment as his eyes scanned over the beach. The Lost Boy had a very strange feeling, like someone was watching him. But from what he could see, nobody was paying him any attention. A small group of girls waved awkwardly at him, but it was probably because he had been staring. Shaking his head, Nico dumped a pile of sand down for his southwest tower.

“Is Percy Jackson's adorable squeeze having a secret fling?”

Nico looked up as a bright light flashed in his face. What the hell? A second flash went off, which Nico was lucky enough to prepare himself for. With his hand over his eyes, the Lost Boy was able to make out a pair of black sneakers in the sand.

“Is this trouble in paradise?” The same female voice asked as another flash went off.

Nico reached out to smack the camera away, but his hand just swept through the air. “Can you stop taking my picture, or at least chill with the flashes?” He mumbled, quickly lowering Jason's shades onto his eyes.

The woman looked relatively young, her frizzy black hair pulled into pigtails. A thick pair of glasses rested across her nose, which she quickly pushed up her nose. But it was kind of the crazed look in her eyes that worried Nico the most.

“Who are you?” Nico grumbled. With a huff, he reached behind him and grabbed his shirt.

“Keto George,” she beamed, looking proud. Nico just gave her a dull look as he slid on his shirt. The woman needed to get out of his personal space. She was literally just a few inches from him, her left foot touching the edge of his castle. “And you are Nico di Angelo, the boy that is dating Perseus Jackson himself.”

Nico smacked the woman's shoe with a plastic shovel he had been using. “If you ruin my sandcastle...” He forced himself not to growl when she merely took another picture of him. “You know, I could always call Percy and have him confiscate that camera.”

“Interfering with the public's right to information.” Another picture. Nico was seriously getting irritated. Not only would she not leave him alone, but she would not back away from him. “So, does Percy know about your other man?”

“Um, Jason works at the hotel, so I'd assume that Percy knows who he is.” Nico blinked. “I'm not seeing Jason, so get that out of your head.”

Keto had a very annoying smirk appear on her face. “Oh! A secret romance! This will sell quite a few copies.”

He really wanted to smash that camera, but Percy had told Nico to behave himself around the press. “Sure, if you want to lie.” Nico began to chew on his lip as his brain ran through ways for him to politely make this woman go away.

Thankfully, he didn't have to come up with anything. “Hey!” Jason barked as he made his way over to them from the ocean. “Is this reporter bothering you, Nico?”

“A secret romance right under Percy's nose. How scandalous!” With a manic smile, Keto snapped a few pictures of Jason's wet and half naked body. “This could make the front page!”

While Nico and Jason had to behave, Bianca was under no such instructions. Before Nico even realized that his sister had left the ocean, Bianca had snatched the camera out of Keto's hands and tossed it over to Daedalus. “Leave my brother alone, right now!” She yelled. “He is not doing anything wrong, we are just trying to enjoy our afternoon. Now leave!”

Keto huffed and held out her hand. “Only once that kid over there hands me my camera,” she said, motioning to Daedalus.

“If you don't leave,” Daedalus took a few steps back, extending his arm over the waves, “I'll just drop it.”

“But-” Keto pursed her lips together. “That camera costed me a lot of money!”

Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn't use it to harass people.”

With a final huff, Keto spun around on her heel and marched off. “This isn't over!” She yelled. “I will have my story!” Her exit was ruined after a few steps, when she tripped in the sand and ate a mouthful of the stuff. She tossed a glare over her shoulders as Jason, Daedalus, and Bianca burst out laughing. Nico remained quiet, his lips pressed in a firm line until the woman was out of sight.

“I want to go home,” he announced.

“But-” Bianca started, but cut herself off when Daedalus rested a hand on her shoulder. “Okay.” With a small nod, the dark haired girl worked on packing their stuff up with the help of her boyfriend.

Jason plopped down next to Nico. “You okay?”

“I will be,” Nico mumbled. He looked up at the blond. “Just take me back to the hotel.”

Jason gave a small nod. He wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulder once they were both on their feet. “Hey, I'm going to go ahead and take Nico back, if that's okay with you two.”

“Yeah, of course,” Daedalus answered.

Bianca gave Nico a big hug before he left with Jason. This was never going to end, was it? At least not until they moved to Germany. Nico could deal with the press in Europe, they were nice. But all of this would just happen again when Nico came to visit his sister, or Percy had business here.

Once they were back at the hotel, Nico went straight up to Percy's office. He wasn't sure if Percy could be affectionate with him at the moment, but the Lost Boy just felt that the young man could at least ease his nerves. But his nerves only got worse when the door opened and out walked Annabeth.

“Enjoy another day of getting swarmed by press?” Came a snippy greeting from the blonde.

Nico felt his eye twitch. “Did you enjoy picking up your application?” His hands balled into fists. “Oh wait, you can't get one, because you're going to be stuck here.”

Annabeth's eyes flashed dangerously at the pale boy. “Actually, I just had sex with Percy. You know, your boyfriend. His desk is very durable, by the way.”

Nico's eyes grew very dark, though he refused to fully look at the Lost Girl. “Enjoy it while you can, because you won't be getting it much longer.” Nico spun around when he saw Annabeth about to snap back at him. “Go ahead, say something. I can always just go in there and tell Percy that I don't want to go through the remainder of my days as a Lost Kid and for him to stop conducting his business like that with the rest of you. You know, because he already told me I could ask that of him back in Germany. Which was amazing, by the way, as we had a lot of sex. Sex that Percy came to me for, and I didn't even have to ask him, like you do.” His eyes were practically black as he glared at the blonde in front of him. “So, keep talking, let's see how that goes for you. I am not in the mood for you right now.”

Annabeth never even got to try and respond. The door opened behind Nico and Hazel poked her head out. “Is everything okay out here?” She asked.

“Just fine,” Annabeth replied, her face already back to a neutral mask. “Nico here is just having a bad day.”

Hazel glanced at Nico, who smiled a little. “Yeah, a reporter showed up at the beach and got in my face.”

“I'm sorry.” Hazel reached out and squeezed his shoulder, a huge grin on her face. With much excitement, the Lost Girl held up a piece of paper. “I got my application. Asia, here I come!”

“Congratulations, Hazel,” Nico beamed, giving the girl a warm hug. She rubbed his back and headed for the elevator, leaving Nico alone with Annabeth. Nico's eyes grew dark as they fell back upon the blonde. “I look forward to this being over. Maybe then we can put all of this behind us.”

“Maybe.” A blonde eyebrow shot up. “However, keep in mind that Athena is retiring. Perhaps I'll see about getting transferred to take her position.” She casually waved her hand. “Octavian could just have this position.”

The two separated without another word. Annabeth headed down the hall to the elevator, while Nico went into Percy's office. Leo looked up at him as the door slammed shut behind him. “Have a bad day?” The Latino boy asked as he shuffled some more applications on his desk.

“You could say that,” Nico sighed. He rubbed at his temple. It was noticeable that several forms had been taken, since only enough for each of the Lost Kids at the hotel had been printed. Not that many, but Nico could estimate that around five or six forms were gone. “Is Percy available for a minute?”

“Um, yeah, I believe so.” Leo got up and walked over to Percy's door. Knocking, Leo poked his head inside. “Nico's here to see you.”

“Send him in,” came Percy's calm voice.

Leo pulled his head out with a grin. “You heard your man.”

Nico rolled his eyes as he stepped into Percy's office. “Hey,” he greeted as he caught sight of the young man behind the desk. Percy's hair was a little messy , either from a long day or from what he had just done with Annabeth. “How are you?”

A smile touched at Percy's lips. “A little tired, but I'll survive.” He leaned back in his chair, his eyebrow shooting up when Nico let out a sigh. “Everything okay?”

“A reporter harassed me at the beach, no big deal.” Nico trailed his fingertips along Percy's desk as he walked around to the other side. He blinked at the piece of paper in front of the green-eyed young man. “What's that?”

“Oh.” Percy picked up the paper and shrugged. “It's just the guest list for the conference in a few weeks. I need to look it over and make sure everything is in order.” Turning his chair slightly towards Nico, Percy let the paper fall back onto his desk. “What happened with the reporter?”

Nico shrugged as he sat down on the edge of Percy's desk. “Bianca took her camera and made her leave.” He held up a hand when Percy opened his mouth. “I was on my best behavior.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck when he got a disbelieving look from the young man. “I mean, for the most part I was. She was a little crazy, and I don't think she's giving up.”

With a grin, Percy slid his hand underneath Nico's shirt and traced his fingers along the boy's stomach. “Would it make you feel better if you stayed with me tonight?”

“Are you asking?”

“Maybe.” Percy pulled Nico's hand closer and placed a kiss on the back of it. “Sorry I've been busy this week.”

“Partially with some of the others.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “If you would rather stay in your room...”

Nico groaned pitifully and slid into Percy's lap, letting his body relax against the young man's chest. With a sigh, he buried his face into the crook of Percy's shoulder. “Don't be mean, I've had a bad day. Your bed would definitely improve my current mood.”

\--------------------------------------

Getting completely wasted sounded really amazing to Nico at the moment. It probably didn't help that Ethan and Reyna both had something to drink while they ate dinner. But, since Nico was still underage, he wasn't allowed to drink outside of the upper floors. Stupid Percy and his stupid rules. A little alcohol wouldn't hurt anything.

It was stupid, but Nico couldn't get over what Annabeth had said to him. He had been right, the blonde was going to try and get Athena's position. Perhaps it was stupid to worry. After all, it was possible that Percy wouldn't allow it, since Annabeth just got his old position. Maybe he'd see her as ungrateful. Still, the two of them had been friends for over two years.

What Nico really needed was to plug the hole in the dam, so to speak. He needed to find someone that he could get Percy to replace Athena with, someone that was anyone but Annabeth. Perhaps he should start with Octavian.

“You're staring at my drink like you want to have sex with it,” Ethan mumbled as he tossed the bottle back.

Reyna arched her eyebrow at Nico as she cut up her food. “Are you okay, Nico?”

“I'll let you know in another month.” Nico groaned and propped his chin up with his palm. As much as he hated leaving some people he cared about behind, the boy could not wait to move to Germany. Sure he wouldn't be able to understand a lot of the people half the time, but at least things would be different there. “So, have either of you decided about moving?”

While Ethan shrugged, Reyna wiped at her mouth. “I think I will. I think moving to Europe could be a good experience. And, if I don't like it, I suppose I could just come back,” the Lost Girl stated. She skewered a carrot with her fork. “If not, I'll figure something out.”

Several hours later, when performances were over, Nico found himself in one of the back rooms. The man that had purchased time with him was far from Nico's type. Not only was the man slightly older than his father, he looked rather creepy, like someone his mother would have told him to stay away from. Of course, most of the people that visited the top floor of the Lotus could classify under that same category. At least he still had a full head of hair, but he was much larger than Nico in terms of muscular stature. If the man tried to lay on top of Nico, the Lost Boy was certain he'd come out as a pancake.

On a brighter note, the man had wanted to drink and had offered Nico some wine. While Nico was still wary from his last experience with the stuff, he gladly accepted the dark liquid. It just would have been better if the man didn't stare at him like some creep the entire time Nico drank from the wine glass.

He didn't get to finish.

Apparently, the man got impatient with Nico's slow drinking. He got up and snatched the glass out of Nico's hand, while working on his zipper with the other hand. Nico was forced onto his knees by the strange man by his hair. After opening his eyes from wincing, Nico found himself facing the man's arousal. As with most cases, the man wasn't that impressive, at least not compared to the other Lost Boys or Percy. Especially Luke.

“Now suck it and earn your money,” the man commanded, shoving Nico's face into his crotch.

It was a lot more aggressive than Nico was used to, at least since Kronos left the hotel and Nico was not required to work the kink rooms. He still had some bad memories involving a particular Russian Amazon woman.

Nico was jerked out of his thoughts and squeaked, due to the fact that the fucking asshole of a client had pinched and twisted his right nipple. “Does that feel good?” The man asked. “You like that, don't you?”

He really did not. “Yeah, it feels great,” Nico lied through his teeth, while using his hand to reach up and stroke the man's shaft. Whatever it took to please this man and get him off. Because, really, Nico knew by now that most of the male clients did not last very long.

Very roughly, Nico was yanked up and forced to bend over the bed, while the man jerked down the shorts on the Lost Boy's slender waist. Without warning, the man took a firm grip of Nico's ass and squeezed. But did not stop there. Nico was forced to shut his eyes and wince when the man shoved a dry finger into his ass.

Right now, Nico really wished people didn't like his butt so much. Because this was not enjoyable, not in the least. But it wasn't really about his enjoyment, now was it? No, this was about the client, who Nico really wished would hurry the fuck up.

Though, given what happened next, Nico would have preferred the guy kept molesting his ass. The man was very rough when he got Nico to give him head. While Nico was just trying to do his thing, the guy pressed on the back of Nico's head and pushed it all the way down. He did not let Nico pull back for a while, until Nico was practically choking and tears began to form in his eyes.

And the client kept a firm grip on Nico's hair when the Lost Boy finally got to pull back. All Nico wanted was to knock that stupid confident smirk off the man's face. “You want more?” The stranger had the audacity to ask.

Nico breathed heavily, his dark eyes all but glaring up at the man in irritation. For a brief moment, he debated taking a page out of Ethan's book and fighting back. He did not like people like this, people who tried to control other people and make them feel like less than what they were. Because, unless the other person truly consented that was all it really was. Unfortunately, due to his current profession, Nico didn't really have the option of not giving permission.

Well, he did, but he was only supposed to use it if things got too bad. And it mustn't have been too bad, or someone watching from the monitor room would have busted in by now and yanked the man away from Nico.

However, just when Nico thought it had been bad enough, the asshole had the audacity to yank his hair until Nico had to open his mouth from pain and then spat into the Lost Boy's mouth. For a few seconds, Nico could only see red. He really wanted to get up and punch the guy right in the jaw. This was not okay.

Nico wasn't allowed to think over the situation much further. The client jerked on his hair and forced Nico back onto his erection. “That the best you can do?” The man asked harshly. “Do you not want to get paid? Now suck it like you mean it, or I'll go get one of the others to do it for you.”

Before he could think, Nico had gotten to his feet and was pulling up his shorts. “Yeah, maybe you should.” With anger in his eyes, Nico slipped on his shirt and headed for the door.

“Get back here, we aren't done yet!”

“Yeah, we are,” Nico mumbled and slammed the door.

Before Nico had even reached the end of the hall, the security room opened. Leo came out with wide eyes. “Nico, what are you doing, man?”

Nico shoved his hands into his pockets. “I'm done.”

The door behind Nico was flung open and out came the asshole, who was now fully dressed. “Is this the kind of service your boss offers around here? His whore thinks he's something special because of his publicity?”

Nico must have looked very angry, because Leo didn't even open his mouth. The Latino quietly stepped back as Nico turned to glare at the asshole. He was probably already in trouble, so what would be the harm in getting in a little more?

However, as Nico raised his fist, his arm was grabbed and yanked backwards. Brown eyes blinked in surprise as Nico was met with Percy. The young man's dark green eyes stared down at him with a little irritation and just a hint of amusement.

“Is this the kind of service you offer around here?” The man asked, pointing to Nico, who was behind Percy.

Percy let out a sigh and adjusted the cuffs of his shirt. “You know, I might tolerate that kind of talk from Gaea's more important clients, but let's be real here, Mr. Callahan, your business is not crucial to the Lotus. And since I'm, technically, in charge now, I don't have to put up with it.” He arched an eyebrow at the look of fury on Nico's client's face. “I believe I also told you to keep it fairly simple if you want to reserve a room up here.”

“I paid for some time with that little bitch, and I-”

“Do not speak that way about my employees,” Percy growled, quickly shutting up the man. “Now, get out of my sight before I have security toss you off of my balcony.”

While he didn't argue further, Mr. Callahan mumbled under his breath as he walked past Percy and left. Nico's breath hitched as Percy slowly turned to face him. Without uttering a word, Percy motioned over his shoulder and Leo quickly made himself scarce.

Percy blinked once down at the boy in front of him. “Do you want to keep doing this?” He asked, but continued before Nico could offer a response. “Because, quite frankly, I can't put up with this behavior if you do.”

Taking in a deep breath, Nico looked down at his feet. “I don't know.”

Nodding, Percy reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Here.” He shoved his access card into Nico's hands. “Go wait in my suite until I'm done. We'll talk more once I'm there.”

Nico slowly nodded and brushed his bangs out of his face. “Thanks,” he mumbled as he headed for the door.

“Go take a shower, try to clear your head.” Percy was still watching him when Nico turned around. “Personally, I am not mad at you for acting out with the client, but you also have to understand that things like this don't need to happen while Gaea and I transition me to ownership of the entire hotel chain.”

When Nico got back to Percy's suit, he debated making himself throw up to get the man's spit out of his mouth. Instead, Nico got a soda out of the fridge and downed half of it in one gulp. Even though Nico had stood up to the man, Mr. Callahan had made Nico feel rather worthless. Who treated people like that? Most of Nico's clients at least tended to be polite to him when they were in the backrooms.

After a few minutes, Nico stripped himself of his clothes and went to the bathroom. Before he got into the shower, the Lost Boy brushed his teeth. Since he had been staying with Percy on and off since they got back from Germany, the brown-eyed boy had bought himself a second toothbrush that he kept in Percy's room for the nights they slept together.

Nico spat several times into the sink, making the extra effort to try and scrub his tongue the best he could. He felt a little sick and disgusted with himself. It wasn't due to what he had done, but the way the client had treated him.

After he was satisfied with his clean mouth, Nico turned on the shower and stepped into it. He ran his hands through his hair as the water fell over his body. Letting out a long breath, Nico massaged his shoulder. Did he want to quit and put all of this behind him? Would it make him look weak? Well, he knew Percy would allow it, but what would that mean for Percy? Would Percy then not hold up his half of their agreement. That was definitely not something Nico wanted, not when he was so close to having their exclusive relationship.

It would only be for a few more weeks, right?

And it wasn't like he would likely get another client like that. Nico could put up with the average client for a little while longer. Perhaps it had just been the stress that had gotten to him.

Nico had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Percy wrapped his arms around the raven haired boy's waist. Chuckling to himself, Percy pressed a kiss to Nico's shoulder. Nico relaxed against Percy's body, humming lightly.

It was a lot different than the first time Nico had set foot into this shower. That night seemed like a distant memory, in a completely different life. He had been so scared and nervous that night, completely oblivious as to what really went on in this hotel. They were also a lot more physical now, compared to how Percy had professionally treated Nico on the night they first met.

Turning Nico around, Percy cupped the boy's face and leaned in for a searing kiss. Nico moaned a little as his back was pressed against the shower wall. With one hand on Percy's shoulder, Nico's other hand traced the muscles of the young man's chest.

Nico was the first to get out of the shower, while Percy actually worked on scrubbing himself off a little. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Nico headed for the bedroom, where he grabbed a fresh, comfortable shirt from Percy's closet. Nico frowned a little as the shirt practically hung off of his left shoulder. He had just sat down on the bed, when a dripping wet Percy entered the room.

Smiling, Percy toweled his hair as he got back into his underwear. He didn't even bother putting on a shirt, simply sat down behind Nico on the bed. Nico pressed his lips together and turned to face the young man, uncertain of the conversation that was about to be had.

“So?” Was the only thing Percy said.

Nico let out a breath. “I'm sorry I did that, it won't happen again.”

Percy shrugged, massaging his neck with one arm. “Well, to be honest, Mr. Callahan had originally requested you for down in the kink rooms, but was informed that you don't work down there.” Reaching out, Percy adjusted the shirt on Nico's shoulders. “So, to be fair, I should have known what was going to happen when he said he was fine going to the backrooms with you. He's done this three times in the past, so I apologize for letting it happen.”

“You know, you don't have to talk so professionally to me when it's just the two of us.”

A smirk crossed Percy's lips as he leaned down and kissed Nico on the shoulder. “Would you rather I have gotten angry?” He let out a sigh. “I just need to know what you're going to do.”

Nico pressed his lips together, his brow knitted together. “Can I think on it?” The Lost Boy fell onto the sheets with a groan. “I'm not in trouble?”

Percy ran his fingers under the shirt that Nico had borrowed, tracing his fingers along the boy's stomach. “I doubt it. Gaea will probably just ask what happened, and I'll explain the situation. It'll be fine.” With a mischievous grin, Percy smacked Nico's stomach. “Come on and get to bed.”

Grumbling with a glare, Nico did as he was told. He let out a long sigh as Percy got up to turn off the lights. As Percy settled in next to the Lost Boy, all Nico could think about was how their move to Germany could not get there fast enough.

\-----------------------------

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Will asked as he shut the door.

Nico rubbed at his face as he sat down on the blond's bed. This was not really a talk that he wanted to have, but it was definitely one the two needed to get out. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Will had to know the truth of this somewhere inside of him. Unless he truly did not realize the feelings that he was displacing on Nico.

“It's about me and you,” Nico finally said gently. He looked up through his bangs, pressing his lips together. “You remember when we went to see that movie a while back?”

Will reached up to scratch at his cheek. “Yeah, of course. What about it?”

It would be fine, Nico reassured himself. “You didn't realize it, but you called me Mitchell.” Judging by the surprise that crossed Will's face, it was clear that the blond really did not notice what he had said. “It's fine, really, but it got me thinking about the possibility that you might be transferring your feelings for Mitchell onto me.”

Will's fumbled for a moment, unsure of what to say. “I'm not- I just...” Sitting down next to Nico on the bed, Will ran a hand through his hair. “I know I haven't gotten over him, but that doesn't mean I didn't have an attraction to you.”

Nico smiled and patted the blond's leg. “I know, and I like you, too. But I think it's just a small crush. And I think, for you part, your displaced feelings are making you think that you have more feelings for me than you do.”

Falling back on his bed, Will let out a sigh. “I'm sorry. Maybe you're right.” A smile touched at his lips for a few seconds. “And, I mean, I think we all figured you'd end up with Percy. Nobody really had a chance once things worked out between you two.”

It stung to hear that, but Nico knew it was true. It was always going to be true. At least until the day Percy started to act like Kronos, then Nico's feelings might change. It hurt a little to be in this place in his life. Admittedly, there were several Lost Boys that Nico would have dated if things were different between him and Percy. And it hurt to have to have this talk with the ones like Will, who was a very sweet guy that Nico knew that he could also be happy with.

But first Will would have to move on from his lost love, if he ever hoped to find happiness with someone else again.

“Are you okay?” Nico asked after a long silence.

Will didn't move from where he lay on the bed. “Yeah, I'll be okay.” His blue eyes flickered over to Nico. “We all said you were different, but I don't think any of us actually ever imagined that you'd actually achieve your goal of being with Percy. Especially in a committed relationship with him.” The blond Lost Boy's smile crept back onto his face as his eyes slowly closed. “I remember that movie night forever ago, up in Percy's suite, and I never imagined something like this would happen. Percy had never shown any interest in any of us.”

“Well it wasn't exactly a dream come true in the beginning.”

“At least Percy took interest in you. Some of us barely got a few words with him during the week, yet he usually sought you out nearly every day. Not only that, but he didn't want you in our line of work. It might have frustrated you, but he didn't try to have sex with you.”

The corner of Nico's lips tilted up into a smirk. “So, are you going to be coming with us to Germany?”

“I don't know just yet,” Will sighed. He jumped up and picked up a piece of a paper from his nightstand, handing it to Nico. It was the form for being transferred. “I did go ahead and pick the application up. It would be good for me, I think.” Will slowly blew out a breath. “I think it would be good for me to get away from everything here, mainly my past. My parents, the orphanage, Mitchell... Just everything.”

“I'm sure you'll make new friends in Germany, should you come.” Nico smiled and handed Will the form back. “Plus, you'll have me and some of the others there.”

A few hours after his talk with Will, Nico got to eat dinner with Percy, Zoë, and the Stolls. It was all going great, until the twins decided to hand Percy a small gift bag. Percy arched an eyebrow as he shuffled some of the paper around inside, reaching for the gift at the bottom. His brow furrowed when something metal rattled inside.

“What the hell?” Percy mumbled as he pulled out a small plastic ball and metal chain. He placed the gift on the table, where Zoë picked it up and inspected it for any inscriptions that might be on the ball. “Why did you guys give me this?”

“Well,” Connor began.

“Because, you're chained down to Nico now,” Travis finished

The twins chuckled loudly, drawing a few stares from the people in the restaurant. Connor grinned and winked at Nico. “He's your ball and chain, Percy.”

Percy rolled his eyes and shoved the gift back into the bag. “I shudder to think what Germany will be like when you two move there.”

Nico perked up. “You two are moving?”

“Of course,” Travis snorted.

Connor stuck out his tongue. “Do you think we'd pass up the opportunity to terrorize all of Europe?” He shrugged. “Plus, maybe we'll miss you and Percy. But mostly the first part.”

Resting her chin on her palm, Zoë let out a sigh. “At least things will be quieter around here.”

It was kind of a bummer to hear that, but Nico realized that he couldn't expect everyone to make the move. At least it seemed like the ones he was closer with would be moving. His brow furrowed. But if the rumors were true, and Thalia was seeing Zoë now, would the other Lost Girl stay here as well?

When it came time to go to work, Percy rode up the elevator up with Nico, who was working the bar tonight. As the elevator was nearing its stop, Percy tilted Nico's chin up and pressed their lips together. Nico let out a moan into Percy's mouth as he was leaned backwards. Fumbling around blindly, Nico managed to grab the railing in the elevator for support.

Percy pulled back just as the doors opened, grinning. “Have fun at work tonight.”

Nico was very certain that his eyes were clouded with lust. He really wanted to grab Percy by the collar and pull him back in for another kiss, which Percy seemed to catch on to. Chuckling lightly, Percy pressed the button to close the doors. Wasting no time, Nico grabbed Percy's shirt and crashed their lips together. And, feeling a little bold, Nico pressed his palm to Percy's crotch.

The young man groaned into their kiss and this time it was Nico that pulled away with a smirk. “You have fun, too.”

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “There are times I miss your innocent angel side.”

“We could take the night off and go back to your room.”

“We could,” Percy hummed, “but I really don't need to.” He pressed a brief kiss to Nico's lips and released the button on the elevator. As the doors opened again, Percy pushed Nico gently out of the elevator. “But I wouldn't mind if you came by my suite after work. Just come upstairs after you get off.”

Nico nodded and tossed a wave over his shoulder as the elevator doors slowly shut. Releasing a breath, the Lost Boy walked over towards the bar to clock-in. He couldn't help but smile. As annoying as things could be with the publicity and the job, things with Percy were better than Nico could have expected. Percy was opening up and letting Nico closer to him.

Everything was fairly quiet at work, until a guy at the bar spoke to Nico. “You're the kid on the covers of all those magazines, aren't ya?” He asked, swaying a little in his seat. Nico's eyes flickered down to the half empty glass in his hand. “Working so hard while dating a billionaire.”

“Um, thank you?” Nico wiped down the surface of the bar, his brow furrowed. “I think you've had enough to drink, though.”

The man reached out, surprising Nico by grabbing the boy's arm and spilling a little of his drink. “He must worry about your safety a lot.” The stranger nodded lightly. “I'd imagine so. With Percy being who he is, and you're close to him...”

Nico managed to yank his arm free. “Um, I don't really know what you mean. Percy doesn't need to worry about me, not that it is any of your business.”

“I'm willing to bet that quite a lot of people would do anything to get some leverage over your Percy.” The man nodded, raising his glass to take a drink, only to discover it to be empty. “Can you give me a refill, boy?”

Chiron stepped in before Nico had the chance to even touch the glass. Instead of refilling it, the tall man set it aside and gave the man across the bar a firm look. “Do not harass my employees, sir. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

The man looked applaud. “On what grounds?”

Chiron waved over to Chris to get his attention. “Because you are threatening my employee here.”

Chris got the man to his feet, who stumbled in an attempt to get free of the brunet's grip. “I was just making an observation is all, meant no harm.” He dusted himself off and narrowed his drunken eyes at Chris. “I'm perfectly capable of showing myself out, thank you very much, ma'am.”

Chris just blinked and raised a brow as the man stumbled out. “He really did have too much to drink,” he assessed before going back to his table.

Nico was still a little shaken up when it came time to get off work. Chiron didn't make him wait around while they closed up the bar, instead sending the boy upstairs to meet up with Percy. However, he had barely gotten off the elevator when he froze in place.

Apollo and Robert were standing in the hallway. Robert made to advance closer to the curly haired blond, but Apollo raised a hand to put distance between the two of them. “Don't touch me,” the blond Lost Boy whispered.

“You could at least think about it!” Robert shouted. “After what I just did, it's the least you could do for me.”

Apollo's eyes widened a little, shocked. “I never said I wouldn't.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Just let me think, okay?” He motioned towards the elevator. “Just go. Please?”

For a few seconds, it didn't look like Robert was going to leave, but then the blond leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Apollo's cheek. “Let me know when you make a decision,” Robert whispered as he pulled back.

If it hadn't been so quiet, Nico wouldn't have been able to hear half of the conversation. Apollo took in a deep breath as Robert walked towards the elevator, which was still occupied by Nico. Robert came to a complete stop when he noticed the brown-eyed boy standing there. But he didn't say anything, just gave a small nod to the Lost Boy as they passed each other.

Nico turned to watch the elevator close, slowly backing towards Apollo. His brow furrowed once the doors had shut. Whipping his head around, Nico turned his full attention to the curly haired Lost Boy in front of him. “What was that about?”

Apollo didn't respond. He stood there, chewing on his lip. His eyes darted around for a few seconds before they snapped onto the raven haired boy in front of him. “Hey, Nico,” Apollo said softly. “It was nothing.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “It didn't seem like nothing.”

Inhaling deeply, Apollo ran a hand through his hair. He nodded without saying a word. As he leaned back against the wall, Nico caught sight of the look in the blond's eyes. Panic. What had happened? Finally, Apollo cleared his throat and looked at Nico.

“Robert left his wife.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I just wanted to let everyone know that I got a new job, so I might take a little longer to get chapters out. We'll have to see. I'll write whenever I have time. I just wanted to inform you as to this change, so you'll understand if it takes a little while for me to get a chapter out.


	55. So Love Me Like You Do

It was the sound of dripping water that brought Nico to consciousness. He let out a groan as his eyes cracked open, only to be met with darkness. As he attempted to sit up, a searing pain shot through the back of his head. The raven haired boy hissed under his breath and pressed a hand to the back of his head. While he couldn't see anything, his hair was hard and stuck together.

Dried blood.

Well, it was a very likely possibility, given his situation. Nico peered around the dark room, trying to remember what had happened. His memory was a little fuzzy at what had happened. Perhaps if he went over what he did remember? Maybe that would help.

If today was still Monday, then yesterday had been Sunday. Everyone had been together for Clarisse's birthday party, which Chris and Silena had organized. And, when it came to an end, Beckendorf took Silena by the hand and asked her to marry him. Of course, as expected, the answer had been yes. They had also announced that they would be moving to Europe to get a fresh start with raising their family when the time came. Percy had also gone on to give Beckendorf a new job as his personal mechanic for the vehicles around the hotel, as well as the private jet that Percy would be getting very soon.

Before work, Percy had Rachel sit Nico down and discuss his university choices. Nico had applied to quite a few over the past months, and nearly all of them had accepted him. Rachel also went on to point out that Nico could still apply to universities in Europe, if he wanted, Percy would just need to make a phone call or two. It was definitely a lot to think about.

And while he hated the thought that he'd get accepted somewhere because of Percy, did Nico really want to go to school in a different continent from where Percy would be? It was just amazing to Nico that he actually got accepted to so many high rated universities. Before he came to the Lotus, Nico would have never dreamed at being accepted to places like Brown, Berkeley, or even Yale. It was a lot to think over.

Nico's brow furrowed as he tried to jump forward to Monday morning. He had gotten up and showered, and then he and Jason left for school. Nico's eyes snapped open. Police sirens. He remembered police sirens.

There was a cop behind Jason's vehicle. The blond had stopped to see what the problem was. Nico had never really gotten a look at the man's face, since the hat was mostly covering the guy's eyes. “What seems to be the problem-” Jason hadn't even gotten to finish his sentence.

Nico remembered panicking as Jason's head hit the steering wheel when the cop hit him directly in the head. The brown-eyed boy had bolted out of the car and tried to make a run for it. As he tried to get his phone out of his pocket, Nico's body was tackled to the ground. He remembered watching as his phone was slammed down onto the concrete, where it shattered into pieces. But before he could even roll over and try to fight back, an electric current made contact with the back of his neck.

Nico had blacked out after that.

And now he was trapped in some dark room with no windows, and no visible door. His only source of light came from a small lantern that barely lit a corner of the room. It was just quiet, other than the occasional drip of water. Nico shuddered and rubbed at his arms. The room was cold and Nico had not worn a jacket when he left for school. Well, in his defense, it wasn't like he thought he'd need one.

Letting out a breath, Nico rested his palm against the ground. His hand balled into fists, pulling up dirt. There was no actual flooring. Pursing his lips together, Nico slowly crawled with a hand outstretched until his palm made contact with a metal wall. Nico pressed his ear against the cold surface, seeing if he could hear anyone.

Nothing.

“Help me!” Nico yelled as loud as he could. “Someone, please help!” The boy banged his fists against the metal wall, trying to make as much noise as he could. “Is anyone out there?”

Silence. There was nothing. He couldn't hear a thing, not even footsteps. He reached into his pockets for things like his keys and wallet, but they were gone. There was no point in trying to find his phone, since it had been smashed. Whoever it was definitely wanted Nico, and didn't want the boy making contact with anyone.

Nico took in a deep breath to try and stay calm. He could already feel his heart beating faster. Who would have taken him? There were a few people that Nico would put on that list. His father was one, but the man that attacked him didn't fit his father's build. Kronos could have always hired someone, but Nico highly doubted it. Then all that was left was someone trying to get to Percy. There was also Mr. Callahan, Nico supposed.

Pressing his back to the cold wall, Nico slid down to the ground. His eyes closed and his head fell back. “Can anyone hear me?” When he was once again met with silence, Nico slammed his fist back against the wall. His throat was already starting to hurt from the screaming.

It was so dry. And that only ended up making his stomach growl. He had no idea how much time had passed, but Nico was definitely in need of some food and something to drink. Nico licked his dry and chapped lips. His pulse quickened and Nico found it hard to breathe. He felt dizzy and light-headed. The room probably wasn't ventilated that well, which meant his heavy breathing was only making it worse.

But he couldn't stop. Nico was panicking. What if he never got out of here? Was he going to die? Even if Nico was supposed to be taken for ransom, would whoever took him let him go if Percy paid it? Probably not. If Nico was let go, it would only make it easier for Percy to find out who did it. Nico would probably be killed if a ransom was paid, and he'd probably be killed if it wasn't paid. Or he'd just die slowly of starvation or a lack of air.

Was this to be his end?

He had gone through all that he had, finally gotten Percy, only to end up dying. How shitty would that be? No. He would not die so easily. Nico's eyes hardened and the boy got onto his knees. Turning around, Nico frantically dug his fingers into the dirt. He began to rake out as much as he could near the wall, hoping and praying that he'd be able to crawl under it.

Minutes or hours could have passed, Nico had really no way of telling. Sweat dripped from the boy's brow, some of it getting into his eyes. Inhaling sharply, Nico reached up and rubbed to clear it out of his eyes. Nothing. Nico frantically felt in the hole that he had been making. More wall. It was all he could find. There wasn't even a hint that he was close to a bottom.

Nico sat back and hugged his knees to his chest. His chest heaved as his vision clouded with tears. He was going to die down here, and nobody would probably know what became of him. He would die cold and alone, just like he had always thought would be his fate during his time on the streets.

In a state of panic, Nico went back to digging. He would not stop, he couldn't. There had to be a way out. Dig. He had to keep going. And so he did, even when his head began to spin. He did not stop until his body collapsed from exhaustion and he once again fell back into unconsciousness.

There was no telling how much time had passed since Nico passed out, since there was no source of light from beyond the room he was kept in. As Nico sat up, the boy rubbed some dirt and mud off of his arm and face. However, something was different about the room when he woke up this time.

Just a few inches beside him was a small tray with a cup of water and some mushed up substance that was supposed to pass for food. Not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, Nico pulled the tray closer to him and stuck his hand into the food. Without a second thought, the Lost Boy shoved the oddly colored food into his mouth.

He nearly choked.

Nico began to cough, his taste buds on fire. The food had been doused with a spice. Some sort of pepper. It reminded Nico a lot of what his mother used to put into the chili she made during the winter months. What had that been?

Cayenne pepper. Nico felt his stomach tie into knots. He looked down at his food and dropped what was left in his hand back onto the tray. Why would someone randomly put that into his food? Coughing again, Nico lifted the water to his lips.

And immediately spit it back out. Nico's face contorted in disgust as he took another sip. It was saltwater. It finally clicked. Nico was supposed to eat, so he could stay alive, but it wasn't going to be an enjoyable process.

The food was hot and spicy, which would make him want to drink something. Which was where the water came in. Saltwater would just make him more thirsty, giving him something to drink, but never satisfying his thirst. It was sadistic and cruel.

Nico's stomach growled, only reminding him of his hunger. When had he even eaten last? He hadn't had time to eat breakfast on Monday, and there was no telling how much time had passed. Sunday night would have been his last meal. Nico felt his throat tighten as he pursed his lips and grabbed another handful of whatever it was his captor had made for him.

It was so bland, whatever it was. The only taste that Nico could really distinguish was the cayenne pepper, which had him grasping for the saltwater after a few more bites. Whoever did this must have used quite a bit, because there was quite a kick to the food.

After he downed most of his water, Nico rested his head against his knees. Was this going to be common with all of his meals? Would he even get any more food or water? Nico did know that he couldn't survive on saltwater, not alone anyways. It basically came down to how slow Nico wanted to die.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico leaned his head back and let it out. Percy would find him, right? He just needed to be patient. Percy had the resources to find him, and surely he'd be looking. Jason would have reported what happened. Nico's eyes snapped open wide.

Jason.

Was he even alive? What if the person that took Nico had killed the blond? Nico felt sick at the thought. Jason didn't deserve that. He had to believe that the blond was okay, and that he was trying to find Nico as well.

It was then that Nico's eyes snapped their focus onto something on the ceiling. His brow furrowed as he got to his feet. Walking over, Nico peered up. “What the fuck...?” Nico breathed out.

There, on the ceiling, was a small tube, around the size of his fist, poking out from the ceiling. There didn't appear to be any light coming from the other side, which either meant that it curved off somewhere or the other end was closed.

Nico turned back to the wall he had been digging at. Someone had come down here and delivered his meal, but they had not even bothered to refill the hole that Nico had dug. That did not bode well for the Lost Boy. Nico's eyes returned to the ceiling, his lips tightly pursed. There had to be some way in and out of this room, and that had been confirmed by the fact that someone came in with food.

There.

If Nico hadn't been looking for it, he probably wouldn't have noticed it. But there it was, a square sealed hatch on the ceiling, not all that far from the tube. He crossed his arms. How the hell had someone gotten a tray of food down from there without spilling it? Jumping would have left the person trapped in the room as well, while a rope or ladder would have made balancing the tray rather hard. Nico's dark eyes slowly fell to the floor beneath the hatch, right where his food had been placed.

Had they lowered it down? Nico frowned. How did he get down here? Dropping him would have surely woken Nico up, no matter how deep of a sleeper he was. Even though he knew the outcome, Nico tried to jump up and touch the hatch. Just out of reach. Nico yelped as soon as his feet hit the ground again, the mud causing him to slip and fall on his back.

Nico groaned, but made no effort to move. He wished he had some idea of what was going on outside of this room. At the very least, the boy wanted to know how long he had been trapped here. He wanted to just close his eyes and wake up back in his room at the Lotus Hotel. He just wanted this to be a dream. So close to the end, and it all just got ripped away from him. Or maybe he was ripped away from it.

With all the silence, it sounded like thunder, but Nico soon realized the hatch was being opened. He squinted and raised a hand to shield his eyes when a bright light hit his face. There was a loud bang and then the sound of footsteps on metal. When Nico pulled his hand away, he found that a metal ladder had been lowered into the room, where a tall man was now descending it.

He wore black leather gloves and his face was covered by a stitched hood, which looked like it had been made from an old sack. He stared down at Nico, who was frozen in place. Was he just going to kill Nico? Better than the slow death, he supposed.

But then the man thrust out his hand, which contained a metal flask. Nico arched a brow as the man tossed it onto the boy's chest. Slowly, Nico reached down and unscrewed the lid. He sniffed it for good measure. With a frown, Nico tilted the flask over his empty palm. His eyes widened as water poured out and spilled onto the dirt. Nico quickly raised his palm to his mouth, but he didn't get much. He tried the flask, but it was mostly empty. All he got was just a few drops.

A dry laugh from the man reminded Nico that he was not alone. “Figured you'd be cautious, so I put more than I intended. And you did what I thought you would.” Crouching down, he snatched the empty flask from Nico. “That was all you were gonna get, too bad you wasted it.”

That was all? Nico felt the color drain from his face. “What-” He licked his lips. “What are you going to do with me?” He got onto his knees, ready to tackle the man if he had to, in order to try and escape. “What do you want?”

Another laugh. “What I want is money, enough to live comfortably the rest of my life. And you are my ticket to getting that.” From the back of his pants, the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at Nico. “I wouldn't think about trying anything, not that it really matters. You see, I'm not stupid. If I let you go after getting your ransom, your beloved Percy will just find a way to track me down using whatever details you can give him. And, quite frankly, I'd like to live to enjoy what I've earned.”

“You're just going to leave me here then?”

The man's head tilted to the side as he backed towards the ladder. “Don't be stupid, kid, I'm sure someone would find the body eventually.” Nico couldn't see it, but he was certain there was a smirk on the man's face. “I don't plan on anyone finding your body.” As he climbed the ladder, he aimed the gun directly at Nico.

And with the pull of the trigger, a sharp pain coursed through his chest. Nico's vision faded until darkness took him.

\-----------------------

The air felt tight when Nico woke up. But that didn't matter at the moment, because Nico was just happy to be alive. That bastard had used a tranquilizer gun. Why would he need to use one of those, and what had the asshole meant by nobody would find his body?

Nico tried to reach up and rub at his chest, but a solid force prevented him from doing so. Brown eyes snapped open. The color slowly drained from Nico's face at what he found.

The boy was still in the dark room, but now he was encased in a clear, solid box that was barely big enough to fit his body in. “No!” Nico yelled, pressing his palms to the surface. “Let me out! Please! I didn't do anything!”

The man with the mask came into view. He stooped over the box that Nico was in and hooked up a hose to the bottom. It did not take long before Nico felt something moving around his feet. He screamed and banged harder on the box. Looking down, the boy found several rats moving and sitting around his lower half.

Standing back up, the man removed the hood on his head, though the lack of a proper light source prevented Nico from making out a face. “They'll keep you company for now, but I'm afraid they will get hungry eventually. I hear death by rats is a very unpleasant way to die.”

Nico slammed his fists against the box. “Someone will find me, even if it's just my remains!”

“No, they won't,” the man replied calmly. He pointed over his shoulder, up to the tube that Nico had discovered. “I'm going to bury you down here in that box. And then I'll just cement the floor directly above this room, so nobody will ever know it's here. No one is going to find you. You are going to die down here, cold and alone. While I enjoy a nice, long holiday, paid for by your loving boyfriend.”

Nico could make out a smirk on the man's face. From a pocket on his shirt, the man pulled something out and dropped it on top of the box. Nico felt his face drain of color as he watched it fall and land on top of him. A single red rose.

Panic flooded throughout Nico's entire body as the man that had given him the rose at the hotel turned and climbed up the ladder. Without any concern for his hands, Nico banged as hard as he could against the surface, even tried pushing the lid off. Nothing. Not moments after the man was gone did dirt begin to pour through the tube in the ceiling. Rocks banged onto the surface of the box just above Nico's face, as dirt slowly became all that the boy could see.

A ringing formed in Nico's ears as everything began to spin. He was going to die down here, and nobody would ever find him. Soon the dirt had covered the box that Nico was in and all that Nico could hear was the sound of more dirt pouring into the room and the rats squeaking around his feet. Hot tears streamed down Nico's cheeks as he continued to bang against the hard surface of the box that would be his coffin, not even caring that his knuckles had started to bleed.

The boy yelled when one of the rats sank its teeth into his leg. Crying, Nico did his best to shake the rat off of him. “Please!” Nico sobbed. “Someone help me, please.”

He didn't want to die like this.

Nico's vain attempts at escapes came to a halt when he could no longer hear dirt pouring down on top of him. His throat hurt from all of his screaming, but he remained quiet and still. His breath hitched when something heavy landed directly on top of him.

He felt like he might hyperventilate when cracks of light broke through all of the dirt. But just as they came, darkness fell back over him. There was a voice, but it sounded so far away. Nico's head began to spin more. He could see light now, but it seemed fuzzy. A rat bit him on his arm and Nico barely moved. It took him a moment, but Nico soon realized that he couldn't breath. As much as he tried, there was no air.

How long had he been in the box before he woke up?

Was he going to die so close to salvation?

As light broke through onto Nico's face, a hand pressed against the other side of the glass. Someone yelled, but the ringing in Nico's ears was too loud to understand any of it. Nico's head lulled to the side and his eyes closed.

As his thoughts began to drift away, the banging got louder. Something else must have landed on the box, because it shook three times. Nico's eyes kept opening and closing. He wanted to hold on. If he could just make it a little longer. The dirt was ripped away from the lid and it was slid off of him. Dirt hit Nico in the face as the boy gasped for air.

Before he could properly open his eyes, Nico was ripped out of the box and arms wrapped tightly around him. “Here, we've got him,” a female voice said as a blanket was draped over Nico's shoulders.

Tilting his head up, Nico was met by the sight of vivid sea-green eyes and a smile. “Help me get him upstairs,” Percy said softly. “You're safe, Nico.”

Jason and Luke took Nico from Percy, much to the boy's protest. It took some effort, but Jason finally helped get Nico onto Luke's back and the blond climbed up the ladder. Nico was placed on the floor until Percy and Thalia climbed out after them. Nico shot up into Percy's arms and buried his face into the young man's chest, not even caring that he was crying in front of other people.

When Percy pulled back, he tucked Nico against his side. Nico blinked up as he noticed that they were surrounded by police officers and a S.W.A.T team. “Bring him to me,” Percy practically growled.

Not two seconds later, the man that had taken Nico was dropped at Percy's feet. There was a severe gash on the man's head and a bullet hole in his left leg. “How could you have possibly have found me so soon?” He demanded.

Percy glared down at the man, his arm around Nico tightening. “Which way would you like? Your purchase of all the dirt, which I had to do several traces to track back to your real identity? There's the false identification that we uncovered that you used to gain entry to my establishment. I had someone locate all the phones in the area during the time that my friend here, who you knocked out,” Percy motioned to Jason, “provided me. You might have not been using it, but that doesn't mean I can't track it. It also meant I could track it here.”

“How long was I down there?” Nico managed to get out, his voice hoarse.

Percy continued to glare at the man, who remained silent on the floor. “Answer him!” The green-eyed young man yelled in a angry tone that Nico could never recall having heard before. It made even the S.W.A.T team flinch.

“Two days,” the man on the floor hissed.

Pulling Nico back a little, Percy looked down and examined the boy. “Are you okay?” His voice was much more gentle than it had been a few seconds ago. Nico just nodded, too drawn in by those sea-green eyes to give a proper response. Not that his voice would probably allow for one anyways. Percy breathed a sigh of relief and tucked Nico under his arm. “At least I found you in time.”

Nico closed his eyes and clung to Percy's shirt. He just wanted to make sure this was real and not his imagination playing a trick on him. As he took in a deep breath, the smell of the ocean hit him. No, this was definitely real.

Holding Nico close with one arm, Percy reached to the back of his pants. When Nico's eyes shot open, he found Percy had a gun in his hand. The man on the floor's eyes went wide, but he was restrained by Luke and Thalia. Nico's breath hitched as Percy turned the safety off.

“Percy, wait!” Nico tried to yell, but it was too late.

The gunshot rang out and filled Nico's ears. The boy felt like ice ran all along his body as the sound echoed in his ears, unable to take his eyes off the man that had been holding him hostage. Luke and Thalia released the man's body, which slumped to the floor. As Percy pocketed the gun again, his eyes made contact with one of the cops. With the heel of his foot, Percy kicked the man's dead body into the hole that they had brought Nico out of. “Turn it back on,” Percy said darkly.

Briefly glancing at each other, one of the cops reached down and turned on a machine, which began to guzzle more dirt into the room below. One of the S.W.A.T. members removed his helmet. “Sir, we could use the boy for some questioning.”

Percy's arm did not budge from around Nico's back. “I'm taking him back to my hotel. He was never here, is that clear?” There was a frighting tone in Percy's voice, but Nico could not pull away. His eyes were still glued to the hole that the man had just been dropped in. “Are we done here?”

The police all nodded. “The building is condemned,” one of them supplied. “It'll be torn down and paved over.”

Percy nodded. “Good. Now, if you'll excuse me...” Without removing his arm from Nico, the young man led the brown-eyed boy outside. Instantly, Nico had to bury his face into Percy's chest to shield it from the sun.

“Here,” Jason said. Nico looked up and the blond's sunglasses were placed over his eyes.

“Thanks,” Nico managed to whisper as he was placed into the back of a car. Percy climbed in beside him and Nico instantly curled against the young man's side. Jason took Nico's other side, while Luke and Thalia got into the front. With a brief glance back at them, Luke cranked the car and drove.

As they drove, Nico looked down at his hands. They were shaking. It was hard sometimes to remember that there was this side to Percy. Yet, for whatever reason, Nico didn't feel threatened. But it didn't make what he had just witnessed any easier to deal with. Percy killed people sometimes, Nico needed to always remember that, but it didn't mean he would hurt Nico. Perhaps he was delusional for thinking that, but it was what he felt deep down.

Warm hands enveloped Nico's shaking ones. The boy looked up with wide eyes as Percy placed the Lost Boy's hands against his chest. Letting out a sigh, Nico leaned over and rested his head on the young man's shoulder. The rest of the world might have been in danger from Percy, but it didn't seem like the young man would ever do Nico harm. Nico groaned a little and buried his face against Percy's shoulder.

He sounded like someone out of some sappy romance novel.

Yet it didn't change his feelings. Perhaps he was a little scared, but fear was not always a bad thing. He tilted his head to the side to steal a glance at Percy. Those sea-green eyes were already staring back at him in an unreadable silence. It was a little frustrating how Percy could do that, even after all this time. What was going on in that head of his?

Once they were back at the hotel, Nico was handed over to Jason. “Make sure he stays in your suite and eats as much food as he wants,” Percy ordered without even looking at Nico. It made the boy frown, though that didn't even get Percy's attention. “I've got to run and make a few last minute arrangements for the convention.”

Thalia gave a nod. “Nico needs a few nights off from work. Do you want-”

“He's not working anymore,” Percy interjected, already staring at his phone. His face was so blank and he acted like he had just announced something completely normal, but everyone stared at him with the same emotion. Shock. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” Thalia quickly replied, recovering from her shock. “Um, I'll have Leo or Rachel contact the school for you, if you want, and have them informed that Nico will be out of school for the next few days.”

Percy simply nodded and stepped through the doors of the hotel. Luke stared down at Nico for a moment, his brow furrowed, before he followed after their boss. Jason nodded to Thalia. “I've got him,” the blond said softly. Thalia pursed her lips and dashed after the two young men.

Nico's eyes remained on the floor as Jason helped him to the elevator. If it had been two days, then it was now Wednesday, sometime in the afternoon. This meant that the conference would be on Saturday, and Gaea would be arriving the day before.

As soon as they were back in their suite, Jason let Nico collapse on the couch. The boy just sat there, staring off into nothing. He was still in shock, even as Jason called down to order Nico some food.

Nico...wasn't working anymore?

His brow furrowed. The date they had set for Nico to quit hadn't arrived just yet. Nico was supposed to work at the conference, tending to the politicians and other important people. But that was no longer the case now? It felt strange, but a relief. It was still weird hearing it from Percy, because the young man never really made decisions for Nico. But this did not seem to be up for discussion.

Nico didn't even bat an eye when Jason placed some orange juice in front of him, too busy wrapped up in his own head.

\-------------------------------

“Guys, I'm sure that Nico appreciates all the concern, but Percy will kill me if I don't have him get some rest,” Jason announced, ushering several of the Lost Kids towards the door.

Over the course of the afternoon, most of the Lost Kids had dropped by to see Nico. Even Annaberth, though Nico was not really sure if it was out of genuine concern or to keep up appearances. The only person that Nico really hadn't seen was Percy, which rather bothered Nico, if he were being honest. Even Dionysus had dropped by, offering Nico some alcohol to take any edge off that the boy might have.

“Why don't you come by and sit with us backstage?” Hazel suggested as she dropped a thermos full of soup on the coffee table in front of Nico. Said table was also completely hidden by a layer of food that the others had brought, which had buried the food that Nico had originally ordered for dinner from the restaurant downstairs.

“I'll think about it,” Nico sighed. His face scrunched a little as he picked up a dish that Juniper had brought him. Whatever it was, there was haggis in it. “Not like I have anything else to do, I guess.”

Annabeth ran a hand through her hair. “Well, you do have your finals coming up.”

There was that. Nico sighed and nodded. For the most part, the others had not really commented about Percy's sudden decision. Drew made a few snippy comments and Nico could tell that Annabeth silently disliked it, but that was about the extent of it. The others just seemed to be about as stunned about it as Nico himself was.

Jason had just finished shutting the door behind Hazel and Annabeth, when it swung open and hit him in the face. Nico's eyes widened a little as Rachel poked her head in. “Sorry, Jason,” she casually apologized. The blond shot her a glare as he rubbed his forehead. The girl turned to Nico with a smile, sitting down on the edge of the couch. “Percy wanted to know how you were doing.”

Nico's lips quickly tilted down. “Why doesn't he just come and find out for himself, like he normally would?”

“Ah.” Rachel chuckled nervously, scratching her cheek. “Percy is rather swamped at the moment, but it was important to him to know how you were feeling.”

Nico grumbled and opened the thermos that Hazel had left him. “Tell him come see me, if he is so concerned.”

Rachel opened her mouth, but Nico shot her a look that clearly said he'd rather be left alone. He didn't really mean to be rude, this was just bothering him. Percy had seemed so affectionate and concerned when he had found Nico, but then had been so distant once they made it back to the hotel. It was almost like he wasn't himself. If this had been some science fiction novel, Nico would probably think a body snatcher had gotten to the green-eyed idiot.

Jason arched a brow as he got up from the floor. His blue eyes drifted over to the door as Rachel made her way out before they quickly fell back to the raven haired boy on the couch. “You okay, buddy?”

“Why doesn't he just come see me in person?”

The blond let out a sigh. “Wish I had an answer for you. You know, maybe he really is swamped. I mean, the conference is this weekend.” Rubbing his cheek, Jason sat down next to his roommate. “Or maybe something is bothering him.”

“Maybe,” Nico muttered.

Something was indeed wrong.

Nico ended up taking Hazel's advice and going upstairs. Unlike most nights, Nico dressed in casual clothing, which earned him several looks from people that had probably seen him working there in the past. Nobody said anything to him, though, even as he pushed his way up the line.

Ethan let him pass without any questioning and Nico headed up to the left side, where the girls were. Nico spotted Percy rather easily. The young man was standing around with a tall man that was probably in his late forties. The young man's sea-green eyes flickered over to the now ex-Lost Boy. Nico held up his hand in a small wave, but Percy did not return the gesture. Instead, those eyes looked Nico over, like the boy was under the microscope. Nico bit down on his lip and rubbed his arm.

Sucking in a breath, Nico headed over towards Percy.

But he didn't make it very far. Percy leaned over and whispered something to Chris, who happened to be standing a few feet behind him. The brunet arched a brow and followed Percy's gaze over to Nico. With a brief cock of his head, Chris gave a nod and walked in Nico's direction.

Nico could already feel a lump forming in his throat. “Is everything okay?” He asked, peering over Chris's shoulder to where Percy was sitting down in a booth. The young man propped his chin up with his palm. “Can I see Percy?”

Chris rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, Nico, but Percy's rather busy at the moment.” He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. “Maybe you could go backstage and the others could keep you company?”

Nico couldn't help but huff. “Is he avoiding me?” Brown eyes grew dark. “He's not doing anything, just sitting there.” Chris didn't budge. “Fine, whatever. Tell him that if he so unconcerned about me, then perhaps he should have just left me with the guy that was trying to bury me alive!”

Chris's mouth floundered as Nico stormed off, letting the door slam against the wall as he went backstage. With a final glare, Nico turned back to Percy as the door swung back and forth, slowing down every few swings. There was a brief flash of pain in those sea-green eyes before they broke away from Nico and found something else to hold their attention.

For most of the night, Nico remained backstage. Some of the Lost Boys came over and sat with him whenever they could, but it was mostly the girls. Silena kept offering him water bottles to the point where Nico thought he might drown. “You're going to want a lot of water,” she kept telling him.

Nico laid down on the couch while the girls went and did a group number. With a sigh, he propped his feet up on the back of the couch, blinking up at the ceiling. What the hell was Percy's deal? This was no time to go back a few steps on the board. And it would kind of be nice to have Percy to lean on right now. Releasing a breath a breath, Nico held up a hand to his face.

They were still shaking.

He hadn't said anything, but Nico was still expecting to open his eyes and find himself back in that box. Perhaps that was why he hadn't shut his eyes when Jason had him lie down for a few hours. He didn't want to sleep, not with the risk of waking up back in that room.

“You okay, little man?” Came Beckendorf's deep voice.

Nico tilted his head back to look at the Lost Boy. “Just thinking.”

Sitting down on the edge of the couch, Beckendorf handed him a bottle of water. “I can see that. Care to share your thoughts?”

Nico eyed the water. “Your girlfriend keeps giving me water. I actually haven't finished the last bottle she gave me.” With a grunt, Nico put the bottle on the floor. “I'm just trying to wrap my head around things.”

“You should take Silena's advice.” Nico tilted his head to look at the muscular young man, but those brown eyes were on the floor. “She had to look out for herself a lot growing up, since her mother was...a bit unpleasant. She got dehydrated a lot, so I'd imagine she's just looking out for you.” He gave Nico's shoulder a hard pat. “Heard you made quite the outburst earlier. You're going to be on edge a lot for a few days.” Leaning forward, Beckendorf looked Nico over. “You should also have Will give you some sleeping pills, because you look exhausted. I get it, though, you don't feel safe falling asleep.”

Nico blinked a single time. “Have you ever been in a situation like that?”

“Not exactly like that.” Beckendorf looked down at his hands. “It's just that... Well, I grew up in a bad neighborhood. I'd often wake up to gunshots and police sirens.” The young man shrugged. “My brother inducted me into a local gang when I was a few years younger than you. It got bad. I remember one night my mother had to come and drag me out of bed, because someone had thrown a moltav into our front window. I never really admitted it, but I was scared. Hell, I was scared that I even had to sleep with a gun under my pillow.

“I thought it was cool in the beginning. You know, I was just a kid, I didn't know any better.” Beckendorf gave a small chuckle. “It wasn't until my brother got shot that I think it really sunk in. My mother was devastated, begged me to quit the gang life, but it wasn't that simple. You didn't just quit the gang life. Besides, I wasn't going to let what happened to my brother go unpunished.”

Nico slowly sat up, his brow furrowed. “What happened? You ended up on the streets, right? I mean, Percy did end up finding you, so it only makes sense.”

Beckendorf gave a small nod. “Yeah. We hit up an abandoned factory, shot a few guys and burned the place down. The bitches had been selling some drugs there, so we destroyed their merchandise on top of that. But...”

“But?”

“When I got home, the windows of my house had been shot out and the door was kicked in.” Beckendorf shook his head, his jaw tight. His large fist clenched around his knee. “The rest of their fucking gang had hit our neighborhood while we were gone. Of course the cops never showed up, at least not until we got back there. They shot all of them. My mom had been sitting up, waiting for me, knitting or some shit. They shot her in her rocking chair. Every house got hit. And, of course, the cops show up around that time, start doing what they do best and trying to take us in for murder and vandalism. Being charged for the shit that happened in our own fucking neighborhood!” Beckendorf let out a breath. “So, I ran. Left the neighborhood, left the city. Left all my contacts behind and disappeared.”

Nico frowned. “You never went back?”

“No,” was Beckendorf's reply. “There was nothing to go back to, not with my mom and brother dead. Before I got into all that, though, I had wanted to do some mechanic work, like my old man did before he passed away. Didn't think I'd ever see that happen, until Percy came along. I was about to be arrested for a grand theft auto when he simply addressed the cops and said that I was with him.” Beckendorf rolled his eyes. “Wanted to hate him and thank him at the same time. Back then, I thought he was just some entitled rich kid that wanted me to score some drugs for him.”

With a smirk, Beckendorf patted Nico on the knee and stood up. Nico rubbed at his neck, sitting in silence as Beckendorf walked a few paces away. “What happened to the other gang?”

The muscular Lost Boy came to a stop and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I let Percy take care of it for me. The same policemen that had come to shoot and arrest us that night got charged to go to my old rival gang's neighborhood and return the favor they gave us. After they returned to the station, each of the cops taken into a room and beaten, and then they were fired.” Beckendorf shrugged. “Guess we can't really say that Percy doesn't look after his own.”

Nico let Beckendorf leave. With a frown, Nico brought his knees up to his chest. It was odd to think about how desperate he had been to hear all these stories almost an entire year ago, and now here he was, wishing they could be wiped from his memory. He knew all of them now, save for Silena. Back then, when he first got here, Nico didn't really understand just how traumatic everyone's past really was. Not that his own had been that great.

Pursing his lips, Nico rested his head against his knees. He had told the others some about what had happened to him, but not even Percy knew everything. Some of them had asked or Nico had mentioned some things here and there, but not really to the extent of what he had always asked of the others.

Releasing one last sigh, Nico got to his feet. He wanted to go back to his suite. Not to sleep, but just to get away from everyone for a while and have some actual quiet time. He needed time to think. He needed to get the past off his chest in order to truly put it behind him. It seemed important now that it be shared, especially with Percy.

If Percy was ever going to talk to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I ended up combining chapter 55 with some ideas I had with 56. The reason was that the chapter would have been incredibly short if left the way it was. It would have left off with Nico in the box, like I had originally planned, but there wouldn't have been much content. I could have added Sunday to the chapter, but I felt that would have been just trying to fill space. So I did this. Not too much more to go.
> 
> Silena's story still needs to be told. Luke and Octavian will get to confront their mother...with a little help from someone else. There's still a little more I'd like to share about Percy's past, but not too much. But I got to thinking about a suggestion someone made, about Nico, and I decided that I should add that in. So, as we can see at the ending, Nico's past will be revealed before the story comes to a close.
> 
> Also, keep in mind that there is going to be a short spinoff. It'll be Luke's perspective, and I'll be working on it after CoL finishes. There will be an epilogue at the end. The spinoff will take place between the last chapter and the epilogue, for any of you that are wondering. But I have the rest of the story completely laid out now and it feels like a weight has just been lifted off of me. I'll be happy to write the ending. Not because I'm tired of this story, but because it's like watching my child grow up. I've waited nearly three years now to write this ending, not that it even is the same ending I originally planned for. But I am ready to finally get to share the ending, so all of you can know how it all plays out in the end.


	56. Always Hard to Say Goodbye

“No,” Nico grumbled under his breath, fighting the urge to rub his temple as he shut his locker. This was the twentieth time today that he had used that response to the same question. It was also the seventy-eighth time this week. His overall average was somewhere nearing three hundred since his return from Germany.

“But-”

Nico fixed the girl bothering him with a glare. He didn't even know this girl, so why was she so hellbent on pestering him? “I already said no. My answer isn't going to change.” He let out a sigh. “I have no desire to go to prom.”

The raven haired girl in front of him pouted and walked off. Nico quickly shot his worst glare towards a group of girls that had gathered near his locker, who were all probably about to ask him the same question. This was getting ridiculous. It seemed like his only time to be left alone was after school. Not that it was much better, since a certain young man with sea-green eyes was still avoiding him.

Honestly, Nico wasn't sure when all of this was going to get better. In the past two days, Nico had seen Percy just once, and it had been with several others around them. He had barely said two words to Nico. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Would this get better once they moved?

His only good news had been when Will informed him that he was clean of rabies or any other diseases from those rat bites. The blond had suggested that Nico go see a therapist for any trauma that he might have suffered, but the raven haired boy had assured Will that he was fine. Well, as fine as anyone could be in the Lotus Hotel.

When Nico met up with Jason in the parking lot, the blond looked up from his phone and smiled. “I just got a text from Percy,” he said. Nico felt his eye twitch. Jason just chuckled and climbed in the car. “He said that you're still expected to be at the conference tomorrow, so don't forget.”

Nico grumbled under his breath as he buckled up. “Great, I get to go play arm candy and pretend we are just both great and there aren't any problems at all.”

“Well, at least he hasn't broken up with you.”

Nico sunk farther down in his seat. “We aren't, technically, dating.”

“Not with that attitude.” Jason grinned when Nico glared at him. “But, seriously, it could be worse. Percy probably just has a lot on his mind right now.” Jason blinked when his phone buzzed. He glanced down at it and arched his brow. “Also, Kelli wants to know if you'll take her to prom.”

“Isn't she going with Dylan?” Nico asked.

The blond shrugged. “I thought so.”

“Are you going to prom?”

“Yeah, I convinced Piper to go with me.” Jason glanced over at Nico with a frown. “You still not going?”

“Never had any desire to,” Nico mumbled, glancing out his window with his chin propped up on his palm. The boy let out a sigh. “Besides, the only reason any of them are asking me is because of Percy. They probably hope that I'll pick them up in some super expensive limo and then invite their friends back to the hotel for some party.”

When they got back to the hotel, Jason made sure to stop Nico before they got out of the car. “Are you okay? I mean, other than the annoying girls.” The blond leaned forward a little, pushing Nico's hair out of his face. “You look exhausted, and you can't really use work as an excuse anymore.”

“I'm fine.” Nico smacked Jason's hand away and jumped out of the car. “I'm just...not really sleeping that well. I'll be fine.”

Upon seeing his reflection in the window of a car he passed, Nico brushed his bangs back over his eyes. Maybe Jason was right, he did look like shit. It was just that, after his abduction, Nico was still having trouble sleeping. He couldn't help but think that this was all just a dream. Maybe he had died back in that box, and this was just his own personal heaven or whatever came after life. Well, more like hell.

As he dropped his backpack off in his room, Nico stood there and stared at his bed for a long time. His body screamed for him to lay down and get some rest, but his mind kept screaming at him not to. That maybe, just maybe, this dream would end and he'd go back to his nightmare.

It didn't really matter, since Nico did not have the time to rest. “We need to get back downstairs!” Jason called out, jolting the brown-eyed boy back to reality.

Right. Gaea was due to arrive at the hotel at any minute. Nico's brow furrowed as he rubbed his neck and turned off the light to his room, shutting the door as he left. Jason smiled at him and opened the door as the two left their suite.

“Hey,” Nico suddenly said after Jason hit the button to call the elevator up to them.

“What's up?”

The raven haired boy let out a breath, his eyes trained on the metal doors of the elevator. “I was just kind of curious if you knew what you were going to be doing.”

Jason blinked down at his friend. “With what?”

“Um, moving? Or will you be staying?”

“Oh.” Jason chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, I picked up an application.” The blond exhaled and gave a nod. “I filled it out. Haven't turned it in, but I filled it out. I think that I—like most of the others—are just wanting a fresh start away from our pasts. My father and brother might be dead, but that doesn't really make me forget.” He gave a soft smile and squeezed Nico's shoulder. “A fresh start would probably do me some good. Plus you'll be there, and it's not like I can trust you to stay out of harm on your own.”

Nico narrowed his eyes and smacked the blond in the chest. “Shut up.”

Jason just smiled. “And maybe you need someone to tuck you in at night and make sure you get enough sleep.” His smile wavered slightly as he tilted his head to the side and stared at Nico's face. “Seriously, maybe you should ask Will to give you some sleeping pills.”

Nico chose to ignore the blond's request, letting the elevator fall into a silence for the rest of their trip to the lobby. He didn't want to ask for help, because the boy did not believe he needed any. If this wasn't a dream, he would eventually realize it, right? There was no need for anyone to feel concerned.

Percy and a few of the others were already standing in the lobby when the two arrived. The green-eyed young man glanced at them for a moment before turning his attention back to the door. Nico's gaze turned dark as his fists clenched at his sides. Jason patted him on the shoulder before he went over to Leo and Piper.

It was Rachel who approached Nico as the boy went to stand by Will. “Nico, why don't you come stand over with me and Per-”

“No,” Nico snapped back, causing the Lost Girl to draw back. “I will stand where I please, and I will only pretend like we are perfectly happy tomorrow. Gaea can get a good look at how Percy's behaving like a child for all I care.”

Apparently, Percy was perfectly capable of hearing that, because he huffed and came over to Rachel and Nico. With a faint grumble, he grabbed Nico by the wrist and pulled the boy to his side. “I understand that you're upset with me,” Percy quickly whispered in the boy's ear, “but it's for your own good.”

Nico shot the young man a glare. “Explain that to me exactly, because I don't really get it.” He yanked his arm free, but did not budge from Percy's side. “Because, as I see it, I could have used you to lean on the past few days, but you weren't there for me.”

Percy kept his lips pressed in a thin line. “I got you out of there. Did you really think I wouldn't come for you?”

“That wasn't what I said.”

A heavy sigh came from Percy. “Look, I have my reasons. If you really had needed me, I felt like you would have come by my room or office.”

If they hadn't been in the lobby, Nico might have hit Percy right then and there. “You mean like the other night, when you had Chris get rid of me?” Nico rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I can tell you're so there for me.”

Percy's lips faltered a little, tilting down into a frown. It looked like he was about to say something, but the doors opened to reveal Gaea and a very intrigued brunet behind her. Eros carried a camera in his hands and was busily looking over every inch of the hotel's entrance and the surrounding city. However, upon entering the lobby, those bright green eyes fell upon a very particular blond.

Before Gaea could even reach and address Percy, Eros shot past her and jumped onto Luke, who barely managed to balance himself in time. The brunet nuzzled against the blond and wrapped his arms tightly around the other Lost Boy's neck.

“Luke, bonjour!” Eros said as he laughed at the blond's attempt to get a grip on the French boy's tan legs.

Luke let out a sigh. “What about buns?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Really? You don't even know a little French?”

Luke glared at her as his brother stared curiously at the brunet in his brother's arms. “Um, who is this exactly?” Octavian finally decided to ask.

“Yes, Luke, who is this lovely boy?” Thalia grinned.

Luke cleared his throat and tried to pry Eros off of him, though the brunet just giggled and held on tighter. “No one.” He glared at the brunet. “He is nobody, but he does need to get off of me.”

Eros pouted up at the blond. “Tu ne m'appelais pas comme ça par textos.” That wicked grin appeared on the brunet's lips. “You were not asking me to get off of you in Germany.”

Travis and Connor popped up beside the arguing duo. “Hello, we haven't been properly introduced,” Connor said with a wicked grin. “My name is Connor. And you are?”

Eros blinked at them in surprise before he smiled and shook the younger twin's hand. “Eros.”

Travis slung an arm around Eros. “And my name is Travis. Pleased to meet you.” He grinned up at Luke. “So then, how exactly do you know Luke?”

“And just how well do you know him?” Connor finished.

The French Lost Boy tilted his head to the side. Before he could open his mouth, Luke clamped a hand over it and glared at the twins. “Do not pester this annoying little French...toast.”

Eros arched an eyebrow. Annabeth just shook her head. “Wow, I never thought I'd see you so whipped. And you've known him how long?”

Thalia was cackling. “Seriously, 'toast' was the best you could come up with?” She wiped at her eyes. “Oh, my dear Luke, how the mighty have fallen.”

“Shut up.” While Luke looked angry, the blush on his cheeks said otherwise. “He and I aren't anything.” It wasn't that convincing.

\-------------------------

The next morning, Nico went in search of Eros. He got to see the brunet a little last night, since the French boy kept Nico company while the others were performing. However, it wasn't long after work ended for everyone that Eros took his leave to go get some rest. But since the last place for Nico to really search was a very specific suite, he somehow doubted that the green-eyed boy had gotten much sleep.

Octavian answered the door, groggily rubbing his eyes and carrying a mug of coffee. “It is far too early to be seeing your face at my door,” the blond mumbled before he took a long sip of his coffee.

“Funny story.” A smirk crept across Nico's lips as he tapped a finger to his chin. “You see, I've been looking for Eros, and I can't seem to find him anywhere.”

“Did you try his room?”

Nico cleared his throat. “Well, you see, I went down to find his room number, and was told that he doesn't have a room. So, I came here...where your brother is...to find Eros.”

Octavian rolled his eyes before he took another long sip of his coffee. “Come in,” he mumbled as he stepped aside. The suite was still dark. “Luke hasn't woke up yet, but you're more than welcome to go bang on his door. As far as I know, Eros isn't here.” The blond narrowed his eyes. “Is all that stuff they were saying yesterday true? Is that who my brother has been messaging since he came back from Germany?”

Nico grinned. “Probably.” He let out a sigh as he headed down the hall, where Octavian followed slowly behind him. The raven haired boy banged on the door to Luke's room.

There was a loud groan from the other side, so Nico banged again. “Fuck off!” Came Luke's irritated voice. Nico just rolled his eyes and banged again. “Goddammit! What do you want, Octavian?”

“I'm not your brother,” Nico called back.

There was a deep growl and then feet hit the floor. In a few short strides, the door was swung open and a very naked Luke glared down at Nico. “Why are you waking me up? I had a long night.”

Nico tilted his head to peer past the blond. His eyebrows shot up in amusement. Sure enough, Eros was in Luke's bed, though the brunet was still fast asleep. The covers were messily tangled across him and it didn't seem like Eros had any clothes on either. But it was the dark marks on the French boy's neck and collarbone that amused Nico the most.

He looked up at Luke in amusement. “I sure bet you did.”

Luke glared and grabbed a pair of boxers from the floor before he slipped into them. “What do you want, twerp?”

Nico smiled and ran a hand through his hair. He would need to get it cut soon. Probably before the conference, since a particular asshole still wanted him to attend the event. “I was just looking for Eros, thought I could find him here.” Nico stuck out his tongue at the blond. “It seems I was right.” He chuckled when Luke glared at him. “But I am fine with seeing you and your brother.” His laughter died down and he leaned against the wall. “Are you two going to be okay today?”

Octavian grunted and raised his coffee to his lips. Luke crossed his arms and glanced over his shoulder to the sleeping boy behind him. With a frown, Luke stepped out into the hall, shutting the door behind him. “We'll be fine,” the older of the two blonds replied. “If we're lucky, we can just avoid her.”

“And if you aren't so lucky?”

Octavian let out a sigh. “Then we'll deal with her. I mean, she can't really do anything, not from a political standpoint. If she were to do so, it would just draw attention to what kind of parent she was. She'd probably get thrown out of office for harming her son and the fact that both ran away from home. Not looking for us probably won't do her any favors, nor will the fact that she told people we died.”

Nico gave a nod. “Well, you know, if you two moved, she would be far away from both of you.”

“I know,” Octavian chuckled. He nodded back to his room. “My form is in my room.” His eyes flashed over to his brother, who had his eyes on the floor. “Luke turned his in yesterday.” His eyebrow shot up. “Interesting that it happened after you spent the afternoon with Eros.”

“Just a coincidence,” Luke muttered under his breath. He took in a deep breath and looked up at the two. “Anyways, you needed to talk to him, right?” Nico gave a nod. “Give me a second.”

Nico tilted his head to the side as Luke stepped back into his bedroom. Luke slowly knelt on his bed and stared down at the brunet. It was almost endearing to watch the scene unfold, at least until Luke woke Eros up.

In one swift move, Luke shoved Eros off of the bed. Eros shot to his feet a second later, his face full of anger and not even caring that he was naked. “Sale con! Mais mec, pour qui tu t'prends? Genre je te sucerais la bite après ça! Va t'faire voir salaud!” Eros yelled out. Octavian and Nico stared on with wide eyes, while Luke smirked triumphantly. Well, at least for a few seconds, until Eros shoved him so hard that the blond fell backwards and hit his head on the floor. “Stupid American.” Huffing, Eros stepped over the blond on the floor. “You can sleep on the couch tonight.”

Luke rubbed at his head with a frown. “This is my room!”

Pursing his lips, Eros bent over to retrieve his underwear from the floor. “Je m'en bats les couilles. Si jamais tu me réveilles comme ça encore une fois je t'jure que ça va barder.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “He wanted to see you,” the blond grumbled, pointing over to where Nico stood in the doorway.

A huge grin overtook Eros's face as he turned to face the raven haired boy. “Nico!” He said happily as he flung his arms around said boy. Nico laughed and stuck his tongue out at Luke when the blond glared at him. “What do I owe such a pleasure?”

Nico let out a happy sigh and chuckled again. “You know, it didn't take that long after seeing each other again to wind up in bed.”

Eros scoffed. “That happened right after I got here, when I came up here to drop my luggage off.” He grinned at the blond behind him, who had finally gotten off the floor. “Someone couldn't keep his hands off my ass.”

“Please stop telling him things,” Luke grumbled.

The brunet grinned and placed his hands behind his head. “We also cuddled last night.”

Luke shot forward and covered Eros's mouth with his palm. “Stop talking. Now.” He glared at Nico and his brother. “Neither of you heard that, it was clearly a lie. I don't fucking cuddle. I-” Luke cut himself off with a soft moan.

When Nico looked down, he found that Eros had his butt pressed firmly against Luke's crotch, which was only separated by two pairs of underwear. Octavian shook his head lightly. “Do we need to give you two a moment?” He rolled his eyes when Eros giggled. “I think I'm going to try to find some earplugs today.”

\----------------------

Nico smiled and squeezed Butch's arm. “I'm happy that things are working out.” He playfully gasped for breath as the muscular Lost Boy enveloped him in a big hug. “Just try and stay in touch, okay?”

“Will do,” Butch chuckled.

Nico glared as Butch ruffled his hair, carelessly reaching up to smack the hand away. After getting his hair cut, Nico had bumped into the Lost Boy down in the lobby. Butch would not be joining them in Germany, choosing instead to stay in Los Angeles to be with his mother. Whether he'd stay on at the Lotus was undetermined, but Nico was just glad that things had become mended between child and mother.

It was sort of sad, knowing that some of the family that Nico had come to love would be separated from him soon, but their happiness was far more important. And the good news was that he would at least have some of the Los Angeles Lost Kids with him in Berlin, since the ones there did not seem to be as close.

After the two parted ways, Nico ran upstairs to change into something that wasn't a black T-shirt and baggy shorts. So, instead of the faded T-shirt, Nico stared at several polo shirts that had been dropped off for him. He frowned down at the bright blue one that Percy, apparently, wanted him to wear. With a grunt, he tossed it over his shoulder and slid himself into the black one. After stumbling into a pair of pants that pretty much conformed to his ass, Nico grabbed the shoes that had been dropped off for him.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico inspected himself in the mirror. He would never get used to this sort of life. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to dress up like this on a regular basis. Better just get this over with, Nico thought to himself as he left his suite and headed for the elevator.

When he got downstairs, Nico found Percy and Rachel waiting outside the door to the conference room. Percy glanced up from his phone and just kind of stared at Nico for a moment, blinking every few seconds. Rachel barely managed to catch the young man's phone from falling to the floor.

Eventually, Percy cleared his throat. “You're late.”

Rolling his eyes, Nico crossed his arms over his chest. “At least I'm here, even though I'm not sure why you want me to be.”

“Glad to see you two are working things out,” Rachel sighed, handing Percy back his phone. She cleared her throat and opened the door. “Do try to act like you're in love with each other.”

Nico's mouth floundered as he gaped at the Lost Girl. As brown-eyed boy looked up, Percy coughed and looked away, sliding a hand into his pocket. Rachel sighed and moved forward, looping Nico's arm through Percy's.

The conference was so boring. Nico didn't know who half the people there were, nor did he really care about the other half. Even when he wasn't attached to Percy's arm, most of the people in the room only managed to irritate the raven haired boy. Because, honestly, Nico wasn't going to delusion himself into thinking that any of the people were nice to him other than the fact that he was dating Percy.

There were a few that he recognized from previous encounters, like Mrs. Castellan and Robert. The latter moved around a lot. When he stopped to talk to Nico, however, he actually asked if the boy had seen Apollo. Nico hadn't, but he probably wouldn't have told Robert if he had.

May had not come over to Nico. She had briefly talked to Percy while Nico had been getting something to drink, but it only been for a few seconds. Not that he really minded. Nico did not really care about talking to the woman, but he did keep an eye on her.

Percy acted completely normal with Nico, like they hadn't even been fighting. He smiled and even kissed Nico's cheek once, but it did not make Nico any less aggravated than he already was. Nico attending this conference was a bad idea. All it did was cause the boy to become even more bitter. Unless Percy was going to act like this after the conference, he didn't appreciate the young man doing it now. It was a lie.

“So, I see things have developed between the two of you after all.”

Nico spun around to face Senator Johnson. The man caught him off-guard briefly before Nico managed a smile. “I suppose they have.”

The senator nodded. “And I hear you aren't...employed anymore.”

“No.” Nico's eyes drifted over to where Percy was making small talk with some important people from Europe and Asia. “Everything is great.” He couldn't help but sound a little bitter as he sipped his punch. Shaking his head, Nico harshly placed his glass back on the table, causing a few heads to turn his way. “Excuse me.”

Mr. Johnson raised an eyebrow at him, but let the boy go. Nico pushed his way through the crowded room, heading for the door. Right before he could get to the exit, however, a hand clamped onto his arm.

“Where are you going?” Percy asked.

“Away.” Nico ran a hand through his hair. “I don't want to be here, and I don't think you want me here either. Quite frankly, I'm starting to wonder why you even came and rescued me.”

“What?” Percy retorted, his voice slightly raised. More heads turned their way as Nico shoved through the doors of the conference room. Percy followed after him, quickly pinning Nico to the wall and placing both of his hands on either side of the boy's head. “I came for you because I care about you. I get that you are mad at me, but this is not the place for us to argue. You have to look happy.”

“I don't want to.” Nico shoved Percy away. “I don't belong in this world.”

“But this is what you signed up for when you said you wanted to be with me.” Percy let out a sigh. “I'm not going to drag you to every event that I attend, but I do expect you to appear happy when you do go to one.”

“You mean lie. Are you just expecting me to never be happy with you then?”

Percy arched a brow. “I don't know, you tell me. Are you happy with me?”

Nico grunted. “Not at the moment,” he said slowly.

The green-eyed young man sighed, but before he could respond, the door opened and Gaea stepped outside. “Is everything all right?” She asked, holding a glass of champagne in her hand.

“Yes,” Percy nodded. He rubbed Nico's shoulder with a faint smile. “Nico here was just feeling a little overwhelmed. Give me a second and I'll be back in there.” Gaea nodded and disappeared back into the conference room. Percy gave a heavy sigh and turned to face Nico. “Look, I'm not going to force you to go back in there if you don't want to, but give me a minute and I'll be right back. I was sort of in the middle of a very important business discussion.”

Nico rolled his eyes and sat down on a nearby chair. “What, bombing a small village in Africa? Handing out guns to local gangs?” Nico sighed and shot Percy a glare. “By all means, go complete your important discussion.”

Instead of firing back with a comment, Percy locked his jaw and flung the door open before he went back into the conference. Nico grunted and slumped down in his chair. Maybe he was being a little harsh on Percy, but it didn't change the way Nico felt. It was like all the frustration he had felt towards Percy the past few days was just rising to the surface.

After a minute or two had passed, Nico got tired of waiting and got to his feet. Kicking at the carpet as he went, Nico aimlessly walked around the second floor, slowly making his way towards the elevators.

He didn't quite make it there.

As he passed by the hotel's gym, Nico came to a stop. He could have sworn he saw something from the corner of his eye. He backed up and turned to peer into the little workout room that the Lost Boys had first worked with Nico in.

Apollo had his back pressed against the wall, his head down and off to the side, while Robert stood in front of him with his arms loosely crossed. Even from here, Nico could see the tears that had formed in Apollo's eyes. So, without thinking, Nico opened the door.

Robert's head jerked in his direction. “Oh, Nico.” He cleared his throat and motioned to Apollo. “We were just talking. If you'll excuse us...”

“No,” Apollo quickly interjected before Nico could even budge. The curly haired blond let out a breath. “Nico, stay. I want someone to hear this.”

Nico gave a nod and leaned against the wall. It was best to stay silent, so the boy did his best to stay out of the way of the two. He wasn't stupid, Nico knew what this was about. Robert wanted to know Apollo's decision.

“You know,” Apollo finally began after a long pause, “I would have given anything for you to tell me you left your wife a year or two ago. Hell, even maybe a few months ago. I probably would have jumped at the news and had my bags packed within the next hour.” His voice was soft, just barely above a whisper, but his eyes were hidden behind his blond curls. “Maybe that was just me being young and stupid. You...really hurt me. A lot. You dragged me away from home, after talking me into coming out to my father, and then just tossed me aside.”

“I know, and I realize what a mistake that was now,” Robert said gently.

Apollo slowly nodded, his eyes finally coming into view. They looked devastated, shattered. “I know.” He closed his eyes for a moment before refocusing them on Robert's face, hardened and angry. “But it doesn't make it okay. You could have sent me home, or even called my sister. But what did you do? You had Percy come find me, knowing what he was going to make me do. Why did you do that? Was it because you still wanted to see me, and you knew you could just pay to have sex with me?”

“Apollo-”

The blond Lost Boy shook his head in disbelief. “You fucking sick son of a bitch.” He laughed, wrapping his arms around himself. “I don't want to go with you. For the first time in a long time, I'm happy. And I realized that I did exactly what you did to me with Leo, except I didn't keep coming back for sex with him. I stayed away. Because, deep down, even though I was messed up and hurting at the time, I knew I had hurt him.”

Robert locked his jaw. “You're just going to stay here? I can give you a new life. You don't need this place anymore. I can put you up in a nice house, where you'd never have to worry about things like this again.” Robert shook his head in disbelief. “You can't be serious.”

“The only difference,” Apollo continued, “is that I apologized to Leo about what happened. Sure, it might have been a year, but it's more than you actually gave me. You've never really apologized, at least never meant it. The only apologizes you ever gave me was right when you were trying to get me naked upstairs.” Taking in a deep breath, Apollo placed a hand on Robert's chest, putting some distance between the two of them. “I don't love you anymore, Robert. I can't really believe I'm going to say this either, but I think it's best if we don't see each other again. In fact, I'm making sure of it.”

Robert's brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

From his back pocket, Apollo unfolded a form for transfer. “I'm going to move to Berlin when Percy moves. Leo is going to be going to be moving there to oversee the maintenance of the hotel, and we did a lot of talking about things between us. And I came to the conclusion that I would feel a lot better if you and I didn't have to see each other again, so that I could have a fresh start.” The blond pursed his lips and looked up at Robert. “I'm sorry.”

There was a long silence before Robert finally spoke. And the second Nico saw the older blond move, he moved forward a few steps out of reflex. Robert glanced over at him for a moment before turning his attention back to Apollo. “If your mind is made up...” He pressed his lips together and glanced down. “I wish you had told me this before I left my wife.”

“You kind of sprung that on me,” Apollo reminded him. The curly haired blond leaned back against the wall. “Besides, you made your choice, and we must all live with our consequences.”

Robert slowly nodded. “You're right, I did.” Reaching out, Robert cupped Apollo's chin and tilted the blond's head up. “You're really beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Apollo whispered.

Sighing, Robert shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.” Apollo smiled up at him and nodded. Nodding back, Robert headed for the door. “I hope you'll be happy.”

“I hope you can mend things with your wife. Take care of yourself.” Apollo let out a long sigh when the door shut. He slumped down until he was on the floor, and then he pulled his legs up to his chest. Those blue eyes seemed so far off, at least until they took notice of Nico sitting down beside him. “Hey.”

“You okay?” Nico asked.

Apollo didn't answer right away. He glanced over to the door once, chewing on his lip. “I think I will be. It's just weird, because he's been a part of my life for so long now. But I realized that it's time to move on. There's a lot of history between me and Robert, but that's also why we can't work anymore. I'd never really be able to let everything that he did go.” Apollo ran a hand through his curls. “It wouldn't be fair to either of us. Besides, I meant what I said, I don't love him anymore. He was never who I was meant to be with, he was just the person that helped me get to where I was supposed to be.”

Nico couldn't help but smile. “That's a nice way of looking at it.”

Letting out a sigh, Apollo got up. He wiped at his eyes before smiling at Nico. “Well, I think I need to get back to the conference. Are you going back?”

“Um, I don't know.” Nico cringed a little. “Percy and I...”

“Gotcha.”

They had barely parted ways when Nico bumped into Percy. Well, technically, he found Percy waiting for him at the elevators, and he did not look happy. Percy's eyes grew dark when they spotted Nico. “Where have you been? I already texted Leo and asked if he's seen you. For all I knew, you could have gotten abducted again.” He shook his head. “I thought you were going to wait for me?”

All that anger seemed to come back real quick. “Excuse me?” Nico growled. “You're one to talk, since you've been avoiding me for the past few days!”

Closing the distance between them, Percy glared down at Nico, his eyes ablaze. “Did you ever stop to think for a minute that I did that to try and protect you? That guy came for you because of how close you are to me, because he wanted to hurt me!”

“Great idea,” Nico fired back. “And yet you didn't ban me from coming to this conference. Instead, you have me stay by your side the entire time.”

“You came at Gaea's request.” Percy's nostrils flared at the glare he got from Nico. “This isn't what I wanted. I put you in danger, and nearly got you killed. Your sister would never let you go to Berlin with me if she knew that I let you get kidnapped. I failed you and her both when I let my pride get the better of me, thinking that nobody would be able to touch you while I was around.”

Nico shook his head. “And how exactly have you been planning on keeping me safe when I'm here in America for university?”

Rubbing his jaw, the anger faded away from Percy's face. “You're not.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” Percy's brow furrowed. “You will not be attending school here in America. You are going to attend a university in Germany, somewhere close by.”

Fuming, Nico clenched his fists. “You can't be serious! Are you just going to make me a prisoner?” He huffed and stepped back from Percy. “You can't be around to watch me forever, so you might as well let me live my life.” He quickly held up a hand when Percy went to speak. “It'll be easier for me to go to school here. I don't speak German, Percy.”

“I'm just trying to keep you safe!” Percy boomed so loudly that it made Nico draw back. “I will do anything to keep you safe.”

“Like shooting someone, even when you knew I would ask you not to?”

Narrowing his eyes, Percy leaned closer to the pale boy. “I showed him mercy,” he hissed. “If I had my way, I would have had him suffer as much and as long as possible.” When Nico looked into those sea-green eyes, he found that they were near slits. “Then, when he could finally take no more, I would finally put him out of his misery. He got off easy compared to the cop that handed you over to him.”

Nico blinked in surprise. “What?”

“I held him downstairs,” Percy said coldly, rubbing his jaw. “I told him that I found you and he begged to be let go. Instead, I had molten aluminum poured down his throat, and then tossed the body into the ocean where it sank.” He let out a long breath and brushed some of Nico's hair behind his ear. “So, yes, you should be thankful that I showed mercy, and it was only because you were standing right there.”

Unfortunately, Nico never got a chance to reply.

“Mr. Jackson!”

Percy closed his eyes and let out a low growl at the sound of May Castellan's approaching voice. Taking in a deep breath, Percy turned around with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

Nico rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the annoying woman. His mouth fell open when he noticed Luke and Octavian being dragged along by some of Mrs. Castellan's security. And to top it all off, Eros had followed after them, demanding that they release Luke and his brother.

“What is the meaning of this?” Mrs. Castellan asked, motioning towards her sons.

Percy slipped a hand into his pocket. “I'd assume it would be obvious, they are my employees.”

“And it just happened to slip your mind that my sons worked for you?”

“I didn't really consider it relevant, since you didn't seem to want anything to do with them.” Percy cracked his neck, raising an eyebrow over at Luke. “I don't really think they consider themselves your children anymore. They are also both of legal age, which means that they are free to do as they please.”

“I wouldn't go home with you anyways,” Luke growled.

May eyed her son. “Unless you've given up your homosexual lifestyle, you would not be welcome there.”

The older blond gave a grunt. “I'm bisexual, not gay.”

“Same difference.”

“No,” Octavian said, “it really isn't.”

Luke shrugged off his mother's security guard. “You were a horrible mother.” He shook his head, motioning to his brother. “I don't even care about what you did to me, but you were a horrible mother to him. You shoved him into things he hated, wouldn't let him do the things he liked. And for what? All because you thought he might be gay? Well guess what? He wasn't. So go fuck yourself, you Bible thumping whore!”

Percy held up a hand to silence them. “She's not taking you anywhere, not if you don't want to go.” He frowned down at the woman. “And if you're going to be a problem, I don't expect I'll be allowing you to continue to stay at any of our hotels.” He leaned in with a glare, not even caring that the woman's security guards were right there. “And trust me, Mrs. Castellan, I'm not someone you want to piss off.”

“I can handle this, Percy,” Luke said. Percy stared at him for a moment before he nodded and took a step back. When May turned to face her eldest son, she held her head up high. Luke just shook his head at her. “You are so blind and consumed by your religion...that you let it come between you and your family. It was more important than your own children. And I hated myself for so long, for everything. Even for being bisexual. I thought that, maybe if I had been the way you wanted me to be, then we could have just been a happy family.”

May opened her mouth, smiling a little.

“But then I realized that wasn't my fault,” Luke continued, his eyes like ice. “It wasn't my fault, none of it.” His eyes shot over to where Nico stood. “It just took someone with a little sense to knock that fact into me. You failed us both. But I think I hate you most of all for what Octavian had to go through. If you had just been a decent mother to him, he would have never ran away to come and find me.”

Octavian touched his brother's arm. “She's not worth it, Luke. Don't talk to her.”

May looked a little surprised. “You don't want to talk to me?” She took a step towards Octavian, but the younger blond stepped back. “You're not the abomination, Octavian.”

“Don't call Luke an abomination,” Octavian growled at his mother. “God, you don't even see how crazy you are. Do you even hear yourself? And Dad...he's not even here. Probably off screwing his secretary, right? How many did you catch him with? I guess he isn't happy with you either.”

“Octavian, I am your mother! You will show me some respect!”

“No,” Octavian shook his head. “Luke was more of a parent to me than either of you ever were. And you're the reason he doesn't smile anymore. All I wanted, since the day you hurt him, was to see him smile like he used to, but he doesn't. I can't forgive you for destroying our lives.”

Rage filled the woman's eyes as her face turned red. “If you think that I am just-”

May fell silent when Eros popped up in front of her eldest son, a bright smile on his face. She blinked at him a moment, mouth agape. Even Luke looked perplexed by the boy's actions. What was he about to do? Considering who it was, there really wasn't much that Nico could think of that couldn't possibly happen.

“Bonjour, Madame Castellan!” The brunet exclaimed, shaking the woman's hand vigorously. Not once did his smile waver, not even when Luke began to glare at the shorter boy. “Puis-je juste vous dire que, vous et votre mari, vous avez vraiment mis au monde un enfant magnifique. Et sa bite... Mon Dieu! Qu'elle est grosse! Compliments à celui qui lui a passé ça.” Judging by the perplexed look on May's face, she did not understand the French boy, not that Nico did either. “En plus, il sait s'en servir. Après notre première fois, j'ai même commencé à boiter. Nan mais, c'étais vraiment très, très excellent.”

“Um,” Mrs. Castellan floundered. “Thank you? I'm pleased to meet you...I think.”

Eros just giggled and released her hand. With both of his hands, he held them apart several inches. “Very big.”

Oh. Nico began to cough when he realized what Eros had probably been talking about. And, just to confirm it, Eros turned around and tugged Luke down by the collar, shoving his tongue into the blond's mouth. Luke's eyes shot open wide when the brunet's hand squeezed his crotch. May looked scandalized, while Percy just snorted and looked away to hide his laughter.

Needless to say, May didn't stick around any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Tu ne m'appelais pas comme ça par textos. (That's not what you called me over our messages/texts)
> 
>  
> 
> Sale con! Mais mec, pour qui tu t'prends? Genre je te sucerais la bite après ça! Va t'faire voir salaud! (Asshole! Dude, who do you think you are? As if I would suck your dick after this. Fuck you, you bastard!)
> 
>  
> 
> Je m'en bats les couilles. Si jamais tu me réveilles comme ça encore une fois je t'jure que ça va barder. (I don't give a fuck (literally: I beat my balls at it)Wake me up like that again and I swear that shit will go down)
> 
>  
> 
> Puis-je juste vous dire que, vous et votre mari, vous avez vraiment mis au monde un enfant magnifique. Et sa bite... Mon Dieu! Qu'elle est grosse! Compliments à celui qui lui a passé ça. (May I just say that you and your husband created a very beautiful child. And his dick... My God! It's huge! Compliments to whoever was responsible for that)
> 
>  
> 
> En plus, il sait s'en servir. Après notre première fois, j'ai même commencé à boiter. Nan mais, c'étais vraiment très, très excellent. (Plus, he knows how to use it. Even gave me a limp the first time. No but really, it was truly excellent.)
> 
> \------
> 
> We are almost at the end. I decided on ending at 60 chapters, which only leaves 4 to go. But then there will be the spinoff, which I hope you all will read. Also, if there is anything I've yet to really follow up on in the story, please let me know. I'm sure I've missed some things, since the story is so massive. I just want to make sure everything is covered. Now, if it's like what happened between Luke and Kronos, you'll have to read the spinoff to find out. But just try to think of anything that I might have forgotten and let me know. Just keep in mind that this isn't taking requests for what you hope to see in the story before it concludes, anything mentioned has to have been hinted at in the story so far.


	57. The Next Chapter in Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Made a small adjustment to the graduation scene, due to an inconsistency in plot that Carlee pointed out to me. Jason's supposed to be graduating, but I had him watching with the others. My mistake.

“You could at least think about it,” Piper huffed as she sat down next to Jason on the couch. She turned to the blond for support, but Jason just shook his head and held his hands up. “Nico, this is your prom. And, since you're graduating early, it'll be your only prom. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Go with me and Jason, it'll be fun!”

Nico stared blankly at her from where he was pouring himself something to drink in the kitchen. “First of all, it's tonight and I don't even have a tux.”

“We can go find you one!”

“Second of all,” Nico sighed, “I don't want to go.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “I'm sure Percy would go with you.”

“If they were talking,” Jason muttered, but Nico still heard him. The brown-eyed boy shot him a glare.

It was true, though. While Percy had been a little more talkative since the conference last weekend, the manager and Nico still had not made up. It probably had to do with them both being very stubborn, as to why they had not made up yet.

In truth, though, Nico was tired of fighting.

“My answer isn't going to change,” Nico finally answered before he took a long drink from his glass of lemonade. “Just go and make sure Jason has a good time.”

Piper looked at Jason again, who finally let out a sigh. “You know, Bianca is going to be there,” the blond supplied.

“It's not like I'm avoiding her.” Dark eyes focused on the drink in his hand. “Prom and dances just aren't my thing.” He let out a sigh and rubbed his neck. “Besides, I should probably start on packing.”

Finally admitting defeat, Piper got to her feet. “I'd like to point out that Jason and I are both moving as well, so packing is a poor excuse. But I will let you stay here instead, just don't say I didn't try.”

“I'll say you tried too much,” Nico mumbled as the Lost Girl shut the door on her way out.

From his place on the couch, Jason smirked at Nico as he reclined. Nico narrowed his eyes as he moved to sit down on the arm of the couch. “She means well,” Jason chuckled.

“Her and the rest of the girls.” Nico took a quick sip of his drink. “I think the girls are just looking for an excuse to give me a makeover. I will not let those jackals take me alive.”

With a smirk, Jason snatched the lemonade from Nico's hand and jumped up. Nico shot him a glare as the blond took a long drink before handing the drink back. “Well, one of us has to get ready for their prom. If you change your mind, you know where the prom is. Just try not to stay cooped up in this room all night.”

“Yes, mother.”

A few hours later, Jason emerged from his room in full suit and tie. Nico had to admit that the blond looked stunning in his black jacket and purple vest and tie. He had taken his glasses off from earlier and replaced them with contacts, while his hair clearly had some gel used on it. While the blond fiddled with his cuff links, Nico whistled in appreciation, which drew a small blush from the Lost Boy's cheeks.

Letting out a breath, Jason motioned to himself. “Do I look all right?”

All right was an understatement. If Nico wasn't in some weird relationship limbo with Percy, he'd probably have undone all of Jason's hard work right then and there. Instead of offering a real verbal response, Nico just nodded with an indistinguishable noise.

As Jason let out a small laugh, there was a knock at the door. Jason smirked at Nico and went over to open it, slightly surprised to find Thalia standing on the other side. The Lost Girl blinked at her brother for a moment before she raised a hand to cover her mouth, her eyes looking slightly misty. She quickly moved forward and hugged Jason.

“You look so handsome!” The Lost Girl exclaimed. “And now you're all grown up.”

Jason chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks.”

After a moment, Thalia cleared her throat and looked up at her younger brother. “Anyways, that's not why I came over here,” she said. Jason tilted his head to the side. Thalia pursed her lips for a moment, rubbing her palms together. “I made a decision about the transfers. I'm going to stay.”

“Oh.” Jason looked a little sad about it, but it didn't seem like the blond was going to comment. “Is this about Zoë?”

“Ah,” Thalia chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. They really were siblings. “I see you noticed.” Thalia let out a grunt. “Not that we were really being that discreet,” she muttered a moment later. She sighed and looked up at Jason again. “That's part of it, yes. But it's not the only reason.” Smiling, the short girl reached up to pat her brother's cheek. “You don't need me anymore, Jason, and you haven't really needed me since you got here. But you need to heal and grow more as a person, and I don't think you can truly do that with me hovering over your shoulder.”

“You're not-”

“You'll be fine, Jason,” Thalia smiled. “We'll still keep in touch and see each other, but I think I should stay here.”

Jason let out a long breath before he nodded. “Okay, as long as we stay in touch.” The two hugged again and then Jason pulled back. “As long as she makes you happy, I'm happy.”

Jason left with his sister to go find Piper, but not before saying a goodbye to Nico. The brown-eyed boy slumped down on the couch once they were gone, completely bored already. Life was not as hectic anymore, not since he stopped working. His nights were completely free, which gave him time to prepare for his finals that would be coming up over the next few weeks. But it also gave him time to spend time with Bianca, who was more than grateful to get to see her brother more before he left. While she was a little bummed that Nico wasn't going to prom, she understood and was content that she would still see him at his graduation and at the airport the day he left.

When it came time for dinner, Nico decided to head down to the hotel's restaurant. One of the Lost Kids would surely be down there and Nico could fend off the boredom with them until it was time for them to go to work. He didn't really bother dressing up, not even caring that his hair was slightly disheveled. Since it was a Saturday, he had not really gone anywhere.

Sure enough, the hostess at the restaurant gave him a distasteful look as he passed, though she knew better than to say anything to him. Unlike the guests, the Lost Kids never had to meet the dress code, though they usually tried to at least look presentable. Not Nico. Today, the boy had dressed in a pair of black cotton shorts and a dark red shirt that had been tattered around the sleeves. Not to mention that his hair could probably pass for a Hobbit from Lord of the Rings.

As luck would have it, Juniper and Silena were already at a table. 

“Hi, Nico!” Juniper greeted him happily as he sat down at their table. The former Lost Boy gave a small wave as a waitress quickly came over to take his order. While most of the staff at the hotel didn't know Percy and Nico were fighting, they did know who Nico was. It was not something Nico was that thankful for. Juniper chuckled at the sour look on Nico's face after the waitress had left. “How are you?”

“I'm okay,” Nico sighed.

Silena brushed some of her hair out of her face. “I see Piper failed at getting you to go to prom.”

Nico leaned back and motioned to himself. “I don't know what you're talking about, I'm clearly ready to go.”

A small laugh escaped Silena's mouth. “Well, try not to be too bored tonight. You should at least try to get out of your room, since you've been cooped up there all week.”

“He has finals coming up,” Juniper pointed out. With a smile, she turned to Nico. “Oh, I meant to tell you that I decided to move back to Europe. While my family isn't in Berlin, it will still put me closer to them.”

Nico beamed at the news. “That's great! And, Silena, you'll be moving back as well, right?”

The raven haired girl nodded. “That's what Charlie tells me. It'll be good, since Percy offered him that job.” She let out a sigh and took a drink. “Not sure what I'll end up doing, though. Being a stripper and prostitute probably don't make for the best career, should we decide to raise a child,” she added a little more quietly.

“When is the wedding going to be?” Juniper asked as their waitress returned with Nico's drink.

After they all ordered some food, Silena let out a breath. “I think we are going to have it next year, probably in the spring.” Try as she might, the Lost Girl failed to hide the smile that appeared on her lips. “And Europe will make for a beautiful place to have a wedding. Traveling wouldn't be that bad, we could easily pick a place like Italy or even France.” As quick as it came, Silena's smile slowly melted away and she stared down at her drink on the table. “My mother always wanted to have her wedding in France.”

From what Nico could remember, Silena did not seem overly fond of her mother. Other than that, all he knew was that the Lost Girl had a harsh time adjusting to the business at the hotel when she first arrived. And, now, all that was left was her story; Nico had heard all of the others by now.

“I don't think you've ever talked about your mother,” Nico said quietly, taking a sip of his drink. “Well, at least not to me, other than after my mom died.”

Juniper's eyes flickered over to where Silena sat, a concerned look in her eyes. But Silena nodded, pressing her lips together. “You're right.” She rubbed her hands together for a few seconds before she leaned forward on the table. “You know, when you first got here, a lot of us didn't want to tell you our stories, but now I think that was unfair. You had a point when you said that we all knew what happened with us, and it was like we were excluding you. It probably would have avoided a lot of tension if you had known, so you would know what not to bring up with each of us.

“My mother was a very bitter and shallow woman, who could not stand anyone being more attractive than her. Heaven forbid that another woman get attention that she felt that she deserved,” Silena continued. “I never knew my father. If I did, I would have tried to live with him instead. My mother... Well, she got around with a lot of men, so didn't really know who my father was. I'm not saying it's wrong that she had a lot of sex, I'd be a hypocrite if I did, but it would have at least been nice if she had been able to know which man was the father of her daughter.”

“You never really tried to get a test done?” Nico hesitantly asked.

Silena shook her head. “There wasn't really a point. My mother didn't want me to do one, and I didn't really care by the point I got here.” The Lost Girl let out a sigh. “By the time I hit puberty, my mother still had not changed. I never understood her. At first, she was proud that I was pretty, but then she wasn't. There were some real creeps that came through our door, and she hated it when I started to catch their attention. She became furious one night, started talking about how I stole her youth and beauty.”

“You mean like that old wives' tale?”

Slowly, Silena nodded. “Exactly. You know, some people say that if a mother has a daughter, she loses some of her looks. Which is bullshit, because my mother still looked hot.” She laughed dryly and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Well, surgery did help a little. She didn't stay satisfied with the way she looked for very long. Either way, she thought I was trying to steal her men away from her. She thought I wanted them!” Silena hissed. “So, to teach me a lesson, my mother helped men that wanted me hold me down and...have their way with me.”

“Oh my god,” Nico whispered before he could catch himself. Immediately, he covered his mouth. “That's awful. You didn't report her?”

“You know, it's only now just getting to a point where law enforcement will believe a child about such a claim. I felt scared at home after that. It started to get worse, and I ran one night, when my mother went to get a hot iron to 'make me less beautiful'. I didn't even stick around to take some things with me, I just jumped out my window and ran.”

It made sense. Silena had escaped a situation where she was having sex with people she didn't want to, into a business that required the same thing from her. It couldn't have been easy to adjust to. Then what changed?

“Dionysus told me a long time ago that you had a rough time adjusting here,” Nico confessed. “What finally got you to accept this life?”

“Luke talked to me,” Silena admitted. She took a long drink before she continued. “We talked for a long time, and then he told me that Percy could help me out. But only if I calmed down.” It didn't take much for Nico to understand what that meant, or what would come next in the story. “So, in exchange for me behaving, Percy payed off a plastic surgeon to...help my mother out, so to speak. Not sure what happened to her after that, never really kept a tab on her.”

Nico was not surprised by this point. It was very common that Percy ended up settling the score with the parents or people from the past of the Lost Kids. He could understand why, though.

“Why didn't you?” Silena suddenly asked.

Nico blinked in surprise. “Why didn't I what?”

Frowning, Silena tilted her head to the side. “You never asked Percy to do anything to your father, and I know he had to of offered you.”

“I just...” Nico fell silent, pushing some hair behind his ear. “I don't know, I guess I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I honestly can't tell you.” He looked up to find both girls staring at him intently. “I was angry, yeah, but I knew it wasn't something I could take back. What if I regretted it later? He might have hurt me and I still hate him for what happened, but I don't regret my decision to not get back at him. Besides, I couldn't live with myself if Bianca found out and hated me for it, let alone my mother...if she were still alive.”

Reaching across the table, Juniper took his hand. “That was very kind of you, Nico. Don't think that we think poorly of you.”

“On the contrary,” Silena added, “I think some of us wish we had done the same. It's easy to cause people pain for what they did to us, it's hard to let it go and move on.”

 

If he had gotten more sleep, Nico might have thought better about sitting on the edge of the roof, but he was still having trouble sleeping after his abduction. It wasn't like he was going to jump, the city just looked really beautiful at night from the roof. His room felt a little confining, so Nico had gone to get some air. He had already caught up with most of his studies, so Nico was pretty much left to be bored.

“You know,” came Percy's voice from behind Nico, startling the boy, “the last time I had a Lost Kid come up here, she ended up taking her own life.” As Nico turned around, Percy slipped his phone into his pocket, eyebrow raised. “Do you mind not sitting on the edge of the very tall building?”

Nico rolled his eyes, but got up anyways and moved to stand closer to the green-eyed young man. “I suppose it's a good thing I'm not a Lost Kid anymore.” Arching a brow, Nico crossed his arms. “That is, unless you're having second thoughts about that decision.”

“I'm not going to do something like that, just because we are fighting.” Percy smirked as he slowly paced around Nico. “Couples fight. If we didn't have arguments, then perhaps we both should worry.”

“Technically, it hasn't been made official yet.”

“I don't really like technicalities,” Percy mumbled, rubbing his jaw. He let out a sigh as he came to a stop in front of the brown-eyed boy. “But, if it will make you happy, I'd be glad to discuss it after we've made up.”

Nico's face remained blank as he stared up at Percy. “And when might that be?”

Percy let out another sigh. “I actually came to find you to apologize.”

“What?” That was...unexpected. Percy was the one apologizing? Both of them had been acting unreasonable, but Nico was also very stubborn and sometimes had trouble letting things go. It was an issue that Bianca strongly urged him to work on. “You're wanting to apologize...to me?”

Chuckling, Percy nodded. “I was wrong. I overreacted and I shouldn't have pushed you away like that.”

Holding up a hand, Nico shook his head. “That's really unnecessary,” he said quietly. “I just wish you'd open up more, Percy. It's really hard to read you sometimes. Would it be so hard to tell me why you're doing something?” Rubbing at his arm, the pale boy glanced down at his feet. “That's all I want.”

“You're right.” It caught Nico a little off-guard to hear those words come out of Percy's mouth. Not that the boy was about to complain, it felt nice. He just couldn't bring himself to smile about it. Percy ran a hand through his hair. “I'll try to do better, I promise.” He grinned down at Nico. “And if I fail to do so, you have my permission to knock some sense into me.”

Nico narrowed his gaze. “Don't think I won't take you up on that, Percy Jackson.”

The young man smirked in a way that Nico wanted to smack it off his face. “I wouldn't have it any other way.” As if he knew Nico's thoughts, Percy took one of Nico's hands and laced their hands together and brought them up to their shoulder area. Nico arched a brow at the young man. “Now, about the matter of your future education...”

“Still forcing me to go to school in Germany?”

Percy gently shook his head as he placed his other hand on Nico's waist. “No, I've decided on a compromise.” Oh really? Nico had to hear this. Percy let out a breath. “You go to a university in England. One of your choosing, whichever one you want. You can pick whatever major you want. This way, you won't have the language barrier, and I'll have the peace of mind about having you relatively close by.”

Nico opened his mouth to respond, but Percy pressed on.

“Look, I can't always be there to protect you, I know that, but this will help ease my mind.” Percy let out a breath. “I don't want anything like that to happen to you again, and I let you down by thinking that you were untouchable through the fear that people have of Gaea and her associates. But I didn't really count on someone that doesn't really know how deep our influence runs trying something.” It was hard to look away from those sea-green eyes when Percy stared at him so intently. “I can protect myself. And I'm not saying you are weak or defenseless, but you're not a killer. Unlike myself, I can't always protect you. I don't really want to think about what would happen if I did lose you.”

Oh. Nico felt his face grow hot as his mouth hung open ever so slightly. “Um...” Wow, he could not form words right now. Leave it to Percy to say something sweet while he was admitting he was wrong. “Okay, I can... I can go to school in England, if it'll make you feel better.”

Percy smiled. “It would,” he nodded.

It finally hit Nico just what was happening as Percy tightened his grip on Nico's waist and hand. As he blinked, Percy began to slowly turn them in a circular pattern. Nico's face grew hot again as he narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Percy laughed. “I was wondering when you'd notice.” The young man had started to slow dance with Nico. “It's your prom night, and while you might not want to go, you should still have a dance.” It was such a simple movement, but it still made Nico's heart beat faster. “You know, I used to really suck at dancing. Kronos used to say that I had two left feet, and actually protested letting me working for his mother. Said that I would just embarrass Gaea's business.”

Neither part really surprised Nico, to be honest. But he didn't say anything, he was just happy that Percy was sharing pieces of his past with him. Sighing to himself, Nico brought his free hand up to rest it on Percy's shoulder.

The two were quiet as they slowly rotated in a circle, swaying slightly. Nico had never really slow danced, but it didn't seem that hard. Besides, Percy was leading anyways. It was a simple dance, but Nico didn't want it to end. Warmth practically radiated off Percy's body and Nico didn't want to lose it. He hummed lightly as he rested his head on Percy's shoulder.

Following Percy's movements, Nico took a step back. Smiling, Percy spun Nico out before pulling him back in, but this time Nico was pressed with his back to Percy's chest. Nico turned his head to look at Percy, and the young man wasted no time in leaning in to press their lips together. As Nico sighed into Percy's mouth, the young man used the opportunity to slip his tongue in, drawing a soft moan from the brown-eyed boy.

Nico slowly turned around in Percy's arms and wrapped his own around the young man's neck. Percy leaned Nico backwards, holding tightly to the boy's slender waist. When they finally broke the kiss, Percy cupped Nico's face and pressed another kiss to the boy's forehead. “I hope you enjoyed your dance.”

Nico gave a dazed nod. “I did, thanks.” He bit down on his lip as he grabbed Percy by the shirt and pulled him down for another brief kiss. They hadn't kissed in a while, and Nico found that he really missed getting to do it. He had missed Percy.

Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when Nico was unable to stifle a yawn when Percy tried to kiss him a third time. Blinking, Percy pulled back and brushed Nico's bangs to the side. “Nico, you look awful.”

Narrowing his eyes, Nico pushed against Percy's chest, though the young man didn't budge. “Gee, thanks,” he muttered sarcastically.

“Why haven't you gotten some medicine to help you sleep, if you were having trouble?”

“I didn't want any.”

It was a lie, but Nico didn't want to explain that he was afraid that he would wake up and this would all be a dream. He still felt like he might be back in that box, waiting to run out of air and die. Ever since he had been pulled from that nightmare, Nico had probably only managed to get three hours of sleep a night. Sometimes even less, or sometimes maybe an hour more at most. His blood had probably turned to coffee by this point, considering how much of the stuff he had drank.

With his brow furrowed, Percy took Nico by the hand and led him to the door to get off the roof. Nico didn't offer much protest. He was too buy yawning and rubbing his eyes to really put up much of a fight. Ever since the slow dance, the warmth from Percy's body had made Nico want to just fall asleep on his feet.

They ended up back in Percy's room. The young man placed Nico on the bed before he worked on getting Nico's shoes and pants off. He left Nico in his loose T-shirt and underwear to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. He sent off a quick text.

Nico blinked up at the young man. “What are you doing?”

“Letting Leo and Rachel know I won't be back upstairs tonight.”

Nico let out a sigh and sat up. “I don't want to go to sleep, I'm not tired,” he tried, but another yawn betrayed him. “I really don't want to go to sleep.”

Percy sat down, pulling off his own shoes. “And why is that?”

Nico didn't answer. Percy stared back at him for a moment before he yanked his own shirt over his head and undid his pants. He crawled onto the bed, while Nico raked his eyes down the young man's body, paying extra attention to Percy's ass in the tight blue boxer-briefs he was wearing. Percy leaned Nico back down on the bed, laying on top of him. He pressed a kiss to Nico's neck.

“Before we move, is there anyone I should get in contact with for you?” Percy mumbled into the boy's neck. Pressing another kiss there, the green-eyed young man pulled back and stared down at the boy. “Maybe a friend that you want to say goodbye to?”

As his lips drew into a thin line, Nico gently pushed Percy off of him. Not really something he would have ever dreamed of doing when he first me the green-eyed young man, but things had definitely changed between the two of them since then. “I didn't really have friends,” the boy whispered, causing Percy's eyes to widen slightly. “Dad didn't really let me venture out of the house much. And, well, nobody wanted to really be friends with the antisocial, ghost boy.”

Although he let Nico have his space, Percy slid his hand across the bed and interlaced their fingers. “I'm sorry.” The young man smiled sadly and toyed with Nico's hair. “That must have been very lonely. No friends at all?”

“If you count the people that made fun of me for a stupid card game that I used to play.” Nico let out a long yawn and rubbed at his eyes, which clearly did not go unnoticed by the young man beside him, who frowned. “What about the mysterious Percy Jackson?” Nico smiled lazily and let his hands fall into his lap. “You don't talk much about your past, all I really know are fragments.”

There was a distant look in Percy's eyes as he simply reached out and played with a strand of the boy's hair. “I don't really like to think about it.” His eyes met with Nico's and a sad look appeared in those sea-green orbs. “It's just confusing, you know? I loved my mother, she was a good woman, but that was a bad time in my life. Like you, I was alone after she died.” The young man's lips tilted down. “Instead of sending me to an orphanage or foster care, she kept me. I think she wanted to believe that things would get better for us, and didn't want to lose me. She didn't deserve the life she was given, and I could never forgive my father for ripping her away from me at such a young age. It wasn't even about living on the streets myself, or even danger I felt most of the time when I laid down to sleep at night. I wanted him to die for her.”

Nico's eyes flickered over to where the pocket watch Nico had fixed for the young man rested on the nightstand. Humming lightly, Nico crawled over and picked it up. Percy reached out to take it back, but the boy pulled it out of reach. “She was very pretty,” Nico said gently as he opened the watch. His breath hitched a little when he found a new picture inside.

Right behind the face of the clock was a picture of Nico. Slowly, Nico tugged on the clock to reveal the new photo inserted into the lining of the back of the watch. “I wanted it to have the most important people in my life in it. So, when you gave it back to me, it wasn't complete.”

Nico smiled and leaned over, placing two fingers under Percy's chin to press their lips together. Why had he even been mad at Percy again? Nico let out a long sigh as he pulled back. “That was really sweet.”

Clearing his throat, Percy placed the pocket watch back on the nightstand. “You know, when I was younger, I was that kid that had the toothy smile and stayed in trouble all the time. I probably gave my mother quite a few gray hairs, but she always smiled when she looked at me.” Percy chewed on his lip, his eyes staring off to the side. “I really liked seeing her smile, it always made me happy.” He finally let out a breath and turned back to Nico. “You know, when you first got here, I ended up breaking a mirror. I just couldn't stop seeing that kid that I used to be staring back at me, like I had let him down.” Percy's brow furrowed. “Like I was some kind of monster.”

Nico took Percy's hand and gave it a squeeze. “I think she raised you well, and I think her morals stuck with you. It's probably why you didn't turn out more like Kronos.”

Percy smirked a little. “Gaea wasn't that bad. Kronos can just be...an acquired taste.” He shrugged. “Never met him, but Gaea never spoke fondly of Kronos's father. I don't think he's still alive.”

Nico scooted over and rested his back against Percy's chest. The young man smiled and brushed some of the brown-eyed boy's hair out of his face. Before he could catch himself, another yawn escaped Nico's mouth. Percy immediately frowned.

“You look so exhausted. Why aren't you sleeping?” Percy shook his head. “You've been like this since I got you away from that creep, and it doesn't look like you've gotten much sleep since then.”

Nico opened his mouth to argue, but Percy cut him off.

“Don't give me any bullshit, Nico.” The softness of Percy's voice was gone, replaced by concern and agitation. “You should have gotten some sleeping pills, if you were having this much trouble getting sleep.” He tilted his head to get a better look at the boy in his arms. “What's bothering you? The guy is dead, he's not going to hurt you ever again.”

“It's not that,” Nico breathed out. He tilted his head back, reaching up to caress Percy's face. It was real. “I just... I was afraid I'd wake back up in that box, like all of this would have just been some sick dream I came up with. When I do get some sleep, I just dream about being buried alive again.”

Percy's arms tightened around Nico. “Do you want me to let you see a therapist?” He whispered in the boy's ear.

“No,” Nico said, shaking his head. “I just...need to know that it's real.”

Percy shifted, so that Nico laid on his back. As the young man hovered over the boy, Percy brought their faces within inches of each other. “I would give you anything,” he said gently. “Ask for the world, and I'd give you the moon to go along with it.” Percy pressed a gentle kiss to Nico's lips, causing the brown-eyed boy to sigh. “Just tell me what it is you want.”

Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and pulled the green-eyed young man down on top of him. “You. I want you.”

“I'm all yours,” Percy said as they kissed again. “I always have been and I always will be, until you are tired of me.”

Nico's heart fluttered as Percy's fingers slid up his shirt, ghosting over Nico's skin. Their lips crashed together and Nico eagerly opened his mouth to allow Percy's tongue entrance. As Percy shifted down to kiss along Nico's neck, the boy mumbled, “I don't think that will ever happen.”

Nico's shirt quickly found its way onto the floor, which was soon followed by his and Percy's underwear. Percy roughly pulled Nico into his lap. His lips moved agonizingly across the brown-eyed boy's chest, while his fingers traced circles on the small of Nico's back. The boy's finger's tangled in Percy's hair and Nico couldn't help but shudder as Percy softly trailed a finger down the spine of his back.

It didn't take long for Nico to find himself on his back with his ankles on Percy's shoulders. And judging by the way Percy was going at his collarbone, Nico would probably be left with a mark.  
The good news was that Nico could probably cover it up with a shirt, not that he would have complained at the moment if it had been in a more visible spot.

“You seem a little eager tonight,” Nico breathed into Percy's ear, his hands with a firm grasp of the young man's hair.

Stopping for a moment, Percy pulled back to look at Nico and blinked. “Why do you say that?”

“I don't know,” Nico replied, no longer meeting the green-eyed young man's gaze, though his grip did not untangle from Percy's hair. “It's just that with me, and the others, your sex drive seems to usually be sated.” He smirked a little and looked back at Percy as the young man rested his chin on Nico's chest. “The last time you were this eager for sex was back in Germany, when you-”

“Weren't having sex with the others?” Percy arched a brow and leaned down to press a soft kiss to the center of Nico's chest. With a wicked grin, he pulled back and lifted Nico's legs back onto his shoulders. “That's because I haven't been having sex with the others. Haven't really been since around the time you got abducted. I advanced the time frame we set for you quitting, so I felt it was only fair to do the same with your stipulation.”

Soon after, Percy had a condom on and had himself lined up at Nico's entrance. As Percy slid into Nico, the boy's nails dug into Percy's back and Nico bit down on his bottom lip. Nico pressed his palm to Percy's hip once the young man had buried himself in all the way, just to signal that he needed a minute to adjust. Percy smiled and leaned down to kiss Nico's forehead, which was already showing signs of sweat.

With a quick kiss to Nico's lips, Percy slowly began to drive his hips into Nico. The brown-eyed boy shifted his legs to Percy's hips, where he wrapped them tightly around his lover. Percy wasn't so slow this time. Normally, he waited a while to pick up the pace. Not this time. Tonight, he gripped Nico's hips and slammed himself into the boy, who tossed his head back with a gasp.

Nico's mouth fell open in a moan at the same time that Percy made a direct hit to his prostate and shifted his hands down to squeeze Nico's ass. Nico's hands fell to the sheets, where they gripped the fabric tightly. Percy just smirked as Nico's mouth continuously hung open with endless moans.

“It seems like someone really needed to get laid,” Percy chuckled huskily in the boy's ear, drawing another moan from Nico. Percy bit down on his lip and thrust again, causing Nico's toes to curl.

Percy was not easing up. It was like he was on a mission to hit Nico's sweet spot with every single thrust. And, well, he had yet to miss.

With a low growl, Percy flipped Nico over and had the boy get on his hands and knees. He placed a hand on Nico's stomach and another on Nico's shoulder. Nico buried his face into the sheets and screwed his eyes shut. Removing his hand from Nico's stomach, Percy placed both hands on the boy's shoulders.

Nico's toes curled again as he was slammed back onto Percy's arousal. Percy gripped Nico's hair and tugged the brown-eyed boy's head up. As he let out a moan, Percy bit down harshly on his neck. Slowly moving his hand down Nico's chest, Percy took Nico's arousal into his hand and gave it a few strokes.

As Nico neared his climax, Nico was turned around and Percy sat back against his headboard. Nico bit down on his lip as his hips were guided up and down on the young man's manhood. Nico leaned down to press their lips together as he wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. The brown-eyed boy tugged on Percy's bottom lip as they separated and Percy took Nico's arousal into his hand, giving it a few strokes.

Nico buried his head into the crook of Percy's neck as he felt his orgasm approach. “Percy!” Nico moaned loudly as he expelled his seed into the young man's hand and onto his chest. Percy shut his eyes and gripped Nico by the hips, slamming into Nico a final time before he came.

Nico collapsed onto Percy's chest, not even caring about the mess. Percy kissed the brown-eyed boy's forehead, stroking softly at Nico's hair. “Let me get a towel,” Percy whispered as he rolled Nico onto his back. The boy made a face at the warm sticky feeling that was now on his stomach.

Percy climbed off the bed and removed the condom, tossing into the trash. He left the room for a moment to retrieve a towel, which he handed to Nico upon his return. Nico had barely managed to clean himself up, when he felt his eyes begin to droop. Percy took the towel back with a smile, tossing it to the floor. He turned off the light and crawled back into bed with Nico, who already had his eyes closed. Nico let out a sigh of contentment when Percy pulled him against his chest and placed an arm around Nico's waist. Nico rested his hand on Percy's chest and the young man kissed his forehead. It did not take Nico long at all to fall asleep after that.

\--------------------------------

If there was one thing that Nico was certain of, it was that he hated wearing a cap and gown. Yes, graduation had finally come two weeks later. In truth, the time had gone by in an absolute blur. The morning after the prom he missed, Nico ended up sleeping in until around three in the afternoon. Percy had said that he had been exhausted, so he had no intention of waking Nico up. Not that Nico really could complain, since he felt so much better after waking up.

That following week had consisted of his final exams, which he had crammed for the best he could. He ended up staying in Percy's suite most of those nights, so he could study without being bothered, but Percy often came back from work to find Nico passed out on his notes. The week of graduation had been nothing but boring. He had begged to just skip the last few days, but no dice. They didn't even do anything! The teachers had pretty much just let them sit there and do as they pleased, so long as they were not too loud. So, Nico had been forced to wake up early for the past week, just so he could go read in class, opposed to sleeping in and doing something similar after waking up at a reasonable time.

And now here he sat, waiting for his name to be called to get his diploma. Since Lost Kids from other hotels had started to arrive over the past few days, all of the Lost Kids that Nico actually considered family were able to attend, while the newly arrived ones worked the lunch shift. Which was why Nico kept glancing up to them, because Bianca was sitting by Percy, and he was afraid she might still be a little unhappy about the move that was happening tomorrow.

It was strange, knowing that tomorrow Nico would be flying to a different country to start his life there. Percy promised they would have plenty of time together, but the young man also had a lot of work to do once they arrived. The summer would be when things transitioned, and Percy would take over in August, sort of a birthday present from Gaea. All the applications had been turned in by the Lost Kids that were wanting to transfer. A few, like Drew and Butch, would be staying with Annabeth at the American branch. But then there were those like Hazel and Calypso, who were just moving elsewhere altogether. While Hazel was moving to Asia to be with Frank, Calypso had recently announced that she wanted to try Australia and work under Demeter.

Ethan had ended up deciding that he wanted to stay where he was at, though Percy did end up asking him to be Nico's bodyguard when he was at school. That had not set very well with the brown-eyed boy, but the two did not start another fight over it. But that did not mean the issue was over.

“Nico di Angelo.”

Nico nearly jumped out of his chair when his name was called. He just wished that he could have realized that he would not make it to the stage without something embarrassing happening.

“Nico, yeah!”

“The march of victory!”

“Félicitations, mon petit chou!”

It took everything Nico had just not to trip. His eye twitched as he looked up at the bleachers, where Eros and the twins were being yanked down from their standing positions by Luke, Piper, and Silena. He wasn't even going to question how they managed to get the giant poster with colorful lettering that said 'Nico survived the school-ocalypse' in big, bold letters into the damn gymnasium.

Unfortunately, while Jason and the others were trying to restrain Eros and the twins, Leo jumped up and yelled into a megaphone. “Nico's the man!”

“Be quiet!” The principal yelled.

“I'm so sorry,” Nico whispered quietly to the agitated man once he was on the stage. He shook the principal's hand and accepted his diploma before hurriedly making his way off the stage, his face now slightly red.

After they tossed their caps and the ceremony ended, the floor was flooded by the family and friends of the graduates. Nico himself nearly fell over when his sister jumped onto him with a big hug. “I'm so proud of you, baby brother!”

“You're crushing me,” Nico wheezed. Daedalus chuckled and tucked his own diploma under his arm before helping to remove Bianca. “Besides, I'm taller than you now.” Nico and Bianca both stuck their tongues out at each other.

Bianca ruffled his hair as Daedalus's parents approached. “You'll always be my baby brother.”

Minerva hugged her son as Quintus took a picture of them. “Nico, congratulations to you, too,” the woman greeted him.

“Thank you, ma'am.”

A hand was placed on Nico's head and the boy tilted his head back to be met with a quick kiss from Percy's lips. Nico's face turned so red and he quickly pushed Percy away. He wasn't entirely sure if they should be so affectionate in public, especially in front of his sister. But Bianca just arched a brow at them.

“Relax, twerp, Percy and I came to a very good understanding before your graduation started,” Bianca informed him. Nico paled a little at that. He wasn't sure if he liked this subject. “Just keep it clean when I'm around, I don't care if you two hug, kiss, or hold hands.”

As if to prove a point, Percy laced their hands together. It still bothered Nico a little, because Daedalus and his family were right there, and they didn't know half of what Bianca knew. And Bianca didn't even know half the truth.

Bianca lunged forward and enveloped him in another hug. “I'm so proud of you! You graduated early and are about to start college!” She squeezed him a little tighter. “You know, when we first talked about you graduating early, I got excited that we might get to start at the same college together.”

Nico felt his stomach dropped as he buried his nose into the crook of his sister's neck, taking in her scent. He clung to her like his very life depended on it. This would be their last day together, at least until Nico got to visit, or the other way around. “I'm still seeing you tomorrow at the airport.”

“I know,” Bianca replied in almost a sob. “I'm just not ready to let you go.”

He wasn't sure she just meant in the sense of their hug.

As they walked back to their cars, Nico walked alongside Apollo, hands in their pockets. The blond haired Lost Boy turned his head slightly and arched an eyebrow at the raven haired boy. “What's up?”

“Nothing,” Nico replied, shaking his head. He was relieved to be out of that stupid gown. “So, we're leaving tomorrow...”

“Yep.” Apollo smiled and glanced over at Leo, who widened his eyes and tried to look annoyed at the curly haired blond. Apollo just smirked and shook his head. “I'll be happy to have that fresh start.”

“Um, have you thought about saying all your goodbyes, though?”

Apollo gave him a strange look. “Well, considering most of my friends are moving with me, not really. I mean, I said goodbye to the ones that wouldn't be joining us, like Thalia, but-”

“I meant your sister,” Nico interjected. Apollo's forehead crinkled. “You never even told her that you're still alive. She hasn't heard from you since you moved. Why didn't you just try to get in contact with her when Robert tossed you out?”

“Because, I was ashamed,” Apollo whispered, making sure that nobody else could hear them. The two came to a stop, and Apollo waved to the others to continue without them when they got a few glances. The blond crossed his arms. “She told me not to trust Robert, she told me not to leave with him. I didn't listen, and I paid the price for it. And how can I face her now, with what I've done for the past few years?”

Nico smiled and touched Apollo's arm. “I think she'll just be relieved to know that you're still okay. She's probably been worried, not knowing what happened to you. She doesn't have to know everything.” Nico motioned to his sister, who had stopped to talk to Daedalus. “I know I'm glad that Bianca and I found each other again. It's not like you have to move and be closer to her, I'm just saying that you should consider getting back in touch with her.”

“I don't know.”

“We are leaving tomorrow. You might want to do some quick thinking.”

Eros and Octavian conversed the entire way back to the hotel, which seemed to irritate Luke, who just grumbled under his breath and slumped down in his seat. “Why are you two so chummy all of a sudden?” The older of the brothers had asked. Eros had just patted him on the head.

“At least someone is making you happy,” Octavian had told his brother when they arrived back to the hotel and Eros had skipped off to chat with Juniper.

“Nico, congratulations on getting out of high school,” Chris greeted him when in the lobby. Though she had not originally agreed to it, Chris had ended up convincing Clarisse to have them move to Europe with the majority of the others.

“Everything packed up?” Percy asked, carelessly tossing his phone in one hand.

“Good to go.” Chris grinned and shook Percy's hand. “Thanks again for the promotion,” he added, patting Percy on the back before he grabbed Clarisse and headed for the restaurant.

Nico furrowed his brow. “What's happening?”

“Oh. I asked Chris if he wanted to be a, sort of, bodyguard for me in Germany.” Percy casually shrugged. “It'll pay better, and I know Clarisse wouldn't want to be tied down to one person like that.” A chuckle escaped his lips. “Well, other than romantically, obviously. I promoted her to head of security for the Berlin hotel.”

“Don't let her hear you saying things like that.”

Percy's laughter slowly died down and he cringed a little. “Yeah, you're probably right. It'll stay between us.” Percy slipped his arm around Nico's waist. “So, what were you and Apollo talking about back at the school?”

“Oh.” Nico rubbed at his arm. “I was just trying to get him to consider contacting his sister, letting her know that he's still alive. Only if he wants to.”

Percy stared at him for the longest time before a warm smile spread across his lips and he ran some fingers through Nico's hair. “You do that a lot.”

“What?”

“Give advice to others.” He tilted his head to the side with a small chuckle. “I could always hire you on as a bartender after you finish college, since Chiron pretty much dealt out advice for people around here. I mean, if you'd be interested.”

Nico's mouth fumbled. “I- Um, yeah, that would be great.” Nico bit down on his lip to contain a smile. “But don't you have a bartender at the Berlin hotel?”

Percy shrugged. “Well, I mean, nothing is definite in three or four years, so we will see.” Leaning forward, the young man pressed a quick kiss to Nico's temple. “You'll also need to learn how to mix drinks properly.”

Later that night, Nico had pretty much finished all of his packing. He let out a sigh as he looked around his nearly empty room. Most of his things were in boxes and suitcases, while the other half had already been shipped ahead to Germany. Jason had left to spend some time with Leo and Piper, since he had done all of his packing the day before. Half of the Lost Kids had the night off, letting the ones from the other hotels fill some spots for the evening. And before bed, everyone was supposed to meet upstairs for a short goodbye party.

There was a brief knock at the door, which Nico got up to answer. Hazel smiled at him from the doorway, stepping around Nico to enter the suite. Nico felt a small knot form in his stomach as he shut the door. Aside from the rare visit, this would be the last night he'd be with Hazel. Through everything, Hazel had just always been one of the few that Nico felt he could trust in the hotel, and now she was leaving.

And as soon as the sad smile appeared on the girl's face, Nico knew they'd both be crying before they left the room. “I'm going to miss you,” Nico couldn't help but announce. “I'm happy you're going to get to be with Frank, but I'm really going to miss you.”

“I know.” Hazel shot forward and wrapped her arms around him. “I'll miss you, too. It seems like just yesterday you came here.” She laughed, hints of tears already forming in her eyes. “I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd make it that long here, none of us did. But, I mean, look at me. I made it, so I had the hope that maybe you'd be able to pull through. I was just upset when you chose to throw yourself with us, because I didn't want you to have to go through what we did.”

“None of you really deserve lives like this.”

Hazel smiled again. “We make due with what we are given.” She took a step back and motioned to him. “Look at you, you ended up with Percy, even though everyone told you not to bother. You did what everyone thought was impossible, and you technically escaped the cycle Lost Kids all go through.”

Nico pressed his lips together. “I might not be working like I was, but I'm still part of the hotel. I sleep in the same bed as the person that now runs the entire operation.” He simply shrugged. “It doesn't really feel like an escape, not that I guess I wanted to escape. I could have left, if I had really wanted to.”

Reaching out, Hazel took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I think it's good, in a way, that you didn't. Percy has changed a bit, he's started opening up more and smiles more.” Another squeeze to the hand. “I don't think he'd be quite like this if you had not come along, or if you had walked away.”

The two ended up talking for about an hour, until they had to head upstairs for the goodbye party. They both had to wipe their faces first from the tears that had been shed, and it took several hugs before they left the suite. To Nico, it was just a preview for what it would be like tomorrow when he had to say goodbye to Bianca.

“Why are you all leaving?” Aphrodite wailed. She might have had a little too much to drink.

“Because we want to get away from you,” Luke grumbled as he pried her latest mixed drink out of her hand, which resulted in a shriek from the woman. “Let it go, woman!”

Eros chuckled as Luke was tackled to the ground by an angry Aphrodite. Smiling, he wrapped an arm around Nico. “Nico, I am very happy that you will come home with me!”

“Yeah.” Nico sipped at a drink that Thalia had given him earlier. The first time he had drank from it left him coughing, so the boy had kept to small sips after that. “I'm sure I'm not the only one you're looking forward to having there.”

Eros grinned wickedly back at Nico. “Do you think Luke would want to share a suite?” The brunet tapped his chin while in deep thought. “We had a few noise complaints from the other Lost Kids while he visited, and Octavian sometimes gives me dark looks in the mornings.”

Nico let out a chuckle and tapped his glass to Eros's own. “I'm sure you could coerce him into it, especially if you're naked.” Nico nearly jumped when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Looking up, a smile spread across the boy's lips. “Hi, Chiron.”

Standing up, Nico gave the man a warm hug, though he barely met Chiron's shoulders. “It seems like just yesterday you got here, my boy, and now you're flying from the nest.”

“And leading an army of birds with him,” Travis joked in passing.

Nico glared at the brunet before smiling up at Chiron again. “I'm sorry you won't be joining us, Chiron.”

“Ah.” Chiron shook his head. “No, my place is here. Percy asked my opinion on your job opportunity, and I thought it was a wonderful idea.” Putting an arm around Nico, the man pulled the boy closer. “Make sure to look after all of them and keep them in line...especially Percy.”

Nico chuckled. “Will do.” Nico gave the man another warm hug. “I hope this won't be a true goodbye. I suppose it won't, if Percy ever feels the need to come back here for business, or if I want to visit my sister. But you could always take a vacation.” Nico arched a brow. “In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you take a day off.”

Chiron let out a warm laugh. “I like to keep busy.” He squeezed Nico's shoulder and smiled. “Take care of yourself, my boy, the world can be a large and frightening place.”

Nico's eyes widened in surprise when a pair of arms wrapped around him. “And I'd hate for you to get stolen again, cutie,” Ganymede said cheerfully. Nico rolled his eyes and smiled at Chiron, tossing the man a wave as he walked off. Ganymede rested his chin on Nico's head, staring over at Eros. “You must be the French boy. Very cute.” Ganymede smirked eyeing Eros up and down. “Say, if you want to go down to my room- Ow! What the fuck, Luke?”

From across the conference room, Luke stood with his eye twitching. At some point, the blond had thrown a book at Ganymede's head, which hit the man square in the face. “He doesn't want to go to your room, pervert.”

Eros's eyes widened in amusement. “I doubt you have room to talk, especially with what you tell me in the bedroom.”

Luke's face turned red. “Shut up. Do you want to go with him, or something?”

Eros turned to Ganymede, who winked. “I'm told that I'm a lot of fun.”

The French boy tapped a finger to his lips before tilting his head to the side and smiling. “No, Luke does a good job of taking care of my needs.” Luke looked like he wanted to strangle the brunet. Eros just chuckled at him. “Tu es très mignon quand t'es jaloux.”

From the corner of his eye, Nico spotted someone sitting alone. Not all that surprising, since it was Dionysus, and people tended to like Drew more than they liked Dionysus. Regardless, Nico slipped away from Ganymede and the others to go stand in front of the man. Dionysus looked up from his glass of crimson wine and smirked.

“The golden boy has finally deemed me worthy of conversing with.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well you failed to crush my spirits, or whatever your game was.”

Dionysus snorted and downed some more wine. “Not at all, Nico, I never tried to crush your spirits. I just liked watching you go to the verge of self-destruction and then scramble to put everything back together again. Especially when it involved Percy.” The man nodded. “Those were the most entertaining moments.” He grunted at the annoyed look on Nico's face before taking another drink. “Oh don't be so glum Nico, it's a day of celebration. You are victorious! But I wouldn't say that you made it through this small adventure unscathed. You're definitely not the same, cheerful boy that Percy brought in here almost a year ago.”

“No, I suppose not.” Nico let out a breath and sat his drink on the conference table. “But I'm not some sadistic drunk, who only takes joy from watching others suffer.” Nico shrugged. “You know, I wouldn't be surprised if Annabeth tossed you out of here. She isn't Percy, after all. I suppose it's a matter of what Percy and her agree on.”

“Perhaps with a few small nudges from a particular boy, who is surprisingly better at manipulation than people seem to give him credit for.” Dionysus sat back in his chair. “You know, Nico, I never expected you to survive this place, you were just too nice when you first got here.” The man's eyes flashed with amusement. “But you are just full of surprises, aren't you? Annabeth sure realized that.”

“Maybe there's more to me than you gave me credit for.”

“Perhaps.” Dionysus slowly nodded. “Now I'm curious as to what else happened to you before you arrived on our doorstep.” Dionysus raised his glass to Nico. “I will say that you were never dull. Don't be a stranger.”

As the party came to a close, Nico left to go finish packing. However, he barely made it to the elevator when he got stopped by Annabeth herself. Great, he thought. His annoyed look died, however, when she handed him a German dictionary. Nico arched a brow at her.

“What's this for?”

“Learning the language,” the blonde replied plainly. “You might not be going to school there, but you will be there a lot, and then permanently when you finish college. Better start learning.” She let out a long sigh before turning her sharp gaze back on Nico. “Look, I know we have our differences. I know we've been fighting a lot and I haven't been the best of friend.” She pursed her lips. “My main wish is to see Percy happy, and he is...for now. But that doesn't mean I can't be there if things go wrong between you two. Athena's position is opening up soon, as you know.”

“Maybe, doesn't mean you'll get the job.” Nico tucked the dictionary under his arm. “But I appreciate the gesture, Annabeth. I know that it isn't easy for you, seeing me with Percy, I mean.” He scrunched his lips, his jaw locked. “I just hope you're being sincere this time.”

Annabeth simply shrugged. “Perhaps you're not the only one full of surprises. For what it's worth, I have considered you a friend, and it hasn't always been me trying to sabotage you.” She held out her hand. “It's been a pleasure to know you, Nico, you were a worthy rival and friend.”

Nico hesitantly extended his hand and shook the Lost Girl's hand. “Congratulations on your promotion, Annabeth.”

Whether she was sincere or not did not matter. After they parted ways, Nico stayed up in his living room, searching through a list of people employed by the Lotus Hotel chain. It wasn't until Jason came in around three in the morning that Nico realized how late it was.

“What are you doing?” Jason asked with a raised brow.

“Nothing,” Nico muttered as he flipped yet another page. He let out a sigh as his eyes began to scan the page on the left. At least it contained base qualifications. “It's just something that I need to take care of.”

Jason gave him an odd look. “Well, don't stay up too late, we have to be at the airport early in the morning.” He sighed when Nico didn't even look up from the book. “Nico, are you listening? It's super late already. You need to sleep.”

“Huh? What?” Nico looked up in a daze, blinking. “Sorry, I'm distracted.”

Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. With a yawn, he headed down the hallway. “Just don't stay up all night.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico mumbled. His eyes were already glued back to the book. They flashed to a name, his brow furrowing. Slowly, a grin spread across Nico's lips. Oh yes, this could work. It was perfect. With a tired laugh, Nico slammed the book closed and got up from the couch, turning off the lights and heading to his bedroom.

Checkmate.

\--------------------------

Saying goodbye involved far too much hugging for Nico's liking. The only reason he had not complained was because the person currently grasping him for dear life was his sister, and he was probably going to miss her most of all. Nico smiled and wrapped his arms around his sister again, smiling at Persephone, who stood a few feet away. The woman had brought Bianca and Daedalus to say their goodbyes, though she had not said much herself.

Daedalus and Jason strolled over after their own goodbyes. Daedalus adjusted his glasses and patted Nico on the back. “Take care of yourself, buddy.” He nudged Jason playfully. “Maybe you should keep an eye on him.”

Jason laughed and Nico scowled. “Hey!” The raven haired boy complained. “I'll be just fine. See if I let you visit.”

Daedalus smiled warmly. “Look after Jason as well. We wouldn't want him getting hit with another brick.”

“Wow, bro, harsh.” Jason rolled his eyes, his own glasses sitting lazily on his face. “It was just one time.”

“And all the sport injuries.”

Jason glared at the brunet. Before they could continue, Nico moved forward and hugged Daedalus, who blinked in surprise. “Thank you,” Nico said quietly.

The brunet tilted his head slightly to the side. “What did I do?”

“You stopped and helped me when we first met.” Nico shoved his hands into his pockets. “You didn't have to stop, you could have kept going. You didn't. And you tried to be my friend, offering to eat lunch with me.” He smiled over at Bianca. “Besides, if it weren't for you, I might not have found my sister again.”

Bianca took her boyfriend's hand and kissed his cheek, causing the brunet to duck his head sheepishly. “It's been a pleasure, Nico.” He gave a lopsided smile. “Seriously, take care of yourself. And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to get in contact with me or Bianca.”

It finally came time for them all to part ways. Bianca pulled Nico in for one last hug, a few tears in her eyes. “Take care of yourself, twerp. I'm only a flight away, if you need me,” she said, which made Nico smile. “I'm going to miss you so much!”

“I'll miss you, too,” Nico mumbled into his sister's shoulder. “We can Skype, so we can still see each other. And I'll visit when I can. Maybe you can fly out for Christmas.”

Bianca nodded, smiling and wiping tears from her eyes. “Yeah, totally.” She gave her brother a final squeeze. “You better do well in school, or I'll come over there and kick your ass.”

Jason and Nico waved at Bianca and Daedalus before stepping into line. As they passed through security, Nico turned to wave at his sister one last time. Taking in a breath, Nico turned to follow Jason over to where the others were waiting for their flight to board. Percy and Gaea were nowhere in sight, which probably meant they were discussing something privately. Nico just sat down next to Apollo, who kept fidgeting.

“You okay there?” Nico asked with a raised eyebrow.

Apollo nearly jumped out of his seat. “I don't feel well.”

“Nervous flyer?” Nico chuckled.

Apollo shook his head. “It's not that.” He turned and looked at Nico, his lips in a thin line. “I, um... I'm not going.” Apollo chuckled at the questioning look on Nico's face. “Relax, I'm just not coming today.”

“What are the bags for then?”

Apollo kicked his backpack gently. “I took your advice,” the blond replied, chewing on his lip. “I mean, I haven't contacted her yet, but I'm going to head back to Florida.” He ran a hand through his curls. “Percy's tracking her down for him. I'm just hoping she's still there, or I'll be getting on another flight. I just wanted to...talk to her again...before I made this move. I don't know if I'm ready to tell her what happened to me, at least not everything, but I think it is time I bring her back into my life. If only I had listened to her in the first place...”

Nico turned slightly to hug the blond Lost Boy, who smiled warmly. Apollo embraced him in return, rubbing small circles into the boy's back. “I'm proud of you,” Nico whispered.

“I'm sorry.”

“For what?”

“You know, for how things went between us for a while.” Apollo scrunched his lips, his eyes darting up to Leo as the Latino boy hugged his mother goodbye. “She gave me a very long talking to this morning, while we were loading the vans. I didn't understand most of it, as it was in Spanish, but I feel like most of it involved me having my balls cut off.” He chuckled and stared down at his sandaled feet, his arms resting on his knees. “I just want to try and do better. I was always just afraid of turning into Ganymede, or just an angry, heartless person. I'm still terrified about getting into this relationship. What if I mess up? What if-”

“Apollo,” Nico chuckled. “You'll be fine.” He smiled and squeezed the blond's hand. “I think Leo's forgiven you, and so have I. You should put more faith in yourself. The mistakes we make help us grow as people.”

“Thank you,” Apollo said softly, his eyes sparkling like sapphires from the sunlight shining in from outside. “I'm glad I met you, Nico. Just try to make sure I don't screw things up with Leo too bad, will ya?”

Nico chuckled. “I'll try my best.”

It wasn't long after that when Apollo, Hazel, and Calypso all had to get ready to board their flights. Nico hugged Apollo again, telling the blond that they would see each other soon. Nico wished him good luck with his sister, which made Apollo smile. Surprisingly, Apollo leaned down and kissed Leo right there in front of everyone, which made the Latino turn a very bright shade of red.

When it came time for Calypso to head to her flight, she pulled Nico into a tight hug and whispered into his ear. “I wanted to thank you for being there for each of us, even when we might have not wanted you to be. You tried to help us, all of us, and I really appreciate that.” She held him out at arm's length with a smile. “We might not have spent as much time with each other as we should have, but I'm happy with the time I had with you. You were a good friend.” She cupped his cheek. “I wish you the best in Germany, and don't be a stranger. Take care of the others, especially Percy, he can be a handful.”

While he and Hazel had said their goodbyes the night before, it did not stop the two from hugging each other for a good five minutes. Thalia and Jason actually ended up having to pry them apart. Eventually, though, the three Lost Kids left for their individual flights, leaving the remaining to wait for their own flight. Nico took in a deep breath as he watched some of them say their last minute goodbyes.

It was sad, especially, to watch Jason and Thalia. While they had fought a lot after being reunited, the two had finally come to terms with each other. And now they were separating again. Due to their height difference, it required Thalia to stand on her tiptoes and Jason to lean down a ways for them to actually hug properly. Jason wished her luck with Zoë and Thalia wanted to make sure that her little brother would be fine in Berlin.

After Butch, Zoë, Ethan, Esperanza, and Thalia had all said their goodbyes, the five left the rest to wait. The only one that actually hadn't come today had been Drew, who was still sleeping, according to Juniper. A great weight settled in the pit of Nico's stomach as the small group disappeared from sight. This was it.

A lot of the group had gotten coffee at some point that morning, but not Eros. He was just naturally energetic. The brunet had mostly spent the morning talking Luke's ear off. And, by now, Luke had just started nodding to everything Eros said to him. At least until Eros suggested they share a suite. “Wait, what?” Luke practically yelled when that question came up.

“Don't worry so much,” Juniper tried to tell Will, who would not stand still for more than two seconds. He kept pacing back and forth, until Luke got frustrated and shoved the shorter blond into a chair. “Berlin is such a fun place.”

“I've just never been.” Will frowned at Luke, who glared when Will tried to stand up again. “It's a new experience. I don't know most of these other Lost Kids. Are we still going to be as close when we get there? What if the ones there hate us?”

Eros chuckled. “It is a fun place, there's much more to do at the hotel. And driving to different countries is so easy.” An excited look overtook his face. “Let us all make a trip to France soon!”

“Ah, no,” Luke replied, smirking when Eros glared.

Eros rolled his eyes and turned back to Will, grinning. “However, I know someone that has a thing for blonds.” He winked over at Will, who did not look convinced. Luke leaned over and whispered in Eros's ear. Whatever was said, Eros nodded with a wicked grin.

Octavian had been very quiet during their wait. He carried a folder full of college brochures, which fell out of his lap when their flight was finally announced. As a lot of the others hurried to board, Nico crouched down to help the blond gather up his things. “I'm fine,” Octavian muttered.

“And I'm happy to help.” Nico held out several brochures for the blond to take.

“Thanks.” Octavian sighed and stood up. “I just... I think I want to go back to school.”

“I thought you were already in school, studying politics?”

Octavian scrunched his lips as he showed his ticket to the woman behind the small desk. “I was. It's just that... I don't know, Robert got to me a little bit.” The blond looked at Nico from the corner of his eye. “I was thinking law. I mean, it's not much better than politics, but I could still help out around the hotel.” He shook his head. “I just don't want to disillusion myself into thinking I'll always be able to live like this. I don't want to end up like Dionysus, Aphrodite, Circe, or Ganymede. I want to be something more. Maybe Percy could hire me on as a lawyer, or something.”

Nico smiled as he and Octavian slowly walked towards their seats. “I think that would be a great idea. I know you'll do fine.”

Octavian just grunted and took his seat next to Luke and Eros, who was still talking the ear off of a very annoyed looking Luke. Nico smiled warmly as he slid past Rachel and Percy to take his seat by the window. Percy turned from his discussion with Rachel to smile at him.

“Ready to go?”

Nico nodded, relaxing in his seat. He stared out at the ground in what would be his last few moments in California for a long time. It had finally come time for this new life to begin. Was this where he was always meant to be? He did feel a wave of comfort wash over him as Percy took his hand.

“Yeah,” Nico whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
>  
> 
> “Félicitations, mon petit chou!”- [Congratulations, my little cabbage (=darling)!]
> 
>  
> 
> “Tu es très mignon quand t'es jaloux [You are very cute when you're jealous]


	58. I Am Glad You are Here With Me. Here At the End of All Things

Shifting contently under the softest sheets that he had ever felt, Nico stirred from his fantastic slumber. The boy stretched his arms up in the air, causing the sheets to fall down and expose his bare torso. Smiling to himself, Nico placed a hand underneath his head.

A little over a week had passed since they settled into the Berlin hotel, and things were great. A few of the American Lost Kids were still making some rooming adjustments, but they all seemed happy. And Nico did not have a care in the world, at least for the next two months of his summer vacation. Speaking of which...

Nico rolled over and blinked at Percy. The young man was still fast asleep, curled up on his side. A single hand was tucked under Percy's cheek, while some of his hair had fallen over the young man's eyes. He seemed at peace. He was also completely nude, a reminder of the last thing they did before falling asleep last night.

Nico's eyes wandered down to scan over the young man's covered body. The comforter had ended up at the foot of the bed at some point at the night, which only left the sheets to cover them. The way they fell over Percy's body was somehow fascinating to Nico, as he found it hard to tear his gaze away from his lover's form.

Reluctantly, Nico pushed himself up to get a look at the alarm clock. Humming lightly, Nico shifted closer to Percy, pressing their bodies together. Percy just grunted in his sleep and buried his nose into Nico's messy hair.

“I think it's time to wake up,” Nico said softly.

“Don't wanna,” came the muffled reply. Nico giggled and leaned back to look at Percy as he opened his eyes. There would never come a day where he would get tired of those sea-green eyes being the first and last thing Nico saw every single day. “How long have you been up?”

Nico pressed a quick kiss to Percy's lips. “Not long. Are you busy today?”

“Later, but I wanted to do something with you today before that happened.” Percy smiled as Nico arched a brow. “How do you feel about horses?”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “They smell and they don't like me.”

Chuckling, Percy rolled onto his back, giving Nico a very appreciated view of his torso. “You'll be fine. You can ride with me on my horse until you're more comfortable.”

“You have a horse?”

Percy nodded. “Yeah, it was a sixteenth birthday present from Gaea,” he yawned. “There are some stables about a mile or two behind the hotel, just off the grounds.” One of his hands curled around Nico, bringing the boy closer to him. “So, care to join me?”

Clicking his tongue, Nico pondered over the offer for a moment. “I suppose I could tag along, on one condition.”

Percy chuckled. “And what's that?”

“There's like two things I wanted to talk to you about later, and I'd like for you to actually listen to what I have to say without just dismissing my ideas.”

Blinking for a moment, Percy eventually nodded. As he sat up, he ruffled his black hair. “Of course, I promise.” He arched a brow. “Do you want to at least tell me what it's about?”

“Later,” Nico replied as he got out of bed. As he stretched, Nico let out a yelp as a firm grasp yanked him backwards. Nico laughed as Percy kissed along his naked back. “Percy, I need a shower.”

“Yeah, but I couldn't help myself.”

After a very long, long shower, Percy drove them down to where he said the stables would be. It made Nico smile, because Percy currently reminded him of an excited kid on Christmas morning. And to top it all off, he had not let go of Nico's hand since they left the mansion.

The stables included a fairly large field with a wooden fence around it. A few horses were already running around or being walked by trainers. Percy, however, headed straight for the building on the side. A little to Nico's surprise, Silena was out there as well, grooming one of the many horses that were kept there. Putting the brush in her other hand, the Lost Girl smiled and waved at them.

“Grooming the horses for us, Silena?” Percy asked with a smile.

Silena smiled and ran her fingers down a few strands of her newly dyed brown hair. Out of nowhere, a few days into getting to Berlin, the Lost Girl had decided that she wanted to change her look a little. “Well, Charlie stays busy fixing up your plane all day, so I needed something to occupy my time when I'm not working.” She hummed lightly and brushed the horse's mane. “They are also very beautiful creatures. I always wanted one of my own, but I didn't exactly live in an area where I could have one.”

“I was actually going to ask Hazel to help take care of the horses, but she ended up going to China.” Percy scratched at his cheek. “I actually got her a horse. Maybe I'll see if Frank will let me ship it over to her.”

Percy wrapped an arm around Nico and nodded over to a particular black horse. Nico waved to Silena before following the young man over to the horse. This one had to be Percy's horse. It could have been a lucky guess, or perhaps it was the golden name plate over the stall.

Nico arched an eyebrow at the horse's name. “Blackjack?”

Percy let out a chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, I might have lost a bet while drunk after getting the horse for my sixteenth birthday.” He rubbed the horse's snout gently with a lazy smile. “I was not very good at blackjack back then, and Kronos thought it would be a funny reminder. Ah, this was also after winning the clothes off my back from me. Gaea made him give those back, though, but he did make me name the horse.” Percy gave a shrug. “Doesn't bother me, I've come to like the name, and Blackjack is an awesome horse.”

The horse took one look at Nico and snorted, causing Nico to jump a little. “Ah, I really don't think this is a good idea.”

“Nonsense,” Percy replied, already opening the gate. “You'll be fine. I'll be right there the whole time.”

After he got a saddle on Blackjack, Percy led the horse outside. He fed it a sugar cube as he waited for Nico to get on, but the boy did not budge. Animals had just never been a real fan of Nico, and he did not think that was just magically going to change.

Seeing Nico's nervousness, Percy leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to the boy's cheek. “I promise that you'll be fine. I'll be right here if anything goes wrong.” Another kiss, this time to the lips. “I wouldn't put you on Blackjack, if I didn't think you'd be perfectly safe.”

As a light blush crept onto Nico's cheeks, the boy took in a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, okay.” The second he got one foot into the saddle, he stopped and turned back to look at Percy. “You promise you'll be right beside me?”

Chuckling, Percy waved a portion of the reigns that he was holding. “I'll be leading Blackjack the entire time. All you have to do is hold on.” He helped Nico get on the rest of the way, completely taking the opportunity to feel up Nico's ass in doing so. “And, when you're comfortable with that, I'll climb on and we can go for a real ride.”

It was not really that bad, if Nico were being honest with himself. It took him quite a while to release the reigns from his death grip and relax, but at least he got there. The horse stayed calm the whole time, obediently following Percy wherever the young man went.

“See? Not so bad, right?”

Nico let out a sigh. “I suppose not.”

Percy turned and smiled. “Do you want your own?”

“No,” Nico quickly replied, which made Percy laugh. “Um, I think I'll just stick with riding yours.”

Percy grinned wickedly. “You rode mine quite a lot last night.”

If Nico wasn't afraid he would fall, he might have hit Percy. “Pervert,” Nico muttered. Percy just chuckled as he came to a stop. In one swift motion, Percy jumped up behind Nico and slid his arms under each of Nico's arms to take the reigns. “Not too fast, okay?”

Percy kissed Nico's temple. “I promise that everything will be okay.”

That wasn't really what Nico asked, but he didn't have time to say anything before Blackjack took off in a gallop. He would vehemently deny it later, but Nico let out a very humiliating shriek, which Percy just laughed at. If they weren't going so fast, Nico would have elbowed him right in the stomach. He could always withhold sex from the young man later...

Okay, so that probably wasn't a very realistic option.

\-----------------------------

As it turned out, Nico didn't even make it half an hour on that threat. Well, now Nico could at least check have sex outdoors off his list of things to do. But Percy did have to get back to work, which meant that Nico would have to entertain himself for the rest of the day.

Several of the others ended up going to the pool, so Nico decided to tag along. There was definitely a weight that seemed to be lifted off many of the old American Lost Kids. He just wondered if things were going well with Apollo. The blond had still not returned from Florida, which had Leo a little anxious. But the Latino boy had been kept plenty busy around the hotel. Upon arriving, Percy let the guy go to work as the hotel's handyman. It made Nico a little nervous, seeing the manic look in Leo's eyes whenever he tinkered with something.

It did not take long after the group got to the pool that Travis, Connor, and Eros teamed up to trip Luke into falling into the pool. To be fair, though, if Luke hadn't been watching Eros try to stretch seductively, he would have noticed Travis bent over behind him, or noticed Connor running up to shove him. Either way, the blond ended up submerged.

There had definitely been an increase in pranks and overall mischief in the hotel after the twins' arrival, and their quick bonding with the French Lost Boy. They had received quite a few stern looks from Athena, at least three on a weekly basis.

Tagging along with Eros today was Cecil and Lou. Luke had ended up dragging Will to the pool, which meant that Eros was probably trying to set up Will with Cecil. And it did not take very long at all for that suspicion to be confirmed, as Luke shoved Will over to where Eros was sitting with his friends. Eros looked up with a wicked grin as Luke plopped down on the lounge chair that the brunet was occupying. Will kind of shuffled awkwardly as Eros scooted back against Luke, who let out a grunt.

“Will!” Eros exclaimed. He motioned to the two next to him. “This is Lou and Cecil. I think you will get along splendidly with them.” He cleared his throat and grinned at Cecil. “Et Cecil est celui qui aime les blonds donc amuse-toi bien.”

Cecil rolled his eyes before standing up. Smiling, he shook Will's hand. “Nice to meet you. Sorry we haven't met already, but I hope you're settling in.”

“Don't let him get you into trouble,” Lou added, shoving Cecil to the side to shake Will's hand as well.

Cecil pouted. “I'm so wounded, woman.”

Will smiled at Cecil, rubbing at the back of his neck. Nico smiled when he noticed a small blush creeping onto the blond's cheeks. Well, maybe there was some hope there after all.

Nico sat down by the edge of the pool. “Where's Jason, Will?”

The two blonds had ended up rooming together upon their arrival in Berlin. Will gave a shrug. “He's looking over some colleges. He says he will probably take a year off, though.” Will chuckled. “He's been piling up dictionaries from different languages to study up on the languages of the schools he's been looking at.”

Nico pulled his legs up to his chest and chewed on his lip. He really was not looking forward to that talk he needed to have with Percy. It was not going to go well, not at all. Not after everything that had happened. Percy was probably going to get upset with what Nico wanted, but they needed to talk about it.

On a different note, a better one, Luke looked a lot less stressed and maybe a little less agitated than he normally was. Perhaps it was his fresh start. Maybe it was Eros's presence. But it could have also been his recent lack of responsibilities. Upon arriving, he and Reyna had stayed locked in the Lost Girl's room for almost two hours. And when they emerged, Luke had informed the American Lost Kids that he was no longer going to be a “sibling”. Well, he had definitely phrased it in a standard Luke fashion.

“I don't want to be cleaning up after your messes, or listen to your whining anymore. So go bother Reyna with your problems,” the blond had informed them all.

So Reyna was now the, sort of, ambassador for the Lost Kids that came from America, since their group was still kind of the outsiders of the Berlin hotel. There had definitely been an influx of people at Reyna's door after the twins started causing havoc.

\------------------------

When it came time for dinner, Percy and Nico stayed in the mansion. They didn't sit at the dining table, which was massive, even in the huge dining room. They instead ate in a small room between there and the kitchen, at a small table with candles. It was that last part which had confirmed Nico's suspicion that Percy had convinced Gaea to give them some privacy, even though the house was already big enough to have plenty of privacy in.

Sadly, Percy was not that much of a cook, to put it lightly, so they had their meal delivered by servers from one of the three restaurants that the Berlin hotel housed. Even during his spring break, Nico had not gotten to see everything in the hotel, so he was still encountering new things that the resort had. Juniper and Eros had not been kidding when they said it was double, if not even triple, the size of the hotel in Los Angeles. But it was also the very first of the Lotus Hotels, and was where Gaea dumped most of the money she had acquired when she started her business. The place had just sprouted up from there, Gaea had told him as they toured the grounds the day after moving.

Nico found himself a little nervous, sitting across from Percy. The setting was just very intimate, and Percy stared at him a lot. With very intense gazes. And, well, it took a lot of willpower not to throw Percy on the table and have sex right there.

But the servers were still in the kitchen, so that was kind of out of the question.

Percy had been nice enough to close the doors, to give them a little privacy, though. It had to be done, after he got up to ask for their meals and two of the women scurried away from the doors. Apparently, as the Lost Kids had eventually told him, even the normal staff of the hotel wanted to see Percy spend time with his...whatever they were. Luckily, this wasn't America, so the media had been pretty vacant from in front of the hotel, but they did have the occasional guest take their picture when they were spotted together around the hotel or if they went out in public together.

It was just a little frustrating, because people called Nico Percy's boyfriend a lot, but he wasn't quite sure that was what they were. Perhaps that was something else they should talk about. It just made Nico a little anxious, like maybe he was expendable or maybe Percy wasn't fully invested in them.

Nico was brought back to their dinner when Percy cleared his throat. “Uh, sorry,” Nico apologized. He blushed when Percy chuckled at him. “I guess I'm just a little distracted.”

Percy sipped on his wine, his eyes still intently locked on Nico. It made the boy squirm in his seat. It was just something about those eyes, like they could burn you. Maybe it was just the candlelight that made them even more appealing than they already were.

“Do you want to tell me what's on your mind? You said you had some things you wanted to talk to me about.”

“I just...” Okay, this was harder than it should have been. “Can we talk about something else first? Maybe... Where were you born?”

Percy smiled a little and shook his head. “Whenever you're ready then.” He let out a sigh and sat his glass back on the table. “I was born in New York City, actually. So, I guess that can help you understand why I pretty much went unnoticed on the streets. Hard for the foster system to find a kid in a place that big. Winters were also very cold. There was this one nice lady... She used to buy me a hot chocolate whenever she saw me.” Percy's face scrunched up. “Strange, though, I can't even remember her face now. I'll probably never even know what happened to her, but she was always very kind to me and my mother, when she was alive.” He smiled and took another sip of wine. “What about yourself?”

Nico let out a heavy sigh. “Sadly, in America. My mother got pregnant with me back in Italy, but... Well, my father and mother's side of the family had a huge falling out.” He scrunched his lips. “I didn't actually get to meet my grandparents until I was eight, I think. Even then, they had nothing good to say about my father.”

There was a grunt from Percy's side of the table. “Smart people.”

“It did not go over well at all when I asked to see them more often,” Nico mumbled around his own glass of wine. “My mother just... I don't know. Maybe he abused her without me or Bianca knowing. She was just always so...passive. She stayed quiet a lot, especially as I got older. She used to smile so much, but then it just kind of dwindled down to the occasional smile whenever we wanted to show her something.”

“You said he used to abuse you, even before he found out you were gay?”

Nico gave a small nod. “I just never really was the son he wanted, I guess. And he was just always so angry. It started out with small things, stuff that is more common with disciplining kids. Like a belt.” The boy rubbed at his arm. “I don't know, it just kind of escalated over the years. I had to stay home a few times from school, because I was just covered in so many bruises. I tried, for a very long time, to try and be the son he wanted. I tried to be better. I thought that maybe it would make him stop, but nothing ever worked.

“There was some really bad times,” Nico continued with a shaky breath. “I was around thirteen, and I had forgotten to turn the stove off one night. I had just wanted some SpaghettiOs.” Nico let out a small laugh. He rubbed nervously at his wrist. “He, uh...” Nico blinked his eyes as some tears started to form. He could practically feel the heat on his wrist again. “He tried to press my wrist to one of the metal rings after it got hot. Bianca came in just as it touched and she screamed. He hit me so hard before she could get me that I fell to the floor. It hurt for a long time after that, but it wasn't bad enough to leave a mark or anything.”

Nico chewed on his lip, falling silent for a brief moment. Why couldn't he stop crying? When had he really started? They just wouldn't stop, and his mouth wouldn't stop pouring out more words.

“He made me sit at the dinner table once and made me watch as everyone else ate after I got a C on one of my report cards. Well, watch him eat anyways. Bianca and my mother would not humor him in his punishment.” Nico cleared his throat, wiping at his eyes. “But Bianca snuck me some leftovers after he went to bed, at least. And there was another time that I tried to tell one of my mother's friends about what was going on, but she liked my father. When she went back and told him what I said, thinking it was funny that my father would ever think about abusing one of his children, he made me sleep outside in the rain. You know, since I didn't like living under his roof. I was never really sure what was worse, actually being on the streets, or being back home with my father. If you ever really wanted to know why I was so happy to take your offer the night we met, now you know.”

Percy just kind of gawked at him, his food and drink long forgotten. His mouth hung slightly open as he stared across the table at Nico with wide eyes. He didn't even move.

Nico chuckled and wiped at his eyes. “Oh god, I don't even know where all that came from,” he added quickly. “I'm sorry for bringing down the dinner. I've never even told anyone half of that. Bianca... She's the only one who really knows everything. I didn't mean to unload on you like that, I'm sorry.”

Percy's eyebrows knitted together. He got up and moved over to wipe the rest of the tears from Nico's eyes. “Hey,” he said softly, “look at me.” Nico pressed his lips together and obeyed. “I'm glad you felt you could share that with me. I had no idea.”

“I don't really talk about my own problems.”

“You should have talked to someone.” Percy got down on his knees and kissed Nico's hands. “I guess I know why you actually survived everything now.” He gave a warm smile. “You're a lot tougher than people give you credit for. I mean, I know that after seeing you walk through the fire, so to speak. But now I know why.” He got up and led Nico away from the table.

“Where are we going?”

Percy just smiled. “You'll see.”

They ended up at the small pool behind the mansion. It was very beautiful, especially at night with all the lights. The entire thing was made out of stones and had plants growing around most of the pool. Three braziers illuminated the whole thing. There was even an elevated level of the pool, where several tropical plants grew, which added a small waterfall that Percy often liked to get underneath and relax.

Percy sat them down at the edge of the pool. And, as usual since they moved and when he wasn't busy, Percy was already barefoot. Nico was as well, but only because he had been lounging around by the time Percy got back from his day. After dipping their feet in, Percy leaned over and kissed Nico's cheek.

“I wish you had told me sooner,” Percy confessed quietly.

“You probably would have killed my father without even asking.”

Percy grunted in response, which only confirmed Nico's accusation. “Maybe things could have been different for you then.”

“So I could have gone back home and then have my mother die in an accident?” Nico arched a brow. “Bianca could have never kept custody of me, she had no way of supporting us. Plus I'd never be here with you, if that had happened.”

Percy's sea-green eyes flickered over him, illuminated by one of the nearby fires. It made Nico's stomach do a flip. “Maybe, but I then I wouldn't be so attached now. So maybe it wouldn't have been so bad.”

Nico frowned at that comment. “You'd rather it be that way?”

Letting out a sigh, Percy's face softened. “I didn't say that. I care for you a lot, but I still feel like your life could have been better without me in it. You wouldn't have had to do the things that you did.”

“I chose to do those things,” Nico reminded him. “You never forced me to do it.” The boy tilted his head slightly to the side. “Somehow, I get the feeling that, if you didn't think I could have handled it, you wouldn't have made me do it. Or maybe I'm wrong and you would have.”

Percy let out a small laugh. “Well, you probably could have asked me to quit after I came back from Berlin after that month away, and I probably would have let you.” He licked his lips, his eyes wandering along the surface of the water. “You're probably right, though. I did want you out of that life in the first place.” Without looking at Nico, the young man took the pale boy's hand. “So, do you want to tell me what's bothering you yet?”

Nico let out a long sigh. Best to get it over with, right? “Well, maybe we could talk about the one that will make you less angry?” He chuckled lightly.

Percy shot him a look that already let Nico know that he was not pleased. Still, Percy gave a nod. It couldn't go that bad, right? If Percy really cared about Nico, he wouldn't toss him aside or whatever for saying something that Percy didn't like. And Percy was a reasonable person...most of the time.

“Well,” Nico continued, “you know that Athena is looking to retire.” Percy just arched a brow at him. “I just thought I could offer a suggestion.”

Percy leaned back on his palms. “I'm listening.”

“What about Grover?” Nico didn't even let Percy try to interrupt him. “He did run Kronos's branch while Kronos was overseeing things in North America, right? I'd say he's qualified. And he still has time to get the necessary training before Athena retires.” Nico cleared his throat. “Not to mention that he could be here, where Juniper is.”

A smile crept across Percy's face. “I suppose they would both be happy about that.” Percy tapped a finger to his lips. “Well, Grover and I were very good friends when I was living here in Berlin. And you are right, he is qualified to run a hotel.” The young man hummed for a few seconds before he continued. “I'll run it by Kronos and Grover, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind.” He smiled and leaned over to kiss Nico's forehead. “I don't know why you were so nervous, I actually like the idea.”

“It's sort of the other part that I was nervous about.” Nico shrugged. “I mean, I just wasn't sure if you'd consider my opinion worthy of taking into consideration, since I have no experience in running things.”

“You're smart, Nico. Not to mention that I'd be a horrible boyfriend if I didn't take your opinion into consideration.”

“Right,” Nico said slowly. Well, here goes nothing, he thought. “I was thinking about school, actually...”

Percy smiled at him. “Did you decide on a different major?”

Nico had already told Percy that he wanted to study psychology, so he could take Percy up on that job offer down the road. His major wasn't the issue exactly. It was more about where he was going to school.

“No, not exactly.” Nico pressed his lips together for a second to collect his thoughts. “I was kind of hoping that you would let me go back to America for school.”

It was almost amazing to watch how Percy's eyes changed from a calm ocean to a violent storm. “Absolutely not! You got abducted and almost died. I do not want you so far away. They speak English in Europe and I think you'd be happier with the education system.”

Nico let out a sigh. He was afraid of this. “But this is what I want. You told me several times in the past that I need to make my own decisions, choose my own path. This is what I want.” He pursed his lips as Percy huffed and glared down at the water. “I already filled out an application for the school I picked out. I got accepted. I might have had Rachel make a call for me, so they'd overlook how late I turned it in.” He bit down on his lip, trying to hide his smile. “I got accepted. And I could live with Bianca and Daedalus after our first year, since Freshmen have to live in dorms.”

Percy was dead silent. Well, Nico managed to ruin their night twice in under an hour. Great.

“I'll be careful, Percy. You can even have Ethan still tag along and watch after me, if it'll make you feel better. I really want this, Percy. Please?” He frowned, leaning forward to try and get Percy to look at him. “I'd be in the same amount of danger in America that I would be if I were in England. You'd still be unable to be there at a moment's notice. Something could happen to me just as easily in the amount of time it would take to fly to England.”

“You're not helping your case,” Percy mumbled. He sighed and finally looked at Nico, pouting like some wounded puppy. “I don't want anything to happen to you.” His shoulders slumped as he took Nico's hand, raising it to his lips for a kiss. “But I also don't want to control your life. I'm not that kind of boyfriend.”

“Thank you!” Nico exclaimed, smiling. He went to throw his arms around Percy, but froze. “Wait, did you say 'boyfriend'?”

Percy laughed and then nodded. “Actually twice tonight, but I don't think you noticed.”

Nico blinked. “You never asked me out. I-I wasn't sure if we were actually...”

The young man just shrugged. “I thought it was just implied. But, if it would make you feel better...” Percy cleared his throat and squeezed Nico's hand. “Do you want to go out with me and be my boyfriend?”

Nico's face lit up like a tomato. Even after everything that had happened in these last few months, hearing those words made him blush. He just never really thought it would happen. Nico found it very hard to deliver a proper response when he realized he was keeping Percy waiting, so he just nodded.

Percy smiled and kissed Nico briefly. Letting out a sigh, he leaned back on his palms and kicked the water. “I just want what's best for you, Nico. You realize this will make seeing each other hard, right?”

Nico nodded with a frown. “I know,” he whispered. “I just...don't want to be arm candy or a trophy boyfriend. And I know I could still get my education your way, but I just need my own path. I want to do this without any help.” Nico narrowed his eyes. “So no bribing my school or professors. Or threatening them.”

Percy smiled. “I am confident that you don't need my help.”

“It'll only be four years. Or three, if I take some summer courses.” Nico smiled when Percy groaned. The young man really had become attached, hadn't he? “Online courses, don't worry. But we'll still see each other. And when it's all said and done, I can say that I accomplished this on my own. Nobody could say you just handed me a job here.”

Percy rubbed at his jaw. “You still need to take some bartending lessons, so you'll know how to mix drinks,” he muttered. Nico could tell he still wasn't happy about this. “Just...stay out of trouble and you can have my blessing. Not that you need it, of course. I am glad you came and talked to me about it, though. You're right, we need to be open with each other.”

The brown-eyed boy nodded. “We'll be okay? Three or four years can be a long time.”

Smiling, Percy leaned over and kissed Nico's temple. “I'd never dream of cheating on you, if that's what you're worried about. I am content to have my needs taken care of when we visit each other. But, just so you know, you will be spending breaks between semesters here. That goes for spring break and things like that as well.” He grinned over at Nico, watching the boy from the corner of his eye. “Not negotiable.”

Nico smiled and wrapped his arms around Percy, pecking him on the lips. “You have yourself a deal, Mr. Jackson.”

\--------------------

“Why are we doing this again?” Luke sighed for the fifth time the next day.

Nico turned to glare at the blond. “Eros's birthday is coming up, and you need to be a good boyfriend and get him a present.”

Luke smirked and leaned against the glass window that Nico was looking inside of. “He already gets my dick, I think that's a good enough gift.” Nico had to snort at that. “And we aren't dating, so get that word out of your head.”

“Uh-huh.” Nico was already paying him less attention. Luke could deny it all he wanted, but the raven haired boy knew that Luke would agree to date the brunet at the snap of Eros's fingers. “But while you're in your denial, can you at least try to pick out something?” He sighed when Luke rolled his eyes. “Besides, it would probably make him want to have sex or give you head, if you got him something thoughtful.”

That got the blond to perk up. “A gift you say?” He rubbed his chin. “Well, he does like clothes.”

How hopeless could this guy be? Nico let out a sigh. “Try something that you might not try to rip off him later.” The boy arched a brow. “But clothing isn't a bad start. There's a fashion show coming up, or so I heard him talking about with a few of the Lost Girls. Why don't you try to get him tickets...and maybe go with him...like on a date. Maybe include a nice dinner.”

“I am not some sap,” Luke grumbled.

“I won't tell if you won't,” Nico chuckled. Sticking out his tongue, Nico grabbed Luke's shirt sleeve and dragged the blond down the sidewalk.

Luke let out a sigh as he let himself be led down the street by the shorter boy. “Do you even know where you're going? If you get us lost...” The blond frowned as he glanced around. “This street is practically deserted.”

“Fine,” Nico sighed. “I'll see about finding some directions to wherever the fashion show is being held.” The boy hummed lightly. “Maybe someone at a clothing store would know.”

As they rounded a corner, Nico ran directly into someone's chest. Stumbling a bit, Nico looked up to apologize. Yet no words came out of his mouth. It was like his mouth went completely dry at who he stared at, completely ignoring the cold object pressed to his chest.

“Callahan,” Nico hissed, his face deathly pale. The very man that he had stormed out on in the private rooms back in Los Angeles was there in Berlin, standing directly in front of him. Nico swallowed a lump in his throat and slowly looked down to find out what the cold source was. Nico felt his stomach drop. A gun with a silencer on it was pressed firmly against the center of Nico's chest. “Please,” Nico whispered, “don't.”

Everything just happened so fast after that, almost like a blur.

Nico was jerked backwards and shoved off to the side, where he hit the back of his head on some glass on an abandoned store window. His eyes snapped open in panic at the sound of a low, muffled thud.

Luke slowly looked down at himself, blood quickly soaking the front of his shirt. His mouth fumbled a few times, stunned, as he covered the wound with his hand. Nico blinked, in a daze, and tried to scramble over to the blond. He might have screamed, but the ringing in his ears made it completely non-existent. Luke crumpled to his knees before he fell on his side. There was a fear in those blue eyes, one that Nico had never seen before.

While the hand over his wound squeezed the now red shirt, his other moved down to his pocket and tried to pull something out. Nico quickly rolled Luke onto his back, but he didn't even have time to look Luke over before he was yanked up by the scruff of his neck. Reaching out, Luke grabbed onto Nico's wrist, clamping his hand down. Nico's eyes widened a little as he felt something cold and metal in his hand.

“You fucking bitch, you think you can just run off like that?” Mr. Callahan hissed in Nico's ear. “You think you can make a fool of me like that, just because you're Percy's little bitch?” The gun clicked in the man's other hand. “Now you can die, just like your friend here.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Nico flipped the blade of the jackknife in his hand and turned to thrust it into the man's chest, just below the ribs. Twisting the blade, Nico caused the man to drop his gun, which Nico caught in his other hand. He didn't even think, Nico just pulled the trigger and a bullet shot Mr. Callahan through the throat.

As the man fell to the ground, choking on his own blood, Nico fell to the ground in a daze. Everything was spinning, he felt sick. Nico could feel the bile rising in his throat. He just shot and killed a man. His hands shook as he tried to look at them, but they were so very blurred.

As Nico tried and failed to calm his breathing, he moved back over to Luke's side. The blond gave him a single nod. “You did...what you...had to do,” Luke said, probably more calmly than Nico had ever heard him. But his breathing, it was dwindling. Those blue eyes began to droop, causing Nico to panic even more.

“Luke, hold on,” Nico began to sob as he fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket. He cursed as he dropped it. While he dialed 112—which was the very first number that Percy had him learn for emergencies when they moved—Nico screamed as loud as he could for assistance. “Help! Please, anyone, help me! My friend's been shot!”

As a few shop doors opened and people began to see what the commotion was, an emergency operator picked up. The problem was, Nico did not understand German yet.

“I don't know what you are saying, ma'am, but my friend has been shot and I need an ambulance as fast as possible.”

There was a brief pause and then, in a thick German accent, “May I have your location, sir?”

Nico did his best to direct the woman to their location. Finally, a woman came up and took the phone from him. Nico looked up, startled, as the woman spoke in German to the emergency operator. Nico couldn't breathe. The world spun around him as he clutched frantically at his hair.

“I'm so sorry,” Nico sobbed, turning his attention back to Luke. “Oh god, this is all my fault. If I hadn't been such a little brat and just done my job, this wouldn't have happened.”

Luke looked so pale. His blood had started to pool around him, which made Nico even more nauseous. “Stop being such a baby,” Luke tried to laugh, only making himself wince. Licking his lips, he grabbed Nico by the hem of his shirt. “Look, I just...” He winced again as some more blood poured out. “God that fucking hurts.” Growling, Luke tightened his grip on the brown-eyed boy's shirt. “Look, stop feeling so fucking sorry for yourself every time something goes poorly.” His voice sounded quieter, just above a whisper. “I... Shit... You weren't all that annoying, most of the time. I meant what I said before, you reminded me of Octavian. I didn't want anything to happen to you, you know? I thought I could be a good brother again. Because, despite all the jabs and names, I do care about you, twerp.” Luke shook his head, which looked like it took a lot of effort. “Nico. You were a good friend and brother, Nico.”

Tears swelled in Nico's eyes as he buried his face into Luke's shoulder. The blond had never addressed him by name before. Why did it have to be now that it finally happened? Not under these circumstances. And he didn't want it to be the last time he heard it. Luke couldn't die, not now. He was finally happy.

Nico pulled back when he didn't feel Luke's chest move anymore. He wiped frantically at his eyes to get a look at the blond. Luke was pale and unmoving, his arms limp at his side. Blue eyes grew dull before slowly closing, Luke's head lolling to the side.

“No,” Nico whispered. “No! Luke!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Et Cecil est celui qui aime les blonds donc amuse-toi bien. [And Cecil is the one that likes the blonds, so do try to have fun]
> 
> Yeah...about that spinoff...
> 
> You guys didn't think I'd let you off so easy, did you?
> 
> I love you Carlee and Diane, and I expect angry messages soon. Well from just everyone, but you two have better access to venting to me.


	59. Fairytale Endings Are Just In Fairytales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, let me just start off by saying how disappointed I am in a particular reviewer. I am sickened to think that anyone would even try to threaten spoiling the story, by commenting what happened last chapter, on every single chapter. It makes me sad to think that you would think that would be okay to ruin the experience for everyone else. And what's worse, you seemed to think you were being noble or something, with your "mic drop". You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking of taking away someone's experience with a story they are reading. And I hope you read Carlee's reply to your little review, because I feel it sums up how everyone would feel if you did it. People would hate you, you wouldn't be their hero. This is just so disappointing. You don't get to tell an author how to write their story, it's the author's story. I'm not going to change what I have planned to make you happy.
> 
> Also, I highly recommend listening to "The Call" by Regina Spektor for the final scene. It will be when Nico is at the airport. A small spoiler there, but this song is the song that I always imagined playing when I wrote out this scene like two years ago in my head.

There was so much blood. Nico's shaking hands had gotten covered in it from clutching Luke's body. He just wanted Luke to wake up and everything to be all right. And it was his fault. His fault. Nico's fault. Luke got shot because of him. This was because of him.

His fault!

“Nico?”

Dark brown eyes snapped open from where he had been sitting on a windowsill. Dark circles were now very prominent underneath Nico's eyes in comparison to his pale skin. He blinked several times as his eyes focused on the rain that quietly hit the window outside.

Slowly, he raised a shaky hand to touch at the glass. The blood was long gone, but it was still fresh in Nico's mind. Taking in a breath, Nico turned to the man that sat in a chair across the room from him, a pen and notepad in his lap.

“I'm sorry, what were we talking about?”

Asclepius was the man's name, and he had been highly recommended by Gaea herself. A month had gone by since the shooting incident, and Nico had been going to regular therapy sessions at least twice a week since then. Percy had quickly become worried when Nico started eating less and not sleeping. And the little he did sleep, Nico often talked or cried while he did. All he could dream about was Luke getting shot and then watching him bleed out. He had barely said a word to anyone since then, not even Percy.

The doctor dropped his pen on the notepad and laced his hands together in his lap. “Have you given any more thought to what we talked about in our last few sessions? Mr. Jackson tells me you're still barely eating, and your sleeping hasn't improved at all.”

“I-I just want it to stop. I can't stop it,” Nico whispered.

Dr. Asclepius arched an eyebrow at him. “Stop what, Nico?”

“Watching Luke get shot. And I... I killed that man. Stabbed him, and then I shot him. I could have just gotten the gun from him and stopped, but I-I didn't... I shot him.” Nico's hands were shaking again. “He- He died...slowly. He couldn't...call for help or anything. I didn't have to do it, but I did.” Nico's eyes flickered up to where the man sat. “It was an impulse. I wanted him dead for what just happened. Luke... That wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me. He was there for me, not Luke.”

The man reached up and adjusted a pair of glasses on his face. “Nico, we've been over this-”

“Just tell me how to make it stop.” Nico curled in on himself and glanced back out the window.

The doctor leaned forward, curious. “Stop what, Nico?”

“I just...want it to stop. There's so much p-pain in this world, and nothing is done about. All of my friends had to suffer, and still continue to. I just want it to stop.” Nico rubbed the sleeve of his shirt against his nose. “Why can't they be happy? Why is there so much pain, doctor? And why can't it ever end? Are we just not meant to be happy?”

“I like to think that we try to enjoy the small moments in life, and that helps us get by.” The man smiled warmly at Nico. “But life can also be hard and unforgiving. We have to make due with the hand we are dealt, and maybe try to make things better. Perhaps for ourselves, or even others.” The man picked his pen back up and scribbled some things down. “Are you ready to talk about pulling that trigger yet?”

For a long time, Nico just sat there and listened to the rain hit the window. “I, um, didn't really think about it.” Nico ran his tongue along his dry lips. “It just happened.” Slowly closing his eyes, the boy shook his head. “I don't know. I shouldn't have, but I wanted to. You read my file, you know what happened with my father. Yet I let him live.” He took in a deep breath. “And now, whenever I look in the mirror, I just don't see the same person staring back. It's like a stranger is looking at me. That probably sounds weird.”

“Not at all,” the man replied with a warm smile. “It's only self-preservation, Nico. The man was going to do you harm, already proving that by what he did to your friend, you just defended yourself.”

“You know, it's just when I think about it, maybe I shouldn't be surprised by the stranger staring back at me. I'm not the same person I was a year ago, and I guess the change in me was just so minimal that I didn't even notice it.” He blinked, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I mean, I did, once. Percy was gone for a while, and I... I started scaring myself.” He shook his head, standing up and turning his back to the doctor. “It's stupid. In the environment I live in, this shouldn't bother me.”

“But it does,” Asclepius supplied for him. Nico nodded his head, biting his thumb nail. “And I think that should let you know that you're still the same person deep down. Perhaps not entirely the same, but your morale compass has just shifted slightly.” He arched a brow as Nico turned his head slightly to stare at the man. “You didn't kill this man because you enjoyed it, you did it because your life was in danger.”

Nico shook his head. “It wasn't for me.” He let out a sigh when the doctor arched another brow. “I let my father abuse me, and never did anything about it until I found him again in the Lotus. I never really cared about what happened to me.” Nico sat back down, frowning. “It was because he shot someone very dear to me. I...” Nico took in a deep breath, fighting back some tears. “I never even wanted to tell my father that I was gay. He hit me that night and Bianca got into a heavily heated argument with him. I was afraid that he was going to hit her, so it just kind of slipped out.”

His doctor remained silent. He didn't write anything down, just sort of stared at Nico in mild surprise. Nico had not even told that to Percy yet. It was just not a night he cared to relive. Finally, Asclepius opened his mouth.

“Have you been out there to see-”

“No,” Nico interjected, still wiping at his eyes. “I can't. I can't see... I don't want to face what happened because of me.” The boy pursed his lips. “Does that make me a bad person?”

“Not at all,” Asclepius said softly. He stood to his feet and moved over to the door. “But I might recommend going. Some closure might do you some good, Mr. di Angelo.”

Nico watched the man move with an almost dead, cold stare. He took in a deep breath before he got to his feet and nodded. His doctor wrote him a quick prescription, probably for some nerve and sleeping pills, and opened the door.

Smiling, Asclepius motioned for Nico to step through the doorway. “I will set up your next appointment with Ms. Dare. Have a good day, Nico, and try to go easy on yourself.”

Nico briefly looked down at the prescription before nodding. Usually, one of the Lost Kids from back home waited to pick him up, but not this time. Today, Percy sat in the lobby, quickly jumping up when he saw Nico standing there. He smiled sadly and ran his fingers through the front of Nico's hair when they were close enough.

“How did it go?” He asked gently.

“Fine,” was the only response Nico gave. Letting out a sigh, Nico shoved his new prescription into Percy's hands before heading out of the building and waiting at Percy's car, while his boyfriend paid the doctor bill for his session.

When Percy finally climbed into the car, he didn't start it right away. Instead, he turned to face Nico, brushing some of the boy's black hair away from his face. “Nico,” the young man said softly.

“I don't...really want to talk about it.” Dark eyes stared down at his lap as Nico sat, unmoving, in his seat. “I'm just sorry.”

Percy's brow furrowed. “You don't need to be sorry, Nico. I don't see you any differently. You did what you had to do.” The young man reached over and took Nico's hand. “Look, I would be a total hypocrite if I had an issue with what you did. I don't even try to think about the number of people I had to kill, but I think that it is important to point out how much this bothers you.” Squeezing Nico's hand, Percy smiled softly. “If I can't see myself as a monster, then you most certainly cannot.”

When they started driving, it took Nico several minutes to realize they were not headed in the direction of the hotel. His brows instantly furrowed as he turned to look at his boyfriend. “Where are we going?”

Instead of answering, Percy just squeezed his hand.

Nico's nostrils flared. “Percy Jackson, you tell me where we are going this instant.”

“Calm down,” the young man replied softly. “I just think that this will do you some good. Like ripping the band-aid off.”

Looking back on things, Nico probably shouldn't have tried to grab the wheel, because they almost went off the road. Perhaps a little harshly, Percy shoved Nico back into his seat with a glare. Nico huffed and crossed his arms.

“Don't do that while I'm driving,” Percy scolded him. “This isn't up for discussion. You'll thank me later.”

Nico glared out the window the rest of the way. When they arrived, Percy got out first and walked around to open the door for Nico. The boy's shoulders slumped as he took the green-eyed young man's hand. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to see. He just wanted to pretend that it was a dream. If he didn't see it, maybe it never happened.

But it ended up staring him directly in the face. Literally.

Blue eyes snapped up when Percy led Nico into the room, an uncertain look in them. Nico squirmed and waved a little when Eros waved at him from where he sat on the bed. “How did the therapy go, Nico?” Eros asked as he held out a spoonful of mashed squash to the blond in the bed.

“I can feed myself, fucker,” Luke grumbled as he snatched the spoon from the cheerful brunet.

Eros stuck out his tongue. “Ah, but you are such a fragile little thing, I would not want you to strain yourself too much.” With a glare, he got up and yanked the pillow that Luke was using to prop himself up from behind him, roughly fluffing it. “Connard. Maybe next time you won't get yourself shot.”

Luke crossed his arms over his bare torso, which was still rapped in a bandage. The doctors said that the wound would more than likely scar, but at least it had healed. In fact, Luke was going to be released in the next day or two. He probably could have already been moved back to the hotel, but a certain brunet demanded the doctors take extra care of him. And Percy just thought it was amusing at how red Luke's face turned, so he agreed to it.

Finally, Luke's eyes snapped back over to where Nico now stood. “Twerp.”

“Hey,” the boy mumbled softly.

The twins were actually in the room. Which was a little surprising, as they got threatened to be banned from the hospital if they stole another gurney and used them to joust. “Did the shrink diagnose you as crazy yet?” Travis teased, who had his arms wrapped around his brother's waist as the other twin sat in his lap.

Nico shot the older twin a glare, but Percy clamped his hand over the boy's mouth the second it looked like the brown-eyed boy might snap at Travis. “I just thought Nico should pay a visit, so he could get past the guilt and realize that you're not angry with him, Luke.”

Brown and blue eyes met. Reaching up, Luke scratched his cheek. Briefly sighing, the blond turned his attention to Percy. “Give us a minute.”

Eros opened his mouth to protest, but Luke roughly shoved him off the bed. Percy chuckled and opened the door as the twins and Eros left the room, the latter cursing furiously in French. Nico took in a deep breath as the door shut behind him. When he looked back at Luke, he noticed that the blond was undoing his bandages.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

Luke arched an eyebrow. “Showing you, so you'll stop being so fucking depressed. You know, you could have at least sent a card for the guy that took a bullet for you.” Grunting, Luke exposed the stitched up area of his chest. He then huffed and patted the spot. “See, I'm alive. Jesus, I asked you to stop being so goddamn depressed when something bad happened, and you couldn't even do that.” He shook his head. “Can't even honor a dying man's wish?”

“You didn't die,” Nico mumbled.

“That's sort of the point.” Luke leaned back in the bed, placing his hands behind his head. “I get why you're upset over shooting the guy, kid, but stop beating yourself up over what happened to me. I shoved you out of the way, I took the bullet.”

There it was. Once again, Nico was just 'kid'. “You could have died.”

“I could have, but I wasn't going to give that French asshole out there the pleasure of being rid of me.” Luke rolled his eyes. “I know you're not weak, like I originally thought you were, so stop pretending like you are. It happened, you shot the guy, now it's time to move on with your life. You're about to go to college. If you don't stop moping, do you really think Percy will let you go to school in America?”

“I-” Nico pressed his lips together. “He probably won't let me now anyways. He worries too much.”

Luke shrugged. “Then I suggest putting that mask back on and acting like you're fine. Deal with your problems in therapy, but you're only hurting yourself right now by acting like this. In a few years, you probably won't even think about what happened.”

Nico really didn't see that happening.

\---------------------------

In all his time in this life, Nico had never stared at the performance on the stage as hard as he did on the night Luke got brought back from the hospital. While the blond wasn't performing, he had joined the small group at Percy's table. Luke was downing his third drink. And while his face looked bored, those blue eyes barely left the stage that Eros was performing on with a few of the Lost Girls.

The brunet had half of his torso covered in body paint, accompanied by a crescent moon and a few stars painted around his right eye. All the while, the boy and two girls danced along to Ke$ha's “Take It Off”. They didn't even bother wearing much to begin with, just ripped shirts and some small underwear. Well, the girls still had their shirts, for the most part, Eros had removed his at the start of the song.

The choreography involved a lot of foot work and sliding across the stage. The Lost Kids stomped their right foot along with the chorus, while one of their hands tangled in their hair. Eros stood in the dead center of the stage, his free hand hanging high above his head as his body went along with the song. Eros seemed extremely comfortable to dancing to music like this, but that probably was to be expected, since Nico got to witness the brunet at a club.

When it came to the part of the song where there was briefly no lyrics, their hands moving from their hair down to their asses with three timed slaps. As the song came to its end, Eros smirked and faced his back to the audience. And as the song played the final beats, he swung his hips back and forth, slowly peeling back the top of his underwear for the audience to see. Well, Eros seemed more interested in seeing what Luke thought, as the brunet's green eyes glinted at Luke. The blond just arched a brow and tossed back another shot as his...whatever they were...showed his ass to the crowd.

The two girls did a quick wave to the crowd, while Eros winked and blew a kiss. As they left the stage, Luke grunted and took another drink. “Don't you think you should slow down?” Apollo chuckled as he stared at the other blond next to him in amusement.

Apollo had gotten back almost two weeks ago. He was going to come back sooner, when he heard Luke got shot, but Percy had assured him that Luke would be fine. And, to nobody's surprise, the blond had moved into a suite with Leo.

Artemis had been happy to see her brother again, which had been why Apollo was gone so long. From what Apollo had told them, the two had talked for a very long time about everything. Artemis no longer talked to their father, and had actually come out as asexual a few years ago. She was more than happy that Apollo was no longer seeing Robert, but had also threatened to cut off the man's balls for dumping her brother on the street.

She would be spending Christmas with them in Germany, from what Apollo told them. And she knew what Apollo did. Well, most of it. More of less, it was basically the same situation Nico was in with Bianca. She knew Apollo stripped, but not the rest. It was possibly why Apollo came back and asked for a job doing something else around the hotel. Percy had assured the blond that he would find Apollo something, if it was what he wanted.

“Mind your own business,” Luke grumbled.

Percy leaned back in his chair with a smirk, sliding an arm around the back of Nico's chair. “Why don't you just ask him out? You two are basically dating as it is.”

“We are not.” Luke glanced up to the stage again, even though Eros was no longer there. “It's just sex.”

“Maybe originally, but doesn't seem that way now,” Reyna weighed in. She grinned wickedly when Luke shot her a glare. “Come off it Luke, you two are cute together. He doesn't put up with your bullshit. I think he would make a good boyfriend.”

“Especially if he can whip Luke, without them actually dating,” Apollo laughed, knocking glasses with Reyna.

Luke grunted and took another shot. “You three can go fuck yourselves. I'm not whipped and we are not going to date.” Perhaps Nico should have been paying better attention, though, because he would have noticed the blond's attention turn to him. “You're being very quiet tonight, twerp.”

Nico jumped a little at the nickname. It stung a little to hear it, after Luke had actually addressed him by name. Perhaps Nico was just over thinking it, though. Luke had admitted to viewing Nico as a little brother, so perhaps it was just the blond's way of showing affection. Bianca did the same thing half the time.

“Just thinking,” Nico finally replied.

It was pretty clear that Luke didn't buy it, but he didn't comment further. Nico rubbed at his temple and looked off to the side. While Percy had bought him a drink, Nico had not even touched it, something that the green-eyed young man now took notice of. He tugged on Nico's shoulder, bringing the boy closer to him.

“Are you tired?” He whispered, kissing Nico's temple. The brown-eyed boy gave a small nod. “Okay.” Clearing his throat, Percy stood up from the table. “I think the two of us are going to turn in for the night.”

Luke continued to stare at Nico while the boy stood up, while Apollo and Reyna smiled and waved. Once they were away from the table, Percy slid his arm around Nico, letting the boy lean into him. It was something that Nico took advantage of when they got down and got a golf cart to ride back to the mansion in.

Nico mumbled incoherently into Percy's shoulder, his arms wound around the young man's neck, while Percy did his best to find the keys to his favorite golf cart. He smiled and wrapped his arms around Nico's waist upon procuring the keys. Nico shut his eyes for a moment when Percy rested his chin on top of the boy's head.

It was a little odd to think about how perfectly he fit under Percy's chin. When they first met, Nico barely came up to the young man's shoulders. Right now, he just wanted to stay like this forever. Well, perhaps in the comfort of their room, which was what got him to let go of Percy and let the young man drive them back to the mansion.

Percy smiled softly as he watched Nico move across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. With a soft grunt, Nico pulled the chord and let the curtain fall around the bed. As Nico yanked off his shoes, the boy let out another grunt. He pouted when Percy chuckled lightly.

Sighing, Percy yanked his shirt over his head and joined Nico on the bed. Nico blinked from the center of the bed and watched as Percy removed his own shoes. A yelp escaped Nico's lips as the young man practically tackled him.

“Percy,” Nico whined.

In response, Percy pressed a brief kiss to the raven haired boy's neck. “I just want you to smile again,” he mumbled into the boy's pale skin. Strong arms wrapped around Nico's torso and they rolled, so that Percy was on his back and Nico laid his head on his lover's chest.

A long silence followed, wherein Percy passed the time by raking his fingers through Nico's hair.

“Are you changing your mind about where I'm going to school?” Nico asked out of the blue. Percy blinked down at him in surprise. Sighing, Nico slid down into the crevice of Percy's arm. “We haven't talked about it since Luke got shot.”

A heavy sigh came from Percy. Reaching up, the young man pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn't think there was anything to talk about” Much to Nico's displeasure, the young man sat up, which meant he lost his 'pillow'. “You're still allowed to go to school wherever you want, Nico, I'm not going to change my mind just because something bad happened. You made a point last time we talked: this could happen anywhere. And it did. You were just in the city when that happened, and there was nothing I could have done to make it not happen. Aside from maybe locking you up in this mansion.”

Nico opened his mouth to argue, but Percy chuckled and silenced him.

“I wouldn't do that.” Percy sighed and crossed his legs. “You know what you want and I'm not going to try to make decisions like this for you. If you want to go to school in America, I'll happily support your decision. I'll miss you, but I'll support it. I,um...”

Nico arched a brow at the young man when his ears started to turn pink. “Yes?”

Percy chuckled nervously and rubbed his wrist. “I care about you...a lot, and I just want you to be happy.”

“I know.”

“No,” Percy chuckled, “I don't really think you do. I haven't told you, because you were right again, when you said that I can be unreadable. I mean, I do try to be affectionate with you, but I could tell you more.” He shook his head. “I mean, I could just tell you in general. It's just a simple phrase.” Percy's cheeks were now a bright pink, the color slowly devouring his entire face. “This really shouldn't be this hard.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “Percy, are you okay?”

Percy quickly nodded, though he briefly buried his face in his hands. With a loud groan, Percy rubbed his face. “Goddammit,” he cursed. “I l-” He coughed, his face now even brighter. What the hell was wrong with him? “Okay, so, I've just never done this before, you know? Never...said this...before. I mean, aside from like Gaea and my mom.” Percy groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Why is this so embarrassing? It's just the two of us.”

“Percy, just spit it out.”

“I love you!” Percy instantly clamped his mouth shut, his eyes going wide. His also resembled a tomato by this point, but at least now Nico understood why. Taking a deep breath, Percy tried to calm down. It was actually rather cute, seeing him all embarrassed. “I, uh, kind of wish you would say something.”

Oh. Nico was still a little stunned from the confession. He quickly blinked and took in a breath. Okay, wow, he had not been expecting that. “I, uh...” His mouth felt incredibly dry. “Well, you already know how I feel.” He just kind of stared at Percy for a moment, who looked a little sick. “I love you, too, Percy, you already know that.” His lips slowly tilted up and he wrapped his arms around Percy, crawling into his boyfriend's lap. “But I've been waiting to hear that for a very long time.”

Percy tilted his head up and sealed their lips together. He gave Nico a lopsided smile when they pulled back. “Well, I mean, I guess I have for a while now. It just kind of took me some time to realize it.” He motioned in between them. “This is just rather new for me. I've never been in love...or a relationship, for that matter.” He let out a breath. “But you mean a lot to me, Nico. I would do anything for you, and I hope you know that.” Leaning up again, Percy kissed the boy in his arms. “And I managed to get you to smile.”

Nico stared at the grinning idiot for a moment. Reaching up, he touched his face. To be honest, he had not even realize he had been smiling in the first place. “I guess you did,” Nico said quietly. Leaning back in, he shared a slow kiss with his boyfriend.

\--------------------

It was finally time.

Summer had finally come to an end, which meant that Nico had to leave Berlin and go to university. It had not been an easy morning, or night for that matter. While packing, he had changed his mind several time. Each time, Percy had just told him that he would support Nico's decision, no matter what he chose. He had not gotten any sleep, to be honest.

But here he was, in the middle of the airport. Beckendorf had gone ahead to prepare Percy's private jet. The downside was that Percy would not be getting on the plane with him. They had agreed that, if this was what Nico wanted, it would be easier this way. So, even though he had packed everything, Nico still, technically, had the opportunity to change his mind. To be honest, the thought was constantly running through Nico's mind as he stood there with some of his bags.

The others had accompanied Percy and Nico to the airport to say their goodbyes, even though it wasn't really “goodbye”. Nico would still be coming back to Berlin whenever he got the chance, mainly in between semesters and on holidays. Still, it meant going weeks, or maybe even a month or two, without seeing his friends. Percy was a different story.

The young man had assured Nico that they would see each other at least once a month, even if that meant that Percy would fly out and visit. Unfortunately, Percy's place was in Berlin, so he couldn't just be with Nico the whole four years. Which Nico was already planning on shortening down to three, if he could pull it off.

A hand eventually squeezed Nico's shoulder.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico turned around to face Percy and the others. “I think I can do this,” he said nervously.

Percy smiled down at him. “You'll do great.”

Piper and Silena moved forward and embraced Nico on either side. “Take care of yourself, make sure you eat all your meals,” Silena said, squeezing him awfully hard.

“Come back to us in one piece,” Piper added.

Even though they would see each other again, it felt like a goodbye. Nico shut his eyes and let the girls hug him. It was like seeing them for the first time flash behind his eyelids.

There he was, the scared little boy, when Piper and the twins had come in. The three had instantly become curious about him and introduced themselves. Piper had been the one to prevent the twins from overwhelming him.

Silena and Beckendorf had fought a lot, but somehow Nico always felt like they would pull through. Something about them just felt like they were tethered to each other, perhaps even destined to be together. And now they were going to get married and start a family. Nico knew that Silena would make a much better mother than the one she had.

The twins appeared behind them, launching confetti. Nico wasn't even irritated. He shocked them a little by embracing both of them. Connor patted his head. “Whoa there, don't need to go making this so emotional, Neeks.”

“Yeah,” Travis chuckled. “We'll see each other again.”

And there they were, back in Los Angeles. The twins were up to some prank, causing terror throughout their floor. Travis was back on their bed, watching his brother sleep and talking with Nico. Their faces were seared into his mind, just like everyone else would be. They were his family. It would always be their impish grins that he would picture when thinking about them.

Next was Will, who stepped sheepishly away from Cecil and Lou. Nico smiled at him and the two hugged. “Hurry back to us, the hotel won't be the same without you,” Will mumbled into Nico's ear. Nico could feel him smile. “Thank you. For everything.” He pulled back, his hands still on Nico's shoulders. “I'm not sure if I can get used to you not being around now.”

Nico hugged him again. “I'll be back before you know it.” Nico gave the blond a friendly kiss on the cheek and smiled. “Take care of yourself while I'm gone.”

There they were, back on Percy's couch during the movie night. Will's smile had stuck out in the dark, and it had made Nico's heart do a flip. They were on the beach and Nico just listened as Will talked about surfing and how he loved the ocean. And the first time they met, Will just leaning against Apollo's car as they got ready to go to the beach.

As Will stepped back, Juniper wasted no time in jumping in to hug her friend. Nico clung to her tightly. Out of everyone, she had probably been the nicest overall. Not once had she really hurt him. The others had their small spat with Nico during the early days, but never Juniper. Granted she wasn't there when it happened, but Nico couldn't really picture her being a part of it anyways. Nico breathed in the smell of the Lost Girl's lavender shampoo.

She had been so excited to meet Nico, calling him adorable. She wasn't quite like the rest, keeping her sadness and bitterness bottled up inside, instead of trying to take it out on the world. It had been heartwarming to see the way she smiled when she saw Grover over Christmas. It made Nico feel good, knowing that the two would be together soon enough.

“So, I made you this shirt to wear while you are at school,” Leo said, holding up a horribly made shirt with the words 'Property of Percy Jackson' on it. “You know, to keep all the suitors off of you.”

Nico just rolled his eyes and accepted the shirt before pulling the Latino boy into a one-armed hug. “I suppose I'll miss you.”

He could remember Leo's face, staring at him as Percy carried him into the hotel. He looked so concerned, like he was worried about bringing Nico into the pit of wolves. There were all the times Leo and Apollo had fought. Back then, Nico had just thought they severely disliked each other. Perhaps they did. But not now. He smiled, watching as Leo stepped back beside the curly haired blond that he had been so angry at once upon a time.

Apollo smiled down at Leo and stepped up to Nico. “Well, I guess you're leaving after all. Just not in the way we talked about a long time ago.” He hugged Nico, lifting the boy up in a bear hug. “Try not to cause too much damage on any Lost Kids you encounter while you're at school.”

The first time he had laid eyes on Apollo, Nico had developed such a crush. It was not really hard to imagine, because Apollo was beautiful. Percy was gorgeous and hot, but Apollo had a beauty about him that could not be matched. Nico remembered how scared the blond had gotten when Percy scolded him after humiliating Nico. And then there was when they finally made up, as Apollo fixed the tie that Nico wore. From that moment, Apollo had just been his big brother. Nico couldn't help but laugh upon remembering the feeling of triumph when he got pulled off Apollo, a piece of the blond's shirt still in his hand.

“I don't think I could damage them as much as I did your face,” Nico joked.

Apollo smirked and ruffled Nico's hair.

Clarisse surprised Nico by shoving the blond out of the way. She stared down at him with an angry look. “Here,” she grumbled.

Nico nearly choked when he noticed it was a folding knife. “I don't need that!”

“Well, you're going to take it.” And the Lost Girl shoved it into Nico's hand. The boy quickly pocketed the blade. “And if some bastard pulls some shit on you again, you better damn well use the goddamn thing.”

Well it was Clarisse. She had been very intimidating the first time that Nico saw her. To be fair, though, the entire situation had been terrifying. He had been where he was not supposed to be, on the floor that would later be where he worked. And, of course, her and Ethan had gotten Percy, which had only scared Nico even more. Nico felt a slight pain in his hand at the memory of the time Clarisse and Ethan took him to shoot a gun. Nico had known right then and there that he did not like guns.

When it came time for Rachel to say her goodbye, the girl snapped a quick picture of Nico on her phone before shooting forward to embrace the raven haired boy. “I know you'll be fine and you'll do great at school. But you better call Percy whenever you get the chance, or he will probably start moping.”

“Hey!” Percy whined.

Nico smiled sadly and hugged the girl again. He couldn't help but think about all the knowing smiles she had given him. She knew how Percy felt about him, even before the green-eyed young man did. The way she had smiled at him in the elevator that one time, it was clear now that she was scarily intuitive. All the advice she had given him. If only he had listened to her more. She had told him to not act so childish. If Nico had just listened to her, he could have avoided a lot of arguments with Percy.

Octavian rolled his eyes and yanked Rachel backwards. “You might be needing this,” the blond grumbled, handing Nico a very thick book. It was the DSM book that Nico kept running across for the required textbooks for his courses. “Hopefully, you don't make a habit of getting yourself into bad situations. Not that you'd listen, since you never do.”

That was more than true.

Nico had not even been a blip on Octavian's radar the night they met. He had flat out ignored Nico, for the most part. Most of the time they talked, it involved a snippy comment at Nico. He had helped Nico, even if it was merely because his brother had asked him to. If it weren't for Octavian, Annabeth probably would have crushed him into the dirt without Nico even suspecting anything of the blonde. The first time that he had even seen the blond Lost Boy smile had been at Daedalus's house, when they had met Perdix.

Next was Reyna, who wasted no time in making sure that Nico checked in with them on a regular basis. “And if you don't,” she said with a firm look, “I will fly over myself and kick your ass.” She then smiled at him and hugged the shorter boy. “Take care of yourself, Nico. We'll all miss you, but I'm sure you already know that.”

Reyna had been very distant and hard to read when the two had first met. Perhaps a little angry. If Nico had not been so blind to things, he would have realized that she had basically told him that Percy did kill people. As they days passed and Reyna had started to open up more, Nico found her to be a very reliable friend.

When it came time for Eros to bid Nico farewell, the brunet hugged the raven haired boy while he rambled incoherently in French. Pulling back, Eros kissed both of Nico's cheeks. It reminded Nico of the first time that they met. He hoped that by the time he finished school that Eros and Luke would stop dancing around each other and actually get together.

Eros had been like a whirlwind, blowing into Nico's life out of nowhere. And now he couldn't imagine not having the brunet around. He had been so excited the day he took Nico to get outfitted for dinner with Percy, the way he grinned at the brown-eyed boy through the mirror. But there had also been the nightclub, where Nico got to witness the more worrying side of the French Lost Boy. Or when Luke had confessed that Eros had an eating disorder. But then he could turn it all around again with times like when he looked so proud after he and Luke got discovered for destroying the pinball machine and golf cart. But perhaps Nico's fondest moment of the brunet had been when he had encountered Luke's mother. The look of horror on the woman's face would always be priceless.

Jason offered Nico a lopsided smile as he stepped forward and opened his arms for Nico to embrace him, something Nico wasted no time in doing. He closed his eyes and clung to the blond for dear life. “I'll miss you,” Nico whispered into the blue-eyed boy's chest.

“Will's not so bad, but I think you're still my favorite roommate.”

Nico could feel tears building up in his eyes now as he took hold of the back of Jason's shirt. He didn't want to let go. The first time he met Jason felt like so long ago, in another life perhaps, but it was still clear in his mind. He had no idea who Jason was when they met at school, but he knew there was something so familiar about Jason in comparison to the Lost Kids.

Finally there was Luke, who had to be shoved forward by Eros. He sighed and rolled his eyes when he bumped into Nico. “Watch it!” Popped into Nico's head, the very first words that Luke had ever said to him.

Nico had been such a scared little kid back then. It had nearly given him a heart attack to bump into Luke, who looked like he wanted to murder Nico right then and there. Their relationship with each other had been so different back then. Luke had seemed like his enemy, someone who wanted nothing more than to see Nico fail. He remembered the cocky smirk on Luke's face when Nico wanted to try working on the top floor. And then Nico got the shock of finding out that Luke had actually tried to protect Nico by making a deal with Percy. Or how could Nico forget the night he jumped on the back of Luke's motorcycle?

It had nearly broken his heart to hear Luke's story, about how he got that scar. Luke had given up on being happy back then. And then he met Eros. Nico smiled at the memory of when Luke first laid eyes on the feisty brunet. The look in Luke's eyes when Nico had almost fell out of their raft at the water park flashed briefly through Nico's mind. Luke had started out looking like his enemy, but it was funny how all that changed. Because, as it turned out, Luke was probably Nico's best friend during all of this, whether he would ever admit it again or not.

“Just...don't go getting into trouble. I won't be there with you, so I can't really take another bullet.” Luke rolled his eyes when Nico pursed his lips. He glanced over his shoulder and glared at the others before turning back to Nico. “Look, you'll be fine. Stop worrying. Grow a pair and go knock 'em dead.” Those icy blue eyes almost sparkled as they met Nico's brown ones. “Take care of yourself, Nico. Not that I'll miss you or anything, but I'm sure all the other losers I have to associate myself with are going to start whining that you're not around.”

And the dam broke. Tears streamed down Nico's face as he hugged Luke. It was his name that did it. Luke was his best friend, his brother, always looking out for him. He just didn't want people to think he was a softie.

A hand laid softly on Nico's shoulder and the boy was slowly removed from Luke. Wiping at his eyes, Nico looked up into Percy's sea-green eyes. The young man cupped Nico's face and gave him a quick kiss. “As much as I want you to stay, which is what I know you're debating right now, I also know you'll hate yourself if you changed your mind right now.” He held on tight to Nico. The smell of the ocean instantly filled Nico's lungs as he shut his eyes. “We'll be here, waiting, when you get back.”

And there he was, back on the streets on that first night.

His legs screamed in pain as he tried to walk again. His body was so tired. Just curl up and die, he thought again. It would be easier, and his parents wouldn't miss him. Nobody would. He collapsed against the wall of the hotel, slowly sliding down it until he sat on the ground. He pulled his knees up to his chest and began to cry again. He buried his head into his knees so people wouldn't see him cry. He heard a door swing open, but didn't look up. He looked underneath his arms at the person that walked out, only seeing up to the stranger's knees.

“No, everything is going fine.” It was a guy. “Yes, he dropped the package off a few hours ago. I'll ship it over to you if you want.” The guy sighed. “No, it wasn't like that.” Another pause. “No. He tried grabbing her ass while she was on stage. There was no negotiation with me.” He paused again. “Yeah, I...informed him as to the instability of his company's stocks .”

Nico scolded himself for picking this spot to collapse. He didn't want someone to see him like this. People passing by were different, this was someone up close. Something about the young man's voice pulled Nico in, though. He wanted to look up and see who was talking, but didn't want to chance him making eye contact. He would rather the stranger just ignore him and go back inside. 

Nico figured he should get up, try to get away unnoticed. When he moved to stand, his head began to spin and he collapsed on to the pavement. His cheek was now throbbing, but he didn't care. He just wanted to lay there. His eyes became heavy and he let them fall shut.

Nico let out a groan as he blinked and found the figure leaning over him. He felt a warm hand brush his bangs out of his face. “Are you okay?” He heard the voice from a moment ago ask.

The door opened again and Nico could make out a smaller figure come out and approach the previous stranger. “Percy, Luke was asking for you. What are you doing out here?”

“Talking to the boss.” Nico felt arms reach under him. “Can you get the door for me, Leo?”

The smaller figure stood back up and moved over the door. Strong arms wrapped around Nico and pulled him up to the stranger's, who's name must be Percy, chest. “Sure, boss, but what are you doing with him?”

Nico groaned again, blinking up at this Percy. His face was lifted, so Nico couldn't really make out many features, other than dark hair. “Taking care of him. He looks like he needs food and a place to sleep.”

“But-”

“No buts. You act like this is something uncommon around here.”

Nico made out the figure of Leo. He was around the same height as Nico. He was of some Hispanic origin. His eyes were peering up at Percy. Percy made his way into the hotel and Nico had to screw his eyes shut from the bright lights above him. Nico heard an elevator ding open and figured they had stepped inside of it. He unconsciously shifted closer to the warm chest that he was being pressed against. Nico blinked his eyes open for a moment. They were in an elevator. Leo looked over at him, giving him a friendly smile. “He's conscious.” Nico looked up at his rescuer. Percy glanced down at him. Nico's eyes began to shut again. The last things he saw were warm green eyes staring down at him.

It was a memory that would forever stay with Nico, the first time he had ever looked into those sea-green eyes. He had felt safe, a feeling he would always associate with Percy Jackson. They were always meant to end up here, weren't they? No matter what. Even when Nico kept almost getting killed, just like the day on the movie set.

As they walked back to the limo, the group fell into a silence. Percy walked beside Nico, looking over the boy's shoulder as he kept flipping through photos of himself with the celebrities that had been on the set. He was so distracted that he did not even hear the low groaning noise coming from above him until there was a loud scream.

The next thing Nico knew, he had the wind knocked out of him as Percy came barreling into him, sending the boy flying through the air. Nico's eyes widened as he landed on concrete, though the hard impact to his head never came.

His eyes became filled with panic a second later when the large safe he had seen on their arrival came crashing down where he had been standing just a second ago. Nico just laid there in shock, his body shaking. His face was pressed against Percy's shoulder, the young man's arms in a vice grip around Nico's body.

A second later, the two were surrounded by the rest of their group, with quite a few other people running over to check on what happened. Kronos was yelling down at Percy, though Nico was still in too much of a shock to make out what the young man saying. The only words he could decipher were “you idiot” and “worthless trash”.

And then Percy pulled back and allowed Nico to see his face. Nico was frozen by what he saw. There was pure panic in Percy's green eyes, his eyes wide as he looked Nico over. Kronos reached down and jerked Percy to his feet, though Percy only continued to stare down at Nico, like Nico might actually not be laying there unharmed. It was also then that Nico noted that the back of Percy's hand was bleeding, having taken the impact instead of Nico's head.

That day was the day that Nico really and truly realized that Percy did care for him. Perhaps he didn't know just how much back then, but it did show that Percy cared. And now the young man had said the three little words that Nico had waited so long to hear. And how did Nico repay him? By going to school halfway around the world.

“I could always just-”

“No,” Percy firmly cut him off. “You will be fine. I'll see you every month and you'll be spending your breaks back here. We will make it work. It'll suck, but it will work. You'll do fine and I'm going to be proud of you. Well, more than I already am.” He smiled when Nico blushed. “And it's good to know that I can still make you do that.”

Nico laughed a little and tried to wipe his remaining tears off of his face. “You promise?”

Percy nodded and kissed Nico's forehead. “I'll see you soon.” He leaned in and rested his forehead against Nico's. “But I will miss you. I really do love you, Nico, and I am very proud of you.”

Nico pressed his lips tightly together and nodded, willing himself to not cry again. He wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and pulled the young man down for a long, searing kiss. They got a few whistles from some of the Lost Kids, but the two ignored them. Right now, it was just the two of them. When they separated, Percy smiled warmly back at Nico. 

Taking in a deep breath, Nico slowly removed himself from Percy's warm embrace. He reached down and picked up his backpack and one other thing of luggage. He smiled weakly and gave the group a small wave before brushing some hair behind his ear and heading in the direction of his flight.

He stopped abruptly and turned to look over his shoulder at the group watching him. Percy stood in the center of them and they all smiled at him. Nico felt a lump in his throat as each of them waved at him. This was his family. This was the end of the road. Perhaps not literally, but it felt like it. The closing of a chapter and the beginning of a new one.

His eyes slowly moved across each of their faces before making the decision to run back. He fell into Percy's arms again, listening to the laughter that escaped the young man's chest. The others circled around them, embracing Nico in a long group hug. He never wanted to go, even though he knew he had to. The future was uncertain, the right now was not.

When they finally let him go, Nico knew that it was time to leave. There was no more stalling. He bit down on his lip to keep from crying and waved at the group again. This time he did not look back. He did not look back until he was on Percy's private jet and secure in his seat.

Nico turned and stared out the window, at the airport. He smiled a little when he found everyone standing at the window inside the airport, waving excitedly at him. He could do this.

“Ready to go, Nico?” Came Beckendorf's voice, startling Nico.

Nico smiled and turned to look up at the Lost Boy. “As ready as I'll ever be, I guess.” He let out a sigh and glanced back out the window, swallowing a lump in his throat. “It isn't really goodbye, after all.”

Beckendorf smiled and walked towards the front of the plane. Soon enough, the plane began to move away from the terminal and they got into the air. Nico stared out the window, watching as the ground fell away from them. He let out a breath and nodded.

This wasn't the end, only the start of the next chapter of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connard= bastard/asshole
> 
> I am so sad and hurt that so few of you had any faith in me after last chapter.
> 
> Let me go ahead and be clear that this is not the last chapter. So don't think it's over. The next chapter is the epilogue, so make sure you stay tuned for that. I tried to have small flashbacks in there with all the goodbyes, because it's just a nostalgia that I felt should be there. Obviously there was the complete flashbacks with Percy, but I felt Nico would be remembering moments from the past as he said goodbye to each of them. So feel free to think of your favorite moment with each of them and think about that during the scene.
> 
> So, I do still have the ability to write a spinoff, but I'm actually trying to decide if I want to or not. I guess I'll see how I feel after I finish the epilogue, and I'll let you know when I post that. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do expect a pretty lengthy note from me after the epilogue, because it will be the end. And I have been writing this story for the past three years, so there will probably be a lot I want to say.


	60. Every Beginning Must Have an End

He was not really sure what returning home would feel like, not really. Perhaps that was because Nico had been back to Berlin plenty of times over the past three years. Well, maybe not plenty of times, but at least it had not been the full three years. Nico closed the book he had been reading as the final passengers left the plane.

Standing up, Nico pulled his luggage down from the overhead. Not much had really changed about him physically in the past three years. He was still scrawny and pale, perhaps just with a little more color to him. His hair still fell over his eyes, but he usually had to keep it groomed. “You need to look good for the public eye,” Gaea reminded him every morning that he was in Berlin for vacation.

“Was everything to your satisfaction on your flight, Mr. di Angelo?” One of the stewardess asked as he headed towards the plane's exit.

It was still strange sometimes for Nico, having people recognize him. He got stared at a lot in class every time his photo appeared on some magazine. And the girls, especially, wanted to bother him and ask him questions about Percy. At least he was back in Europe again, where it wasn't as bad.

Nico flashed the young woman a smile. “Yes, everything was great. Thank you.”

He had barely exited the terminal when he got tackled to the floor by Juniper and Jason. “You're back!” Jason exclaimed brightly.

Nico rolled his eyes as he was lifted up in a bear hug by the blond Lost Boy. “I am. You know, I just saw you at the beginning of the summer.”

Jason pouted at him. “Yeah, but you immediately turned around and went to Italy with your sister.”

There was that.

So, as a graduation gift, Percy had paid for Nico and his sister to go to Italy to visit their grandmother. Their grandfather had passed away a few years ago, but their grandmother was still up and kicking. Or hitting, in the case of when she met Percy. Long story. Regardless, Nico and his sister had been in Italy the whole summer, and now Nico returned just in time for Percy's birthday.

“How's your grandmother?” Juniper asked, managing to get Nico out of Jason's grasp to hug the brown-eyed young man.

Nico chuckled evilly to himself. “If she had her way, Percy wouldn't be allowed to set foot in Italy at all, much less her home.” He shrugged. “She's cool, but old fashioned. He didn't even really do anything. She just caught him trying to sneak into my bedroom one night when we went to visit for Christmas. I don't think I've ever witnessed Percy scared of an old woman, at least not until he met my grandmother.”

The Lost Girl smiled and linked arms with her friend. “I thought you said your grandmother liked Percy?”

“Oh, she does, but she doesn't want him to 'defile me'. A little late on that, but she doesn't need to know that.” Nico laughed. “No, she thinks Percy is a good man and is more than capable of taking care of me. Not that I need to be taken care of.”

Arriving back at the hotel, the three of them were greeted in the lobby by Grover. “Hey there, Nico! Have a good trip?”

Last year, Athena had stepped down and Percy had promoted Grover like Nico had suggested. Which had made both Grover and Juniper more than happy, and the two managed to finally settle into a relationship. It was also not long after becoming branch manager that Grover worked out with Percy that Juniper become a waitress in one of the hotel's restaurants.

“It was good,” Nico replied, stretching his arms. “Is Percy busy?”

“Wasting no time at all, I see,” Grover chuckled. He nodded towards the elevator. “Your beloved is in his office. He's not too busy now, if you want to go see him.” The young man patted Nico on the back as Nico went by. “And it was my fault he couldn't pick you up himself. I needed him to talk to some clients in Frank's neck of the woods for me.”

Nico gave a small nod before waving to the three of his friends. He let out a sigh as the elevator doors closed. It felt a little strange to finally be home, but so good at the same time. A lot had changed around the hotel while he had been gone, at least with his friends.

When Nico got to the top floor, Malcolm beamed at him. “Hey, Nico, you made it back in one piece!”

While Malcolm was Grover's secretary, Rachel had also moved onto the floor as Percy's personal secretary. The Lost Girl jumped up to hug Nico as he dropped his luggage on the floor. “How are you? Ah, I feel like it's been ages!”

Nico chuckled. “It's only been a few months.”

Rachel waved him off as he tried to pick his bags back up. “Don't worry about that, I'll have someone drop it off at Gaea's mansion for you.” She pressed on his back, guiding him towards Percy's office. “I know someone will be excited to see you.” She grinned at him and opened the door, poking her head inside. “Oh, Percy, I've got a present for you.”

Percy was at his desk, typing away at his computer. He looked a little tired, which was standard whenever Nico traveled. Percy said it stressed him out to think about Nico flying. Percy really didn't like flying much himself, but he said he got even more stressed when it was people he cared about flying. It probably went back to his grandparents, who had died in a crash. He looked up with a heavy sigh.

“What is it, Rachel?”

The Lost Girl beamed at him and stepped aside, revealing Nico to Percy. The young man's demeanor instantly brightened and he shot up from his desk. Rachel quickly shoved Nico forward, so Percy wouldn't trample her. “I'll leave you two alone,” she chuckled, shutting the door behind her.

“I missed you so much!” Percy exclaimed as he pulled Nico in for a hug.

Nico smiled and looked up at Percy. Wasting little time, Nico grabbed Percy's face and brought him down for a kiss. He had really missed those lips. Percy's hands found their way down to his waist and Nico leaned back a little, resting his back against the door.

“Wow, you must have missed me, too,” Percy panted after they broke apart.

“Maybe a little,” Nico winked. He moved past Percy to sit down in the young man's chair. “You know, you could have came with us. My grandmother asked about you.”

Percy frowned, rubbing his at his arm. “I think I'm still bruised from where she hit me with her cane.” Percy pouted when Nico laughed. “How does she even move that fast? I wasn't even going to try anything, I just wanted to sleep in the same bed.”

Nico shrugged, slumping down in Percy's chair. The green-eyed man walked over and leaned forward, resting his hands on either side of the chair. Nico shut his eyes with a sigh as Percy pressed their lips together again. The best news was that it was over. Nico was done with school, and he could now enjoy living here with Percy.

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot something!” Percy pulled back with a huge smile. Nico arched a brow at him. “I have a surprise for you. I had Leo and Beckendorf work on it while you were in Italy.”

“Um, okay?”

With much excitement, Percy grabbed Nico by the hand and jerked him out of the chair before dragging his boyfriend from the office.

“Are your eyes closed?”

Nico let out a sigh. “Percy, your hands are covering my eyes, so it doesn't really matter.” If those said hands had not of been there, Percy could have seen Nico roll his eyes. How did his boyfriend end up running this business again? “So, what is- Oh... Wow.”

Percy tilted his head to the side with a frown. “Is that all you can say?”

The room was directly across the hall from his and Percy's bedroom. It had been where Nico spent some of his nights studying for exams, when he was actually at the hotel. But now it was lined with bookshelves that were crammed with books, some that were not even related to psychology or medicine. Nico had to smile to himself as he noted a few books that he might have mentioned to Percy over the years, and now they had been stored here for him. The desk he had used to study had been replaced by a thick wooden one with a small lamp on it. A large leather chair was placed behind it and there was even a few other chairs across from the desk, even a couch.

“I...don't know what to say.” Nico was a little stunned, but in a good way. He licked his lips and smiled before turning to wrap his arms around his boyfriend's neck. “Thank you.”

“I thought you could use an office,” Percy mumbled into his ear. “So, if any of the Lost Kids need to actually have a session, they can swing by here, so that you can have some privacy.” The young man chuckled and moved more into the room. “Or you can just come here to read, if you need some alone time every now and then. I'm sure you'll get tired of being around me all the time. Sooner or later anyways.”

Nico rolled his eyes and punched Percy's arm. “Yeah right. I finally got back here, don't think you can just get rid of me so easily.”

The corner of Percy's lips tilted up in a smirk, his arms wound tightly around Nico's waist. “I missed you.” And, with that, the two kissed once again. Pulling back, Percy chuckled. “I got you something else, but it can wait until after the party,” he added with a wink.

Nico made a face. “That's not nice. Am I going to like it?”

Percy hummed for a moment. “I sort of hope you will.” He let out a breath and rolled his shoulders, which made Nico arch a brow. Percy seemed a little nervous all of a sudden. “But I do need to get back to work. Are you going to be okay to unpack and catch up with everyone in the meantime?”

Nico gave a small nod as Percy slid from his grasp. “Yeah, I'm sure I can manage.” He frowned a little as Percy took his leave. Strange, he thought. Percy was acting very strange. Was everything all right?

\--------------------

“Nico!”

The raven haired young man smiled and waved as he walked up to the table that was being occupied by Beckendorf, Silena, and Clarisse. Well, and Nyssa, Silena and Beckendorf's daughter. Her one year birthday had been right before Nico had left with Italy, which was one of the reasons he had actually swung by Berlin after he graduated college. The tiny girl cried out in happiness and extended her arms in his direction. Playfully, Nico made a face at her before sitting down across the table.

“So, how is she doing?” He asked, slowly reaching across the table, only to have his hand smacked away.

“I'm feeding her, di Angelo,” Clarisse glared with a spoonful of baby food in hand.

Yes, as it turned out, Clarisse was very protective of her goddaughter. Interestingly enough, when Chris suggested they have a kid, Clarisse had not really been too keen on the idea, but she sure took to Silena's daughter quickly. She was in good care, though, Nico could safely say that.

“How was Italy?” Beckendorf asked, clapping him on the shoulder.

Nico gave a small nod. “It was good. My grandmother likes to cook. A lot.”

Silena smiled fondly. “So, what did you get Percy for his birthday?”

“Aside from a night of sex,” Beckendorf added.

Clarisse glared at him. “Don't talk like that in front of your daughter.”

Beckendorf just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Nico chuckled. “Um, I got him a painting that he had his eye on the last time he went. He really liked this painting of Neptune that we found, so I went back and they let me buy it. The good thing about having a filthy rich boyfriend is that he has so much money that he really doesn't bother checking his bank records. So, he won't notice the big withdrawal.”

Silena's eye twitched. “Wait, why was it so expensive?”

“Oh.” Nico popped his lips. “It was sort of in a museum. One of a kind, actually.” He shrugged. “I mean, I paid for it. Percy was the one that suggested merging my account with his. But, yeah, I got him that painting.”

“Well, well, shortie, I see you got back.” Nico looked up at the sound of Apollo's voice. The blond leaned on their table, making a quick face at Nyssa. “So, how was your trip? Meet any hot Italian guys that might tempt you from Percy.”

“I'll be sure to relay that comment to Leo.”

Apollo pouted. “Harsh. Not even back a day, and this is how you talk to me.” He stuck out his tongue. “Can I get you anything?”

Nico's brow furrowed and he glanced at his phone. “You done with practice already?”

“Yeah, just got off.”

Apollo did not sell his body these days. In fact, he barely stripped. Instead, the blond worked on routines with the other Lost Kids and he worked in the cabana. It was a little funny to Nico, considering how much Apollo originally reminded him of Ganymede. Aside from that, Apollo spent weekends playing the piano in the hotel's best restaurant.

“Ah, yes.” The blond snapped his fingers, standing up straight. “I'd make sure to either warn Percy about Leo's gift, or just make sure you're not standing near it in general.” Apollo popped his lips. “Yeah, he's been getting carried away a little in that workshop in the hotel's basement. I usually have to force him to come to bed.”

After that, Apollo bid them farewell, so that he could get to work on people's orders. Nico sat and talked with the other three, though, for near an hour. Beckendorf was still Percy's pilot and one of the hotel's mechanics, along with Leo. Clarisse still headed the security team, and she showed no mercy. “No intruders are getting by on my watch,” she would often tell the other security guards. Even Chris, who she did not show much leniency on during work hours.

Silena and Piper actually took over the spa at the hotel with some assistance from Favonius, who still taught yoga on the side. While Silena mainly ran the spa, Piper still did her stripping and other stuff. The Lost Girl said she would give it a few more years, since she did not plan on settling down with anyone or starting a family anytime in the foreseeable future.

After he left the three of them, Nico went in search of others like Luke or Will. With the prior, it was pretty easy to guess where Luke would be. His suite. More specifically, the bed. With Eros. And they would both probably be naked.

Nico was not sure how the two of them actually started dating, he was unfortunately away at school when that miracle happened, but Eros often teased Luke about it. And Luke was so whipped, not that Nico would ever bring up that fact to the blond's face. No, he very much liked living. But Eros could probably tell Luke to jump off a bridge, and the blond would more than likely do it.

When he got to their floor, Nico ended up bumping into the other guy he had been looking for, along with Jason and the twins. “Nico!” Will exclaimed, hugging the young man before he could even get off the elevator. “Jason just told us you were back.”

After Jason's break after graduating high school, he had convinced Will to go back to school with him. While Jason was still a little undecided on what he wanted to study these days, Will had chosen the medical field. Not really a surprise there. A little disappointing was that Will and Cecil were still just friends. Friends that had sex, but friends nevertheless. But, from what Jason told Nico during his last visit, the two had started to go on the occasional date.

Nico's eyes flickered over to the twins. More specifically, between them. Their hands were laced together at their sides. It made Nico smile. At some point over the past few years, Travis and Connor had opened up more to the other Lost Kids about their brotherly love being more than just an act.

Nico cleared his throat. “So, where are you four off to?”

“Do you want to join us?” Jason asked. “We were just going to head down to finish up some decorations for Percy's party.”

Nico's eyes darted over to the twins, narrowing slightly. “Is this going to be a big mess, like last year?”

Travis grinned innocently. “Of course not, Neeks, we would never dream of such things.”

“But, I mean, Percy does like water.”

“Oh god.” Nico could feel a migraine coming on as he massaged his temple. “Water in what way? Please tell me you didn't empty the pool and are planning on flooding the lounge. I don't think Apollo would be happy about having it flooded.”

The younger of the two twins waved him off. “Of course not. That's just crazy.”

“We got foam and bubbles,” Travis chuckled.

Jason smiled and patted Nico on the back. “Don't worry about it, I'll make sure everything is cleaned up after. You just make sure your man is down there for his party, and then make sure he has an enjoyable night after.”

Nico pouted. “Why is everyone bringing up my sex life today?”

“Because Percy hasn't seen you in like almost three months,” the twins replied together. Still creepy how they did that, even after four years of knowing them.

Shaking his head, Nico let out a sigh. “Anyways, do any of you know if Luke is in his room? I'm assuming Eros is with him.”

“Um,” Jason said, tapping his chin, “Eros took Luke out to go clothes shopping earlier, but they should be back by now. They are probably in their room.” He chuckled to himself. “You'll probably be rescuing Luke, so he doesn't have to endure Eros looking through all of his purchases.”

“Or irritate him, if it involves Eros taking his clothes off,” Connor added. The group all nodded in agreement.

Will hugged Nico again. “Well, I suppose we will see you later tonight then.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled as the four of them boarded the elevator.

It took several knocks on the door to get someone to open the door. But as soon as Eros poked his head out, the brunet instantly brightened, and then proceeded to tackle Nico into the wall adjacent the suite. “Nico! Tu m'as tellement manqué! Mais maintenant tu peux rester pour de bon!.” 

Luckily, Eros was fully clothed, which meant that Nico was not interrupting anything. But he did smile at Eros's appearance. While Eros had never really talked about his eating disorder with Nico in the past, the brown-eyed young man never forgot about it. It had just been one Christmas that he had come in for, and Eros had been eating more and even ate some chocolate cake. Luke had never told him how he managed to get Eros to work through the disorder, but Nico was just happy that the brunet was in a more healthy state.

Eros shoved him into the suite, where Nico found Luke on the couch, slouched down and playing a video game. Eros frowned at his boyfriend. “Aren't you going to welcome Nico home?” Eros's eye twitched when Luke just grunted in their direction. In a huff, Eros picked up a shoe, which he proceeded to toss at the blond. “Si tu m'ignores, on ne baise pas ce soir.!”

Luke instantly jolted up, his eyes wide with horror. Nico was still learning French, but he had the feeling it had something to do with sex. Luke, however, was becoming much more fluent in the language, something Eros had no part of. But that was quite another story.

“Kid, you're home,” Luke greeted him.

Eros cleared his throat. “He is twenty now, do not address him as a child.”

Blue eyes narrowed at the brunet. “Fine, whatever. Nico, you're back.” Luke sighed and motioned Nico over. “He won't leave me alone until I do this, so get over here.”

Eros smiled as he pushed Nico over to Luke, who gave him a brief hug. “That wasn't so bad, now was it?” He beamed at Nico. “I'll have him house trained before too long.”

“Hey!” Luke grumbled. “I am not your dog.”

“You sure try to hump me like one,” Eros replied, inspecting his nails. He smiled at Nico, guiding him onto the couch. “So, how was Italy? I bet you are tired.”

“I'm not going to be sleeping, though, from what everyone else seems to think.” Nico shook his head. “Italy was great. I'm just sad because I probably won't see my sister for a few months now. But I am very happy to be home. Finally home. It's been quite the journey.”

Luke picked his controller back up. Eros narrowed his eyes at the blond, but didn't say anything. “Ah, did Percy-”

Luke's hand shot across the couch and covered the brunet's mouth. “Shh. He doesn't want to talk about it until after the party.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Talk about what?”

Eros quickly shook his head, smiling innocently. “Nothing, mon chéri.” He pursed his lips at the dark look he got from Luke. “Uh, has Percy said when you're going to start bartending?”

He didn't like it, but Nico let the sudden change of subject slide. Did everyone around here know what it was that Percy had hinted at earlier? “We talked about it briefly while I was here for a few days before Italy. Probably in the next few months.” Nico turned his head towards the blond. “How's your brother?”

Pausing his game, Luke glanced over at Nico. “He's doing fine. Percy's already lined him up a job as the hotel's attorney when he finishes school.”

A year after Nico started university, Octavian went back to school to study law. Unfortunately, it meant that the blond was away at school currently, and would likely miss the party. But Nico was happy for him, he was happy for all his friends. They were growing, and it didn't feel like they relied so much on the hotel anymore.

\----------------------

The party took place after the Lost Kids got off work for the night. Which meant that all of them had to consume several cups of coffee starting at dinner. Nico had just finished his sixth cup before going to find Percy and he felt quite wired. “Ready to go?” He asked, leaning against the door to their room.

Percy looked up from where he sat on their bed, laptop in his lap. “Yeah,” he said with a smile. Jumping up, Percy made sure to pull something out of the nightstand. Nico gave him an odd look as Percy walked over. “I thought you deserved a present as well.”

“It's not my birthday, nor is there a holiday that warrants a gift anytime soon.” Nico crossed his arms. “What did you do?”

Percy pouted like a kicked puppy. “Nothing. That's so hurtful, and on my birthday, too.”

Nico had to roll his eyes at that. “Please, nothing offends you.”

As if to prove Nico's point, Percy's lips tilted up into a grin. “Anyways, I hope you'll like it.”

Nico took hold of Percy's shirt as they shared a brief kiss. Letting out a breath, Nico smiled and patted Percy's chest. “You really shouldn't have gotten me anything. I'm not the one celebrating a birthday.”

“Well,” Percy replied, pecking Nico on the lips, “it just so happens that it is also a present for myself. Well, so long as it goes over well.”

Nico narrowed his gaze. What was Percy planning? “We shouldn't keep your guests waiting.”

A party for Percy Jackson was never a dull event. And there wasn't just this party, Gaea was throwing Percy a more public party the following evening. That one was pretty much just a dinner with a lot of wealthy and powerful guests. This was a party with Percy's friends. It would also probably involve much more alcohol.

The twins had not bee kidding about the foam and bubbles either. Three machines sat in specific corners to shoot out and cover the room with foam. And what party wouldn't be complete without some loud music to dance to?

Nico smiled as Percy came up to him after making sure his presents were somewhere safe, so they wouldn't get damaged from all the foam. He cupped Nico's face and sealed their lips together in a deep, searing kiss. “Thank you for the painting,” he whispered after they pulled apart.

“My pleasure,” Nico said a little breathlessly. When Percy kissed, he did not half ass it. And it made Nico happy that Percy still had the ability to take his breath away, even after four years. “So, what now?”

Percy smiled as Walk the Moon's “Shut Up and Dance” started to play. “Well, you can start by giving me the honor of this dance.”

Nico laughed and shook his head as he let Percy lead him into the crowd of people that were already jumping around in front of the stage that Apollo was Djing, with a little help from the twins. And by “help”, Nico meant pestering the blond.

Nico laughed as he jumped around with Percy, one of their hands still laced together. He smiled fondly as he scanned the room. He was finally able to breathe. This was it, this was where he was supposed to be. This was his life. He smiled and waved when Jason and Will waved to him. These were his friends.

Percy snuck in a quick kiss. And this was his boyfriend.

Things started out so different. These people had been strangers, and Nico was just the little kid lost in their world. Now he was part of it. Perhaps Percy had been right all those years ago. Once a Lost Kid, always a Lost Kid. Perhaps it wasn't always a bad thing, though. Nico was happy, even with how dangerous the life he lived in truly was.

And, deep down, Nico was still himself. He was still what made him unique. He did change and he had definitely grown darker, but he had realized by now that part of that was just growing up. Perhaps innocence doesn't always last forever. But he should not be afraid of the person he had become, because he was still Nico.

He still can see the good in people.

Nico smiled as he spotted Luke with his arms around Eros, who was completely drenched in the foam. It made the brown-eyed young man smile. He wasn't the only one that had grown. It was refreshing to see his friends happy, even those that thought they could ever be happy again.

Speaking of being happy...

Nico smiled as Percy mouthed along with the lyrics and pretended to sing to Nico. Thankfully it was just pretending. Percy might have the looks of a god, but he had a lousy singing voice. But it was still adorable the way he acted, jumping around and having a good time. Nico couldn't help but join in as the twins turned up the foam machine and a large amount of the stuff shot into the crowd.

Nico froze when he felt something being slipped into his hand. A chill ran down his spine as he looked down to find a thin black box, barely tall enough to hold a watch inside. He gave Percy a questioning look, but the young man just smiled and nodded to Nico's hand.

“Percy, what-”

Oh. Nico's mouth hung open as he gaped at what was inside the box. An obsidian ring with silver markings all around it and a beautiful sapphire sat, embedded, at the top. The detailing was beautiful, even down the the small etchings in the obsidian. It literally looked like it had been carved to perfection, like it had been made specifically for him. Which it very well could have been.

“I-” Nico took a deep breath. The music was still playing, but the dancing had stopped. Everyone seemed to be watching them now, waiting for Nico to say something. Eros especially looked like a child on Christmas morning, bouncing up and down on his heels. “Oh. This was the surprise.”

“I, uh...” Percy rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous smile on his face. “I wasn't sure... I hope you like it.” He winced. “I mean, it's perfectly fine if you say no. I just...wanted to be with you.” He winced again. “This went a lot smoother in my head. Of course I want to be with you. I just want to always be with you. And you've made me very happy, happier than I've probably ever been. And I just want to let everyone know that.”

A million things ran through Nico's head at that very moment. What about the public, the media? What would they think of Percy, the billionaire, getting engaged and married to another man? Sure, they already knew Percy was dating Nico, they had known that for years, but this was different. Or maybe it wasn't, and Nico was just nervous.

His heart was beating into overdrive. In all this time, he had never even given thought to possibly moving past just dating. For some reason, Nico had never thought about the possibility that Percy might actually propose to him. That was what he was doing, right? It sure sounded that way.

Finally, a smile broke out across Nico's face, and it seemed like everyone was able to relax. Well, everyone except Percy, who still looked like a nervous wreck as he waited for Nico's answer. Nico took out the ring and admired it for a second before slipping it on.

He then beamed up at Percy. “What do you think?” Nico chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and stood up on his tiptoes for a kiss.

Percy pulled back and swallowed a lump in his throat. “Is that a yes then?”

Rolling his eyes, Nico nodded. “Of course it's a yes.” He kissed Percy again. “I love you, and I would be happy to spend the rest of our lives together.”

It was then that Percy's shoulders were finally able to relax. He smiled like a dork and pulled Nico into a warm embrace. Nico sighed and buried his face into the crook of Percy's neck, taking a second to admire the ring on his hand over the green-eyed young man's shoulder. Everyone finally decided to cheer and clap, which drew a small blush to Nico's cheeks.

Perhaps it wasn't the fairytale that Nico would have liked his life to be, at least before all of this started, but he wouldn't change anything. Well, perhaps a few things. There was definitely a lot of pain, and he even lost people he cared about. But fairytales are just that, fairytales. They aren't real.

Asclepius got it right back during their sessions. Happiness was what we make it. Finding the small things that truly matter would always be what was important. It was up to everyone to find their own happiness, perhaps not always in the places they expect it. But that would always be how life worked, and it wasn't about to change or do anyone any favors anytime soon.

When they had first met, Nico had wanted nothing more than for Percy to be his dream guy, the knight in shining armor, but he was happy now that it wasn't like that. Percy was better than any knight in shining armor could ever dream to be. The best knights don't show up on your doorstep wearing shiny armor and riding a white horse. Sometimes, the person you always wanted might just turn up worn and damaged, and you'll never know how amazing they really are if you don't give them a chance. Percy gave him everything, at a time when Nico was just looking for some food and shelter.

And now, like he had said, Percy had given him the world. As long as he had his friends and Percy in it, Nico was happy. He smiled as those closest to him gathered around to get a look at the ring. Percy smiled warmly at him, making Nico's heart race. It was no fairytale ending, but it was something better.

His long journey had finally come to an end, and Nico could have not been more happier with how it all played out.

After several minutes, Nico looked up at Percy. “Do you, uh, mind if I go for a walk for a bit?” He asked a little breathlessly. “I, uh, just need to process everything, maybe get some air.”

Percy gave a small nod, concern written on his face. “Do I need to come with you?”

Quickly, Nico shook his head. He leaned up to peck Percy on the lips. “I'll be fine, you stay here and enjoy the party.” Smiling again, Nico let go of Percy's hand and made his way out of the hotel.

The sky was clear outside, giving Nico a great view of the moon and stars. He shoved his hands into his pockets and took off in a random direction, letting his feet drag through the grass. It wasn't until he passed by the cabana that Nico came to a stop at a random noise.

His head tilted to the side as he backed up and turned to head closer to the cabana. “Shit,” he heard girl's voice hiss before something glass broke.

“Hello?”

In the back of the cabana, a girl shot up from the ground. “I wasn't... I just...” Her bangs looked dirty, like she had not showered in days, maybe even weeks. “I just needed some food, and I saw the bright lights of the hotel.” She quickly hurried out from behind the cabana, trying to get past Nico. “I'll just go.”

Before she could get away, Nico grabbed her by the arm. She looked up at him, fear very clear in her eyes. Nico frowned at the way she sort of curled in on herself. Letting out a sigh, Nico released the girl's arm. “Come on, we'll get you something to eat.”

“R-really?” The girl stuttered, seemingly stunned.

Smiling, Nico nodded. “Maybe we can get you a fresh change of clothes and a shower as well.” He glanced down at the girl as he led her to the hotel. “Would you like to stay here for the night?”

The girl's face grew red in the moonlight. “Oh, no, I could not ask something like that. I have no money.”

The two came to a stop, where Nico just blinked down at the girl for a long time. He couldn't just leave her out here, or let her leave. For all he knew, it would be sending her to her death. What if she starved or got stabbed? She was homeless and needed a place to stay. So, he just slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled at the girl.

“Could I interest you in a job?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Tu m'as tellement manqué! Mais maintenant tu peux rester pour de bon! [I have missed you so! But now you are free to stay here for good].
> 
> Si tu m'ignores, on ne baise pas ce soir. [If you ignore me, you won't get sex tonight]  
> \-------
> 
> So, the story has finally come to an end. I do hope you all enjoyed it, from beginning to end. There was a lot of ups and downs, and I would probably have changed a lot of things, looking on back on things. But I think it turned out good. This story has been my baby, which took me three years to complete. It probably could have been finished sooner, especially if it had not gotten taken down on FF.net, but maybe it was for the best.
> 
> So, what now? I will be mainly writing my book now, but do expect updates every now and then from me. I don't have anything lined up just yet, as all my new fic ideas haven't been started yet. So, it may be like a month or two before I post anything. I will go on record right now and say that House of the Wicked and In My Time of Need are probably discontinued. I just don't feel like writing either of them now. And I just want to enjoy writing, not feel enslaved to it. At least while writing fanficition. If I change my mind on those two, I will let everyone know. Just, for now, don't expect another update from them.
> 
> There will be a spinoff of Children of Loss, taking place between the three years that Nico was away at college. It will be told through Luke's perspective. I will also say that the final chapter of that will be when Percy goes to order Nico's ring. It will be somewhere between 5 and 10 chapters, so definitely do not expect something long out of it. It will also include the point in time that Luke and Eros start dating.
> 
> Finally, I felt like sharing my plans on new fics, since I will not be revisiting old ones. I want to announce that I will be joining the Jasico fandom, probably from here on out. I have just felt a lot more connection there, and I have an easier time finding fics to read that I truly enjoy. So, I don't know if I'll be writing any more Percico or not, or Solangelo. My two new fics will be Jasico. Beyond that, I can't say for certain what ship I'll write.
> 
> The shorter of those two will be a modern day Romeo and Juliet styled fic. Just not with the clichés. It will be between two rival companies and Nico and Jason will be in college. No, they won't kill themselves for their undying love at the end. I'm not going to go there. The whole theme has been run into the ground, in my opinion, but this is sort of my take on the whole thing. Like I said, though, it won't be that long. Maybe 10-15 chapters? That could be subject to change.
> 
> Finally, my next big project. I have no idea how massive it will be, only that it will be many chapters in length. And, of course, with me nobody should expect short chapters. I have hinted at the theme on tumblr, and I will confirm now that it does involve thieves and assassins in a steampunk styled setting. Expect it to be dark and probably pretty detailed on the killing. But I think everyone will love it, at least that is my hope. So stay tuned for that one. I am very excited to get started on it.
> 
> But I just wanted to take some time to thank all of you for reading my fic, and even taking the time out to review it. It's been a long journey for me. I probably wouldn't have made it to the end of this, if it weren't for all of you showing your support. I just really wanted to thank all of you for that, and I hope I did right by all of you with how this story turned out. Anyways, that's all. This is the closing of this story, may the future of what I bring you be just as good. I love you guys, and thanks again.


End file.
